How to Choose an SEO Agency: A 7-Point Scorecard

How do you choose an SEO agency?

Choose the agency that shows real evidence of results in businesses like yours, explains exactly what work it will do and how it will measure success, and promises effort rather than guaranteed rankings. Price comes after those.

Google’s own guidance on hiring an SEO makes the same points. Ask for examples of past work, ask how success will be measured and how long it will take, and expect the agency to ask about your business and customers. It warns that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and that you remain responsible for what a hired SEO does to your site (Google Search Central).

The scorecard below turns that advice into a number you can compare across agencies.

Disclosure: We are an SEO agency, and this article links to our services. We built the scorecard to be useful whether or not you hire us. Score us the same way you score everyone else.

How should you score SEO agencies?

Score each agency from 1 to 5 on seven criteria, multiply by the weight, and add up the results. The maximum is 100 points. The weights favor evidence and honesty over polish, because those predict results best.

Criterion	Weight	What a 5 looks like	What a 1 looks like
1. Proof of results	5	Case studies with real numbers, timelines, and client references you can call	Vague claims, logos without context, no references
2. Relevant experience	3	Has worked in your industry, market size, and type of site	Generalist with no comparable clients
3. Clear deliverables	3	Written list of monthly work, owners, and dates	“We’ll optimize your site” with no specifics
4. Honest expectations	3	Realistic timelines; explicitly no guarantees	Guaranteed rankings, traffic, or AI citations
5. Measurement	2	Reports tie work to traffic, leads, and AI visibility	Reports full of rankings and impressions only
6. Who does the work	2	You meet the people doing the work, and they are senior	Sold by a senior, handed to a junior team
7. Terms and ownership	2	Fair minimum term, clear exit, you own all content and accounts	Long lock-in, they own your content or accounts

How to read the total:

80–100: strong candidate.
60–79: workable; probe the low-scoring criteria before signing.
Below 60: keep looking.

Any agency that guarantees rankings or AI citations fails criterion 4 outright, whatever its total. Compare prices only among agencies that pass, using our guide to how much SEO costs.

What should you ask on the sales call?

Ask questions that force specific answers. Vague answers to these are a signal in themselves.

Can you show me a case study from a company like mine, with the numbers and timeline?
Can I speak with two current or past clients?
Exactly what work will you do in the first 90 days?
Who will actually do the work, and how senior are they?
How will you measure success, and what will the monthly report show?
What results are realistic in 6 months, and what could prevent them?
How do you handle AI search, and how do you track mentions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews?
How do you earn links, and can I see examples?
What access do you need? (For an audit, read-only Search Console access is enough.)
What are the contract terms, and who owns the content and accounts if we part ways?

A good agency will also ask you plenty of questions: about your customers, competitors, margins, and sales process. If they don’t, that’s a warning sign.

What are the red flags when hiring an SEO agency?

Walk away from any agency that guarantees rankings, traffic, or AI citations. Google states that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking (Google Search Central), and the same is true for AI answers.

Other deal-breakers:

A claimed “special relationship” with Google or a “priority submission” service. Neither exists.
Secret methods. If they won’t explain what they’ll do, you can’t judge the risk, and you are responsible for what happens to your site.
Bulk or paid link schemes. These break Google’s spam policies and can get your site demoted.
Unsolicited cold emails promising page-one results.
Fake or incentivized reviews on their own profiles. The FTC’s rule on consumer reviews bans fake reviews, so an agency faking its own is unlikely to treat yours honestly.
No access to your own data. You should always own your Search Console, analytics, and Business Profile accounts.

When is an agency the wrong choice?

An agency isn’t always the best fit. Consider an alternative when:

You need daily, deep SEO work across a large site: an in-house hire may cost less over time.
You need advice, not execution: an hourly consultant can review your team’s work.
The job is one-time: an audit or migration project avoids a retainer entirely.

Frequently asked questions

How many agencies should I compare?

Three is usually enough. Score each one with the same scorecard after a call and a written proposal.

Is a bigger agency better?

Not necessarily. Larger agencies offer more capacity, but smaller firms often give you more senior attention. Criterion 6, who does the work, matters more than headcount.

Should an SEO agency also handle AI search?

Ideally, yes. AI assistants draw on the same foundations as SEO, so it is simpler to run both in one plan. Ask how they measure AI visibility, and be wary of guarantees.

How long should I give an agency before judging results?

Usually 4 to 6 months for clear progress, though you should see completed deliverables and early technical wins in the first 90 days.

What access should I give an agency at first?

For an audit, read-only access to Search Console and analytics is enough. Grant more only once you’ve agreed on the work.

Want to see how we score? Read our CITED Method and pricing, or start with a free AI visibility audit.

About Silicon Valley SEO

Silicon Valley SEO is a Bay Area consultancy that helps tech companies rank in Google and get cited by AI assistants, using the CITED Method. Questions? Email support@siliconvalleyseo.ai.

Sources

Do you need an SEO?, Google Search Central
FTC announces final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, Federal Trade Commission, August 14, 2024