If you run a trades business, you’ve probably had the calls: “We noticed you’re not on page one of Google…”. A good SEO agency or consultant will tell you exactly what they plan to do, report on things that matter to your business, and leave you in full control of your website and accounts. Be wary of anyone who makes promises nobody can keep, won’t explain their methods or wants to own things that should be yours. This guide covers the questions worth asking, the warning signs to look out for and what you should always keep in your own name.
Start with Google’s own advice
Google publishes a page called Do you need an SEO? with tips on hiring one. It’s worth reading before you speak to anyone. Two points stand out. First: “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.” Second, Google reminds business owners that they are ultimately responsible for the actions of any company they hire, so you need to understand what changes are being made to your site and why.
Google also suggests that a good time to bring in SEO help is when you’re planning a redesign or a new website, so search is considered from the start rather than patched in afterwards.
Questions to ask before you sign
What will you do in the first three months?
A good answer is specific. You might expect a technical review of your site (checking that Google can find, read and store your pages), research into the words your customers actually search for, improvements to your most important pages and a tidy-up of your Google Business Profile if you serve local customers. A vague answer like “ongoing optimisation” isn’t enough. Google’s guidance says to be careful if a company is secretive or won’t clearly explain what it intends to do.
Can you show me examples of previous work?
This is one of the questions Google itself suggests asking. Look for work with businesses similar to yours, ideally other trades, and ask what was done and why. Past results for one business don’t guarantee the same for yours.
How will you report, and how often?
Ask to see a sample report, and whether they’ll share every change they make to your site along with the reasoning (another question Google suggests). A useful report explains what was done, what changed and what comes next. It should draw on real data, such as the Performance report in Google Search Console, which shows clicks, impressions (how often your site appeared in search results), click-through rate and average position. Ideally it also connects search activity to calls, quote requests and jobs won, from Google Analytics 4 or your own records.
Who will actually do the work?
Will it be the person you’re talking to, someone else on their team or an outside contractor? Using specialists is normal, but you should know who has access to your website and accounts.
Who will own the accounts?
The answer should be “you”. There’s more on this below.
How long is the contract, and what’s the notice period?
Check the minimum term, the notice period, any exit fees and what happens to your content, data and account access if you leave. Get the agreement in writing. Google’s tips for working with third parties on your Business Profile make the same point: get an official copy of your agreement that sets out the services and what they cost.
How do you get links to my site?
Google says it uses links as a signal when working out how relevant pages are, and to find new pages. That makes links worth having, but how they’re earned matters. Good answers sound like: getting listed by local organisations, suppliers and industry bodies you genuinely work with, being featured by local press, and publishing content other sites want to reference. If the answer is a monthly package of a set number of links, ask where those links come from.
What do you do about AI search?
Some agencies, including us, now offer “AI search” optimisation, sometimes called AEO or GEO. Google says that, from Google Search’s perspective, this work is still SEO, which is why our AI search work is built on SEO rather than special shortcuts. Its hiring advice suggests checking that any such advice matches Google’s official guidance, and asking whether an agency cites Google’s own documentation to back up its recommendations.
Red flags to watch for
- Guaranteed rankings. “Page one in 30 days” or “guaranteed #1” isn’t something anyone can promise. Google’s Business Profile third-party policies also prohibit agencies that manage profiles from guaranteeing top placement on Google.
- A “special relationship” with Google. Google’s hiring advice specifically warns about SEOs who claim a special relationship with Google or offer a “priority submit”. If someone says they work for Google, its Business Profile tips suggest asking for their name and for an email from their @google.com address.
- Secret methods. If they can’t or won’t explain what they’re doing, you can’t judge whether it’s safe.
- Buying links or using link networks. Be wary of anyone who sells links or uses private blog networks (PBNs), which are groups of websites set up mainly to link to other sites. Google’s spam policies treat links created mainly to manipulate rankings as link spam, including buying or selling links for ranking purposes. Sites that break these policies may rank lower or not appear in results at all.
- Fake or incentivised reviews. Google’s Maps content policy bans reviews that have been paid for, directly or in kind, and bans selectively asking only happy customers for reviews. In the UK, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also explicitly bans posting and commissioning fake reviews.
- Wanting to own your Google Business Profile. Google’s third-party policies say the business owner should be the owner of the profile and the agency should be a manager. The same policies prohibit keeping a profile “hostage” in exchange for money.
- Long lock-ins with no clear way out. A contract you can’t leave doesn’t give the agency much reason to keep earning your business.
- Reports full of vanity metrics. Rankings for phrases nobody searches for, a raw count of links, or “authority” scores calculated by SEO tool companies can look impressive while saying little about whether more customers are finding you. Google points out that third-party SEO tools don’t have access to its internal ranking data.
- Cold emails promising top rankings. Google’s hiring advice suggests treating unsolicited emails about search engines with the same scepticism as any other suspicious email.
What realistic expectations look like
SEO takes time, and nobody controls Google’s results. Google’s SEO Starter Guide says some changes can take effect in a few hours while others can take several months, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging whether a change has helped. Google’s Business Profile tips are equally direct: third parties can’t promise or directly influence where your business ranks.
So what should you expect? Clear explanations, steady work you can see, honest conversations about what’s realistic for your market and budget, and reports that tell you what’s working and what isn’t. If you’d like a clearer picture of the work itself, our guide to what SEO involves walks through the main pieces.
What you should always own
Whoever you work with, these should be in your business’s name, with your own login:
- Your domain name. It should be registered to your business, and you should be able to log in to the account at the company it’s registered with.
- Your website and hosting. Keep admin access and check your contract says who owns the design and content if an agency builds the site.
- Your Google Business Profile. You should be the primary owner and the agency a manager. Google’s help on owners and managers explains that only owners can add or remove people or delete the profile. Google’s third-party policies also say businesses must keep ownership or co-ownership at all times, and that an agency must let you disconnect it within 7 business days of you asking. Our Google Business Profile checklist covers the rest of the setup.
- Google Search Console. This free Google tool shows how your site performs in search. You should be a verified owner, and the agency can be added as a user. If an agency is only auditing your site, Google’s hiring advice suggests giving it read access only, not the ability to make changes. When you part ways, remove their access and their verification tokens, as Google’s Search Console permissions help explains.
- Google Analytics 4. Set it up in your own account and keep the Administrator role. Google’s Analytics user help explains that adding, changing and removing users needs that role.
If an agency already set these up for you, it’s worth checking today who owns each one.
Need a hand?
If you’d like a second opinion on an SEO proposal, or want to know where your business stands, ask for a free check. No obligation.