What should you ask before hiring an SEO?
You do not need to understand SEO to hire well. Ask what will be done in month one specifically, who does the work, what they will not promise, how results are reported, and what you keep if you leave. Answers that are specific and comfortable with limits matter more than technical vocabulary you cannot assess.
The ten questions
1. What will you do in month one, specifically? Look for named pages, named fixes, profile work. Vague answers mean a vague engagement.
2. Who does the work? The person in front of you, or an unnamed team. Both can be fine; you should know which.
3. What do I own if I leave? Domain, hosting, Google Business Profile, ad account, analytics, content. Anything other than "all of it" is a finding.
4. How will we know it worked? If the answer is rankings and traffic rather than enquiries and booked jobs, they are measuring the wrong thing.
5. What could go wrong? A provider who says nothing could go wrong has either not done this often or is not being straight. Real answers exist: a redesign losing rankings, a competitor's activity, seasonality.
6. What will you need from me? Good SEO needs your input — photos, service details, which enquiries closed. A provider who needs nothing from you is not going to produce anything specific to your business.
7. Can I speak to a client in a similar trade? A phone call, not a logo wall.
8. What is the notice period, and what happens to the work if I leave? Read the answer against the actual contract.
9. What would make you tell me not to hire you? The most revealing question on the list. Every honest provider has cases they should decline — too early, wrong channel, no capacity to serve the work. A provider with no such cases will sell to anyone.
10. What will exist at the end of month three that does not exist now? If it cannot be answered concretely, the proposal is not ready.
The answers that should end the conversation
- Guaranteed rankings or guaranteed lead volume
- "We have a proprietary algorithm" or a secret method
- A promise of first-page results in thirty days for competitive terms
- Reluctance to confirm you own your own accounts
- Pressure to sign today
What you should bring
Rough numbers: enquiries last month, roughly where from, how many became jobs. Approximate is fine, and it makes every answer you get more specific.
The thing you are really assessing
Not technical knowledge — you cannot evaluate that and you do not need to.
You are assessing whether this person is specific, whether they are willing to say what they cannot do, and whether they will tell you an uncomfortable truth in month four. That is what the ten questions test.
Asking them here
Call James on 832-338-2926 and ask all ten. That is a reasonable thing to do with the first call.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most revealing question to ask?
What would make you tell me not to hire you. Every honest provider has cases they should decline — too early, wrong channel, no capacity. A provider with none will sell to anyone.
What answers should end the conversation?
Guaranteed rankings or lead volume, a proprietary secret method, first-page results promised in thirty days for competitive terms, reluctance to confirm you own your accounts, or pressure to sign today.
Do I need to understand SEO to hire well?
No. You are assessing whether the provider is specific, willing to state their limits, and likely to tell you an uncomfortable truth in month four.
What should I bring to the conversation?
Rough numbers — enquiries last month, roughly where from, how many became jobs. Approximate is fine, and it makes every answer you receive more specific.