By the time you reach contract stage, you have seen the pitch. This list is for the final conversation, where you convert impressions into documented commitments. Ask for answers in writing; vague verbal reassurance does not survive staff turnover.
Team and accountability
Who will actually do the work? Good: named roles, seniority and approximate time allocation. Poor: "our team" with no detail.
Will I meet them? Good: the day-to-day lead joins a call before signing. Poor: only a sales contact is available.
What happens if the person assigned leaves? Good: a described handover and continuity process.
Is any work subcontracted or offshored? Good: disclosure, with oversight explained. Poor: evasion.
Strategy and process
What do you think is wrong or promising on our site, specifically? Good: observations that reference your pages, structure or market. Poor: generic claims that fit any website.
What will you do in the first 90 days? Good: a sequenced plan with dependencies. Note that this is not a promise of outcomes.
How do you prioritize work? Good: reasoning based on impact, effort and risk.
What would make you recommend we not do something? Good: examples of declining low-value tasks.
Evidence
Can you share case studies with starting conditions, actions and measurement method? See Evaluating an SEO Case Study.
Can I speak to a current and a former client? A willingness to connect you with both is informative.
Where can I verify your claims? On this site's listings, each claim is marked as coming from the agency's own site, a published case study or independent corroboration. Sponsorship never buys verification, so check how the claims you rely on are labeled.
Expectations and promises
What outcomes can you guarantee? The right answer is that no one can guarantee specific rankings, traffic or revenue, because search engines and competitors are outside the agency's control. Be cautious of anyone who says otherwise.
How long before we should see evidence of progress? Good: an explanation of leading indicators versus lagging results, with caveats. Poor: a fixed date for results.
Methods and risk
Are there tactics you do not use? Good: a clear position on purchased links, automated content without editorial review and other risky practices. See Evaluating Link Acquisition Services.
How do you use AI tools in your work? Good: disclosure of where automation is used and where humans review.
What changes will you make directly to our site? Good: described change control, staging and rollback.
Access and ownership
Who owns the accounts, properties and tools? You should own your analytics, search console properties, hosting, domain and any content created. Be wary of the agency registering accounts in its own name.
What access do you need, and at what permission level? Good: the minimum required, revocable.
Who owns deliverables on termination? Good: you do, in usable formats.
Reporting
What will I receive and how often? Request a sample. Good reports connect activity to business outcomes and explain caveats. See Understanding SEO Reporting.
Which metrics will we agree define success? Set them before work starts.
Do I get raw data access? You should be able to view your own analytics directly.
Commercial terms
What exactly is included, and what is billed separately? Get a list. See What Does an SEO Agency Cost?.
What is the minimum term, notice period and renewal process? Watch for automatic renewals and long lock-ins. Model-specific trade-offs are in Monthly Retainer vs Project Pricing.
What are the terms for ending early? Good: reasonable notice, fees due only up to the exit date and a transition process.
Are there performance-based clauses, and how are they measured? Clarify definitions, data sources and who controls measurement.
Your side of the deal
What do you need from us, and by when? Good agencies state dependencies: approvals, developer time, subject-matter input. Ask what happens to timelines if those are late.
Who on our side should be involved? Identify an internal owner before you sign.
How to use the answers
Write answers into the statement of work. Anything promised in conversation but absent from the contract should be added or treated as unreliable. If an agency resists documenting reasonable commitments, that tells you how the relationship will go. For the full selection process, see How to Choose an SEO Agency, and compare finalists in the comparison tool.