Choosing the right SEO company can make or break your online success. A reliable SEO agency helps your business rank higher on search engines, attract quality traffic, and increase conversions.
But with so many agencies making big promises, how do you know which one to trust? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key factors to consider when hiring an SEO company for your small business.
1. Define Your SEO Goals Before Hiring an Agency
Before choosing which SEO firm to trust, it is important to decide and clearly understand the reasons you need to hire one.
In my opinion, you should consider hiring an SEO firm when:
- You don’t have a website and need to build a proper Internet presence from the beginning.
- You have a website, but you are not getting any traffic.
- You have a website; you get traffic but not customers (i.e., conversions).
- You have a website that is not optimized for search engines, social media, or users.
- You want to improve your website visibility.
2. Find a Trustworthy SEO Company
An SEO company doesn’t need to be local or in the same city as your business. SEO is a digital service, and most reputable agencies work remotely with clients worldwide.
Communication is typically handled through email, or Zoom, making location irrelevant. What truly matters is the company’s expertise, track record, and ability to deliver results.
So, where can you find a good SEO company?
Word of Mouth & Recommendations – Ask business owners in your network, colleagues, or even connections on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook for recommendations. If a company has delivered great results for someone you trust, it’s a strong sign they might be a good fit for you too.
Google Ads & PPC Listings – When you search for terms like “reliable SEO company” or “SEO services,” you’ll see paid ads at the top of search results. These companies have invested heavily in advertising, which means they need to provide quality service to maintain a positive return on investment (ROI).
However, always research them further before making a decision.
Organic Search Rankings – SEO companies that rank on the first page of Google for competitive terms like “best SEO agency” or “SEO services provider” have demonstrated their ability to rank websites—starting with their own. If they can rank their own business successfully, they likely have the skills to help yours.
3. Evaluate an SEO Company’s Credibility
No matter how you find an SEO company, you should thoroughly assess its credibility before making a final decision. Here’s how to determine if an agency is trustworthy:
Beware of Unrealistic Promises
Avoid companies that guarantee “first-page rankings” or claim they can get you to the “top of Google overnight.” SEO is a long-term process, and no legitimate company can promise exact rankings because search engine algorithms constantly change. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
They Should Clearly Explain Their SEO Strategy
A reliable SEO company should be transparent about the methods they use to improve your rankings. If they only mention “building links” without explaining how or fail to outline a clear strategy, that’s a red flag. Unethical SEO practices, like spammy link-building, can harm your website’s rankings in the long run.
Check Their Pricing Structure
SEO pricing varies, but a trustworthy company will have a clear and affordable pricing model. The best agencies charge based on an hourly or project-based rate, rather than offering vague, one-size-fits-all monthly plans. Ask for detailed pricing upfront to avoid hidden fees.
Request an SEO Audit First
Before committing to a long-term contract, ask the company to conduct an SEO audit of your website. This audit should assess your site’s current performance, identify technical issues, and suggest improvements. A professional audit helps you understand their approach and shows whether they genuinely know their stuff.
Have a Direct Conversation
Finally, schedule a call or virtual meeting with the SEO team. Use this opportunity to ask questions, gauge their expertise, and see if they communicate clearly. A trustworthy SEO company will be open about their processes and willing to answer any concerns you have.
4. Build Essential SEO Knowledge
Having basic SEO knowledge makes it easier to negotiate or challenge a method proposed by your SEO.
It is very difficult to cover everything you need to know in a single post, but for starters, you can look at this article: What is search engine optimization, and why is it important?
Besides understanding the terminology, it is advisable to:
Go For a Long-Term Plan
Getting results from your SEO efforts may take more than a couple of months. The competition is huge, and search engines need time to process the data they capture from websites.
Therefore, it is more appropriate to hire an SEO for several months rather than a couple of months without any return.
You need to discuss and agree on the duration of their work before signing any contract.
SEO is Not Only About Building Links
Good SEO is not just link building. In the past, many ‘companies’ associated SEO with cheap link-building techniques, and many people still believe that SEO's work is to build links, but this is far from true.
The job of an SEO is to ensure that a website is secure, fast, user-friendly, and has good ranking positions on all major search engines.
A successful SEO campaign incorporates one or more digital marketing channels, such as social media marketing, mobile marketing, email marketing, etc.
The main focus is still on the website and how to optimize it for search engines, but for optimum results, you need to look for areas outside the website's boundaries as well.
5. Focus on Proven Results, Not Just Promises
One of the most interesting things about the internet is that everything is measurable.
Some metrics and reports can help you measure and monitor your website's activity, such as incoming visits, time users spend on the site, pages they visit, and more.
You can start looking at these SEO metrics. If, after 6-7 months, the SEO Company you hired does not manage to bring in more traffic, then you may need to consider changing your contract.
The best way is to discuss it with them first and hear what they have to say, always keeping in mind that changes to a website may take time to generate positive or negative results.
As a rule of thumb, 6-7 months is a good period to judge the effectiveness of any SEO techniques.
Conclusion
Even if you are a small business owner, a blogger, or an online shop owner, you must ensure that you have the best possible Internet presence and are taking advantage of all digital channels.
If you cannot do this because you lack the time or knowledge, then it is preferable to hire a professional, reliable, and trustworthy SEO firm to do it for you.
Before hiring an SEO, ensure you know what they will do, how much you will have to pay, and what to expect.
Don’t believe in too-good-to-be-true promises. If they don’t produce decent results after 6-7 months, consider terminating your contract.
