Use a spreadsheet or other organizational tool to keep track of the SEO specialists you want to investigate and those you’ve already looked into. As you progress through additional steps, take notes so you can share your insights with internal stakeholders and save others from having to duplicate your efforts. Here’s how to do this in Asana.

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2. Check Reviews & Industry Awards

Online reviews are a critical form of social proof. Before further researching a prospect, check what others have said about them. Don’t just look at stars, though. Dig into the meat of the reviews. What is it that their customers like about them? What don’t they like? What do the reviews tell you about how they do business? You can find reviews on industry sites like Clutch or just via an agency’s Google Business Profile.

Also, check whether industry insiders have recognized their work. Industry awards show that an SEO consultant is esteemed by their peers.

3. Check Case Studies & Educational Materials

When reading their SEO case studies, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are they showing clear wins with actual data or just puffed-up claims?
2. How do they speak about their customers? For example, does the language they use imply collaboration and partnership?
3. How helpful or informative are the case studies?
4. Are there case studies for businesses like yours?
5. Are there case studies for your industry? If yes, what types of results do they show?
6. Do the case studies discuss how the partnership between the SEO consultant and the organization worked?
7. Do the case studies highlight the SEO strategies the consultant or agency implemented?

If the SEO agency has a blog or knowledge base, visit their articles to get a feel for how they share information. Are they open about SEO, or do they cloak their strategies in jargon? What types of information do they share? Do their educational materials establish them as an expert?

During this process, you may notice that specific consultants make SEO feel difficult or otherwise hard to understand. Identify those willing to openly discuss what they do and how they do it. A partner who invests in your education is committed to helping you succeed.

4. Create a List of Questions

Before starting conversations with SEO experts, brainstorm some baseline questions you want to ask each of the consultants you’ve identified.

Here’s a list of 12 questions to get you started.

Additionally, you’ll want to know:

• Whether they’ve worked with your CMS before
• The level of service they offer
• What platforms they need access to (like Google Search Console and Google Analytics)
• Additional SEO services they can provide
• How they measure success
• Who the point of contact would be

If you have an internal team, see if they have any questions they’d like asked.

5. Set Up a Free Consultation

Once you have an idea of the questions that are most important to you, schedule some free SEO consultations with your potential partners to learn the answers.

Keep track of the answers so you can more easily compare the SEO professionals later. Also, note how the consultant speaks with you and whether the rapport is comfortable. Do they care about you and your business, or are they just trying to make a sale?

Your first few conversations may surface additional questions. Add them to your list so you can ask them during other consults.

6. Narrow the Field Based on Your Findings

Before beginning conversations with stakeholders, cull your list to only share the best candidates.

Alternatively, once you’ve narrowed down your list, reconnect with the agencies that impressed you the most and request a proposal. You can then share these proposals with decision-makers.

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