Choose an SEO agency on three tests: its plan, its proof and its agreement. Ask every shortlisted provider the same 12 questions. Then settle any serious gaps in scope, access or exit terms before you compare price.
Keep one record per provider as you go. It stops a polished pitch from deciding for you:
Business objective: [specific outcome]
Provider and legal entity: [name and ABN]
Proposed scope: [work and dependencies]
Evidence checked: [record, source and date]
Mandatory gaps: [item, owner and answer date]
Decision: [progress, resolve or stop]
It's a working record, not a pass score. Update it as answers arrive.
What are you hiring someone to do?
Define the job before you compare providers. Send each suitable candidate the same short brief:
your priority services or products, and where you serve
what a customer is worth to you, as a rough range
how much new work you can take on
your budget band and goals
your current website and measurement
previous SEO work and known constraints
who makes the final decision
Business level information is enough at first. Don't hand over customer records or live passwords during a sales conversation.
SEO covers several kinds of work. Local SEO, service pages and ecommerce need different skills. So do technical projects, content and work across several sites. A bounded migration review may suit a specialist. An ongoing program may need several people.
Our guide to SEO for small business covers how the pieces fit. For local search, our Google Business Profile guide covers the profile side.
A diagnostic can be done in house or paid for. It doesn't have to lead to a retainer. It also won't guarantee the later work pays off. Still deciding whether to invest at all? Start with our guide on whether SEO is worth the investment.
The first meeting
The first meeting should show you how an agency thinks. Expect questions about what you can fulfil. Expect them to ask what a useful enquiry looks like. They should also ask what implementation help you have. Ask how they'll learn your market and handle missing data.
Good questions are a fair sign. A long discovery form or a flood of questions doesn't prove skill on its own, though.
Agency or in house?
Compare like with like. An employee costs salary, superannuation, on costs, tools and management time. Set that against a matching outsourced scope, not a narrow retainer. A small business may justify a hire. A large one may still need a specialist.
Which provider is a fit?
Every delivery model can work. Each one raises its own questions:
Ask a consultant who covers leave and who implements the advice. Ask a boutique agency who'll actually do the work and how stretched they are. Ask a larger agency to name the assigned team and the escalation route. An in house role needs skills, tools and someone to manage it.
None of these is better by default. Size, country and price don't prove quality. Check the actual people, relevant work, quality review and continuity.
A provider's own website and reviews are prompts for questions. A polished site, or its own rankings, doesn't prove it suits your business.
Does a Melbourne agency matter?
A nearby office isn't a requirement or a guarantee. For Melbourne work, ask about relevant customers and how they'd choose your service areas. Ask how they'll learn your market. Then check that communication works in practice.
Overseas or subcontracted delivery gets the same checks on skills, writing quality, data handling and accountability.
The 12 questions to ask before signing
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order. Then compare the answers and the proof behind them:
For each one, here's a good answer, a worrying answer and what to ask for. They're teaching examples, not quotes from real providers.
How do you decide what to do first?
Good answer: They clarify profitable services, demand, measurement and technical barriers. Then they explain which work has the strongest case.
Worrying answer: The same checklist and task count for every business.
Ask for: A redacted work plan with reasons, dependencies, owners and a completion check.
A good plan separates confirmed faults from hunches.
How would you approach my business?
Good answer: A provisional plan tied to your model, locations, customers and capacity.
Worrying answer: A confident plan before they've asked about any of that.
Ask for: The assumptions that would change their advice, plus the data to test them.
A sales call can't honestly diagnose a site nobody has looked at yet.
How do you measure success?
Good answer: Agreed business outcomes, backed by search and delivery measures. Each has a baseline, a source and a reporting period.
Worrying answer: Ranking totals or traffic percentages presented as proof of revenue.
Ask for: An anonymised report that links work, qualified enquiries and a next decision. It should show lead quality checks and reporting lag.
Our ROI guide covers how to measure SEO results. Here's the difference between a headline and a claim you can check:
We grew enquiries by 50%.
In this example, organic sessions rose from 2,000 to 3,000 across equal 90 day periods. Recorded organic enquiries rose from 40 to 45. Tracking and other causes still need checking.
The second version claims less. But you can check every part of it.
What exactly is included each month?
Good answer: Defined outputs, with implementation, review and reporting spelled out. Plus what you need to supply.
Worrying answer: "Ongoing optimisation" with no agreed way to check delivery.
Ask for: Who publishes a revised page, tests it and records the release. Ask whether developer work is extra. Ask which changes need your approval too.
"Optimise five pages" is vague. "Revise, approve, publish, check and log five agreed pages" is something you can check. Five isn't a minimum, either. One urgent technical fix may be the better use of a month. Our packages guide covers what SEO deliverables should include.
A common mistake is signing up for "optimisation" without asking who publishes the changes.
Who actually does the work?
Good answer: Named people for strategy, content, technical work and review. Plus your contact and a backup.
Worrying answer: Only the salesperson has a name. Nobody can explain who delivers.
Ask for: A meeting with the proposed lead, and how subcontractors are approved and supervised.
A wider team is fine when accountability is clear. Seniority, company size and country don't replace seeing relevant work.
What access will I keep?
Good answer: You own the core accounts, the agency gets named access and recovery is set up. The exit is documented.
Worrying answer: You only see results through the agency's dashboard. You couldn't recover access if they left.
Ask for: An account inventory showing the owner, the agency's role, the recovery contact and any transfer limits.
Before you hire, give limited access only where it's needed. Google's advice on hiring an SEO says to grant only read access to Search Console at that stage. After you sign, grant only what the agreed work needs. Use individual logins with two step verification, not a shared password. A common mistake is letting the agency create your accounts under its own login.
Access isn't the same as legal ownership. You don't own Google's software or every agency tool. The map shows who controls what, not who owns it.
Can you show relevant case studies?
Good answer: Comparable cases, with dates, the work done and how it was measured. Costs and limits are shared where possible.
Worrying answer: A big percentage with no baseline, or a screenshot offered as a guarantee.
Ask for: What the agency actually controlled, plus a reference or a privacy safe record.
A different industry can still show transferable skill. A confidential or older case isn't automatically useless. The agency should explain why it's relevant and what you can check.
What mix of work will I get?
Good answer: The mix follows the diagnosis. Content expertise, technical review and legitimate promotion come in where they're needed.
Worrying answer: Every client gets the same number of blogs or links.
Ask for: How evidence supports each recommendation. Then ask how experts review claims and how changes get checked.
A specialist service can cover one discipline on purpose. It's a problem only when it's sold as complete coverage.
Ask about AI search here too. Answer engine optimisation and generative engine optimisation aim at AI answers and citations. That's a different service from using AI to produce content. Ask which platforms and customer needs the work targets, and how evidence will be collected. A new acronym doesn't prove a better method.
How do you build links?
Good answer: Relevant outreach, with honest answers on placement, editorial control, sponsorship and policy risk.
Worrying answer: Guaranteed quantities, or sources they won't name because a tool scores them highly.
Ask for: A redacted placement log. Then ask how paid links are labelled.
Google's spam policies treat links built to manipulate rankings as link spam. Advertising and sponsored links are fine when they're tagged so Google knows they're paid. Those tags are called nofollow and sponsored. So a properly labelled paid placement isn't spam.
What happens in the first 90 days?
Good answer: Agreed investigation, releases, measurement checks and review dates, with dependencies spelled out.
Worrying answer: Guaranteed positions or leads by a fixed date.
Ask for: The day 30 plan and what you can check by day 90. Also ask what would change the plan.
They're promises about work, not about Google. Our guide to realistic SEO timelines covers the timing side.
What if results are slow?
Good answer: They diagnose before they reassure. They check measurement, delivery and demand. Visibility, lead quality and your offer come next. Then comes a bounded fix and a review date.
Worrying answer: Reassurance, blame or another tool score, with nothing you could test.
Ask for: An example of a plan that changed, and how the client was told.
Delays can come from your side too, such as slow approvals or your developer. A good agency records blockers and escalates them clearly. Rising impressions alone don't show the work is paying.
What are the contract and exit terms?
Good answer: Everything that matters is in writing, from scope and charges to rights and exit.
Worrying answer: Key terms stay verbal, or your access depends on renewing.
Ask for: The actual agreement before you pay, including any third party terms.
Notice periods and minimum terms are negotiated. There's no universal 30 day standard. A long term doesn't prove poor work. A short one doesn't prove good work either.
Answers that need a follow up
Some answers deserve a direct follow up, and sometimes a stop:
Answer you hear | What to do next |
|---|---|
"You'll hit page one by March" | Ask what they control. Stop if they insist. |
"Our method is secret" | Ask for the changes and risks. Stop if they won't say. |
"We keep the logins" | Ask for your own owner access. Stop if refused. |
"Just trust our results" | Ask for dates, baselines and limits. |
"We'll optimise as we go" | Ask for defined outputs and completion checks. |
A weak answer isn't proof of fraud. Neither is a low price or a proprietary tool. A provider can protect its templates and still explain its method, intended changes and risks.
Google's hiring advice also says it doesn't endorse third party SEO tools. Those tools don't see its internal ranking data either. Our guide to SEO red flags and warning signs covers the full list.
How do you check results and references?
Check a claimed result in stages, not all at once:
SourceCheck a permitted supporting record
Keep three questions apart. Is the result genuine? Is it relevant to you? Did the agency cause it?
A genuine graph can be irrelevant to your problem. A relevant result can have several causes.
A worked case check
Here's the example case from earlier, across two equal 90 day periods:
Measure | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Organic sessions | 2,000 | 3,000 | Up 50% |
Recorded enquiries | 40 | 45 | Up 12.5% |
Enquiry rate | 2.0% | 1.5% | Down 0.5 points |
Qualified enquiries | 24 | 27 | Up 12.5% |
Qualified share | 60% | 60% | No change |
So 50% more sessions didn't bring 50% more leads. The enquiry rate fell by a quarter. Before you accept even the smaller gain, check the tracking was comparable. Channel definitions and event setup need to match.
Season or brand demand can explain movement too. So can a redesign. There's no revenue or cost data here. That rules out calculating a return. It also rules out saying the agency caused the gain.
What to ask for in a case study
Ask for the dates, the starting point and the work done. Then ask for the totals behind each percentage, the data source and the limits. A privacy safe export or a supervised screen share can help you check it. Don't ask for another client's logins or customer records.
A screenshot alone can hide filters or context. On your own account, direct access lets you check the numbers yourself. Our Search Console guide shows how to check Search Console reports.
Run the reference call
Ask permission before contacting anyone. Then use these five questions with a current or former client:
How did the relationship change after onboarding?
What went wrong, and how was it handled?
Can you explain the report and its next action?
Who actually delivers and responds day to day?
What surprised you about scope, billing or changes?
The provider chooses its references. So use their detail alongside other evidence, not as a satisfaction survey.
Online reviews are another input. Read the themes, dates, detail and responses. A high average isn't audited performance, and one bad review isn't proof of misconduct. Don't assume a reviewer is fake because you don't recognise the name. The ACCC's guidance on online reviews explains how review practices can mislead.
Claims about results need to stand up too. The ACCC's guidance on false or misleading claims says future claims need reasonable grounds when they're made. That's general guidance, not an approval scheme for agencies. A past result doesn't guarantee yours.
How do you compare proposals?
Give every suitable candidate the same brief, and invite their questions. Comparing a few credible options can expose scope differences. There's no rule that says three quotes or two weeks. Keep a shared sheet with the evidence, open points, owners and response dates.
Record your reasons before presentation style starts deciding for you. Then read each proposal in this order:
exclusions and assumptions first
deliverables and acceptance next
commercial terms and ownership third
strategy last
An excluded developer task can change the whole proposal. Every counted output needs a purpose and a completion check. Mentioning your suburbs or competitors doesn't prove original analysis. A common mistake is reading the strategy first and the exclusions last.
Resolve the mandatory checks first
These five must pass first:
Mandatory check | Resolve before you sign |
|---|---|
Who you're signing with | The legal entity, delivery lead and escalation route |
How they'll do the work | The methods and risks, without guarantees you can't check |
What you're buying | Deliverables, dependencies, acceptance and total cost |
What you control and keep | Your accounts, documented rights, licences and exit |
Data and sign off | Access, confidential data, subcontractors and big changes |
If a mandatory item is open, ask for a specific answer. If the provider refuses an essential requirement, stop that evaluation. Once the checks pass, compare fit, skill, communication and the full cost of each option. An optional score can help with trade offs. It can't make up for a failed mandatory check.
Check the contracting entity
Match the name on the proposal and the agreement to an ABN. ABN Lookup shows whether an ABN is active, the entity type and GST registration. It confirms registration, not skill, solvency or honest results.
A trading name can differ. Ask how it relates to the legal entity before treating a mismatch as a problem.
What can you negotiate?
Pricing models and total cost deserve their own comparison. Our cost guide shows how to compare the full cost of SEO.
Beyond price, you can negotiate a phased scope, clear client contributions or a shorter first commitment. Put any changed obligation in writing.
A paid diagnostic can show how an agency reasons and communicates. Agree the question, access and outputs first. Then agree the fee, reuse rights and exclusions. It won't prove they can deliver the later work. And don't run two agencies' overlapping changes on one site as a test.
What belongs in the agreement?
Separate three questions before you read the fine print:
Admin access doesn't settle copyright. A hosting control panel isn't ownership of the host's servers. Written rights and a working transfer process matter more.
The agreement should cover:
scope, acceptance and reporting cadence
subcontracting and how disputes get settled
transition duties when the work ends
Fees, notice and minimum terms belong in it too. The cost guide linked earlier covers those money terms.
Then pin down the rights side:
content and code you paid for
source files and data exports
plugins, themes and tracking numbers
hosting and agency tools
Confirm what stays usable after you leave. Nobody can promise you'll own a link on another publisher's site, or an agency's software.
Conflicts and exclusivity
Ask whether the agency works for direct competitors. Then ask how it keeps sensitive information apart. If it promises exclusivity, define the services, area, related businesses and duration. Agree what happens when a conflict arises.
Two competitors can both be served well. Some businesses accept a disclosed arrangement. Others want an agreed exclusion.
Contract terms and the law
Some small business standard form contracts fall under unfair contract terms protections. The ACCC's guidance on contracts explains when. Only a court decides whether a term is unfair. Get advice on any material term you can't resolve.
AI search claims
For AEO or GEO work, ask for the platform, audience, extra work and evidence source. Ask how results are sampled and what the limits are. A sampled mention or citation isn't a visit, a qualified enquiry or a sale.
Don't accept a guaranteed placement. Be wary of a visibility score that doesn't show what it's out of. No tool can see a platform's private ranking data.
Google's guidance on AI features says there are no additional requirements or special optimisations for them. That's Google's position for its own search, not a rule for every AI product.
AI tools, subcontractors and data
If the agency uses AI tools or subcontractors, agree the rules in writing:
Approved tools and subcontractors: [names and roles]
Permitted data: [purpose and exclusions]
Retention and reuse: [agreed settings and terms]
Review owner: [person and acceptance check]
Who can publish: [actions that need approval]
How to stop and undo a change: [owner and method]
Approval to draft isn't approval to publish. Nor is it approval to change tracking or hundreds of URLs. This is a buying safeguard, not a ban on AI.
Ask whether your information is kept, used for training or shared with another provider. Ask how it's removed when the work ends. The OAIC's guidance on AI products says not to put personal information into public generative AI tools. Privacy Act coverage depends on the business. See who the Privacy Act covers.
What should happen in the first 30 days?
Agree the first month in writing, and book its review when you sign. Here's an example onboarding plan to adapt to your scope and access:
At the review, ask what was found, what changed and how each change was checked. Then ask what's needed next. Keep four things apart: a recommendation, an approved task, a published change and an observed outcome.
Report each blocker with its owner and a new date. A useful first month might include early fixes. A complex diagnostic could need more investigation. Neither "nothing publishes in week one" nor "rankings must rise in 30 days" is a rule.
When should you review or switch?
When results disappoint, run the diagnosis from the slow results question first. Work out which delays belong to the provider, to you or to someone else. There's no fixed wait, such as four to six months and then another 60 days. An urgent access or security problem needs prompt action.
Switch with a controlled handover
If you do switch, work through these stages in order:
Stage | Action and acceptance |
|---|---|
Check rights and notice | Read the agreement, rights, dates and any disputes |
Confirm control | Test your accounts and recovery before access is removed |
Export and document | Collect logs, URLs, redirects, files and open issues |
Coordinate the change | Name one publisher and brief the new provider |
Verify and close | Check the site and tracking, then remove old access |
Keep hosting, domains, tracking and licences running during the switch. Avoid two agencies making uncoordinated changes at once. Give every handover item an owner, a due date and proof it's done.
Search Console needs extra care. Removing a user isn't the same as removing a verified owner's token. An old token can let someone verify again. Removing a shared token can affect other Google services.
Keep a verified business owner, and check dependencies before changing any token. Our setup guide shows how to set up and retain Search Console access.
Start with our free audit: a short, prioritised read on what's holding your rankings back.
What we recommend at Elev8d
Run the same process on every provider, us included. Here's the decision in one place:
Bottom line Close the serious gaps, then compare fit and full cost
Don't get taken for a ride by a slick pitch. Check who does the work, what you keep and how you leave.
How we answer these questions
This is our own guide, so here are our public answers. They come from Elev8d's published SEO commitments. They're our statements, not independent proof:
Question | Our public answer |
|---|---|
Who does the work? | The founders and a senior team, contacted directly |
What if I leave? | Month to month, no exit fees, and you keep the work |
How do you report? | A plain English report each month |
Do you work with competitors? | One client per niche per market |
Who owns the work? | The pages and content we create for your site |
Links aren't part of the work you own. They sit on other people's websites, as the agreement section explains.
Ask us for the same proof as anyone else. That means a sample report, a dated work log and the actual agreement.
FAQ
Who is the best SEO agency in Australia?
There's no defensible league table. The best provider is the one whose plan, proof and terms fit your business. Judge each one on the 12 questions, not on its own rankings or ads.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
Either can work. A freelancer may suit a defined specialist job, so check their availability, backup and who implements. An agency may suit broader ongoing work, as long as you can name the people doing it.
Does it matter where the agency is located?
Not by itself. Local knowledge can help. A nearby office guarantees nothing, though. What matters is relevant work, clear communication and sound data handling.
Can I test two agencies at once?
Not on the same site. Overlapping changes make it impossible to tell who did what. A paid diagnostic from each, with a clear scope, is a fairer test.
How long should an SEO contract be?
There's no standard length. Agree the scope, notice and review dates instead. Month to month suits some businesses. A fixed term can suit a defined project. Read the exit terms either way.
What if SEO, ads and web design are bundled?
Check each service on its own: the people, scope, measures and exit dependencies. A bundle isn't automatically cheaper or better. If Google Ads is part of it, our guide to choosing a Google Ads agency covers that side.
How do I hire an SEO consultant?
The same way you'd choose an agency. Send the brief, ask the 12 questions and check the proof. Then make sure someone can implement the recommendations.
Next steps
Write your brief
Send the same one page brief to every candidate. Keep customer data and passwords out of it.
Run the 12 questions
Record each answer and the evidence behind it in your comparison record.
Close the gaps, then decide
Resolve every mandatory check before you weigh fit and full cost. If nobody qualifies, revise the brief or pause.
