How to Choose a Local SEO Company: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Quick answer
There are two ways to pick a local SEO company: compare price and promises, or test each candidate with the same 12 questions and compare written answers. Use the questions. Hire only a company that can show a Google Business Profile it pushed into the Map Pack in a market like yours, names the tasks it will do every month in numbers (for example, 4 Google posts and 2 optimized pages), keeps you as primary owner of your Google profile and website, and lets you leave with 30 days’ notice. Price alone tells you little: most small businesses pay $300–$1,500 a month, and the cheaper offer often hides setup fees, link placement costs or a 12-month lock-in. Before the first call, write down your average job value and how many extra jobs a month you can handle — you’ll need both to judge any proposal.
Proof: Can They Actually Do It?
Start with proof, because it eliminates most candidates in one call: a company that can’t show local results in a market like yours shouldn’t get to the pricing conversation.
1. Can you show a business like mine that you moved into the Map Pack?
Ask for a before-and-after of a real Google Business Profile in your industry or a similar one: ranking grids, calls and direction requests over 6–12 months. Results for an e-commerce store or a national brand say nothing about winning “roofer near me” in your city.
Red flag: Only traffic graphs, only screenshots with names blurred out, or “all our clients are confidential.”
2. Who will actually work on my account?
You want a name, a role and how many accounts that person manages. Someone handling 15 clients can give you a few hours a month; someone handling 60 cannot. Also ask whether any work is outsourced and to whom.
Red flag: The salesperson can’t tell you who your account manager will be.
3. Can I talk to a current client?
A five-minute call with a business owner who has worked with them for a year tells you more than any case study. Ask that client one thing: what did the agency do last month?
Red flag: “We don’t provide references” from a company that has been operating for years.
Process: What Will They Do, and When?
Good local SEO is a list of tasks with quantities and dates. If the plan can’t be written that way, you won’t be able to tell whether it’s being done.
4. What will you do in the first 30 days?
Expect an audit of your Google Business Profile, website and citations, a keyword and competitor review, and a written list of fixes in priority order. Many agencies charge a one-time setup fee for this work; that’s normal if it’s spelled out.
Red flag: “We’ll start building links right away” before anyone has looked at your profile and site.
Put us through the same 12 questions
Book a free 15-minute call or a free analysis of your 3 priority pages. Ask anything on this list — you’ll get straight answers, a sample report and our pricing in writing.
5. What are the monthly deliverables, in numbers?
A clear answer sounds like “4 Google posts, replies to all new reviews, 2 pages optimized, 5 citations, rank tracking for 25 keywords.” Numbers let you check the work and compare proposals line by line.
Red flag: Monthly retainers described only as “ongoing optimization” or “SEO maintenance.”
6. How do you handle AI search?
Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, ChatGPT and other assistants increasingly recommend local businesses based on your profile, reviews and consistent listings. A current agency should explain what it does about it — see our guide to AI Overviews and AI Mode for local businesses.
Red flag: They haven’t heard of AI Overviews, or they sell “AI SEO” with no concrete tasks.
Ownership and Ethics: Will It Hurt You Later?
These questions protect your business if the relationship ends. A bad answer here can cost you your Google profile or bring penalties that outlast the contract.
7. Who will own my Google Business Profile, website and accounts?
You should remain primary owner of your Google Business Profile and add the agency as a manager, which Google’s own permissions system supports. The same goes for your domain, website, analytics, Search Console and any content they write for you.
Red flag: Asking for primary ownership, or building your site on their platform so you can’t take it with you.
8. How do you get reviews?
The only safe answer is asking real customers, with the same request sent to everyone. Paying for reviews, offering discounts for good ones or only asking happy customers breaks Google’s policies, and in the US the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews bans fake and incentivized reviews. Our guide to handling negative reviews covers the ethical side.
Red flag: “We can add 50 reviews this month.”
9. How do you build links and citations?
Look for local, relevant sources: chambers of commerce, suppliers, local media, sponsorships and the main directories — explained in our guide to local citations. Ask how many per month and whether placement fees are included or billed separately.
Red flag: Hundreds of links or listings a month, private blog networks, or “we can’t tell you where the links come from.”
Money and Terms: What Will It Really Cost?
Compare the total first-year cost, not the monthly number on the proposal, and know exactly how you can leave.
10. What is the total cost, including every fee?
Add up the monthly fee, any setup fee, third-party costs such as link placements, paid directories or tools, and extra charges for content. For context, Ahrefs’ SEO pricing survey puts the average local SEO retainer at about $1,557 per month; our breakdown of local SEO cost in 2026 shows what each budget tier buys.
Red flag: A low monthly price with “additional costs as needed.”
11. How long is the contract, and how do I cancel?
Month-to-month or a short minimum term with 30 days’ notice is common for small-business local SEO. Ask what happens to your content, citations and accounts when you leave.
Red flag: A 12-month lock-in, cancellation fees, or content and listings that disappear when you stop paying.
12. What will you report, and what results should I expect?
The report should show work done plus business outcomes: calls, direction requests, website leads and rankings in the areas you serve. On expectations, Google’s own guide “Do you need an SEO?” is clear that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking. A fair answer gives a time range — usually three to six months for competitive keywords — and the early signals to watch before that. Use our local SEO ROI calculator to set your own break-even target.
Red flag: Rankings-only reports, or a promise of specific positions by a specific date.
Comparing agencies right now?
Send us the proposal you’re considering, or just your website. We’ll point out what’s missing from the scope — free, even if you hire someone else.
What to Ask Them to Send Before You Sign
Answers on a call are easy to give; documents are harder to fake. Ask for these and check them yourself.
| Request | How to check it yourself |
|---|---|
| A Google Business Profile they ranked, with the business name | Search the business on Google Maps from that city and see where it shows |
| A sample monthly report from a current client | Look for calls and leads, not only rankings; check that tasks have dates |
| The written scope with monthly quantities | Compare it line by line with the other proposals you received |
| The contract or terms of service | Find the notice period, cancellation fees and who owns content |
| A list of citations or links they built last month for any client | Open five of them: are they real local or industry sites? |
| Their own Google Business Profile and reviews | Read the 1–3 star reviews and how they replied |
Local Agency, National Agency or Freelancer?
Size matters less than fit: pick the provider type that matches your competition and how much hands-on work you need.
| Provider | Typical monthly cost | Works best when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | About $1,348 on average (Ahrefs) | One location, low competition, you want direct contact | Capacity: holidays and illness stop the work |
| Specialist local SEO agency | Typically $400–$1,500 for small businesses | Maps visibility is your main lead source | Whether you get a named account manager |
| Large national agency | About $3,209 on average (Ahrefs) | Many locations or a big content budget | Junior staff on small accounts, long contracts |
| Do it yourself | $0–$150 in tools | Very small market, you have 3–5 hours a week | Time cost and missed technical issues |
How DL Local SEO Answers These 12 Questions
We wrote this checklist to be used on us too. The short version of our answers:
- Ownership: you stay primary owner of your Google Business Profile, website and all accounts.
- Terms: month-to-month plans; you can stop any time.
- Pricing: published on our industry pages — plans start at $399 per month with a one-time setup fee, and link placement fees are never hidden in the price.
- Deliverables: every plan lists monthly tasks in numbers.
- Ethics: white-hat only — no bought reviews, no link networks.
- Proof first: our local SEO audit shows what we’d fix before you pay for a plan.
Choosing a Local SEO Company: FAQ
How do I choose a local SEO company?
Ask every candidate the same 12 questions across four areas — proof, process, ownership and ethics, money and terms — and compare the written answers. Shortlist companies that show results in a market like yours, list monthly deliverables in numbers, keep you as owner of your Google Business Profile and website, and let you cancel with 30 days’ notice or less.
What questions should I ask an SEO agency before hiring?
The most revealing ones are: can you show a business like mine you ranked in the Map Pack, what exactly will you do in the first 30 days and every month after, who will own my accounts, how do you get reviews and links, what is the total cost including setup and third-party fees, and how can I cancel.
How much should a local SEO company charge?
Most small businesses pay $300–$1,500 per month for local SEO. Ahrefs’ survey of SEO providers puts the average local SEO retainer at about $1,557 per month. Expect an extra one-time setup fee from some agencies, and ask whether link placement fees or tools are billed separately.
What are red flags when hiring an SEO company?
Guaranteed #1 rankings, no examples or references, vague “proprietary” methods instead of a task list, asking to become primary owner of your Google Business Profile, reports with only rankings and traffic, buying or gating reviews, and long contracts without an exit clause.
Should I hire a local agency, a national agency or a freelancer?
A freelancer is usually cheapest and works well for one location in a low-competition market. Agencies cost more but cover content, links and reporting with a team. What matters more than size is experience with businesses like yours and clear monthly deliverables.
How long before I know if my SEO company is working?
You should see completed tasks from the first month and changes in Google Business Profile calls and direction requests within two to three months. Rankings in competitive markets usually take three to six months. If nothing measurable changes after six months, ask for an explanation and a revised plan.
See How We Answer Before You Sign Anything
Get a free, personalized video walkthrough of your Google Business Profile and website next to two or three local competitors, plus written answers to all 12 questions in this guide. Month-to-month plans, and you keep ownership of every account.
Explore our services: Google Business Profile Optimization · Local SEO · On-Page SEO · Industries we serve
Sources: Google Search Central — Do you need an SEO?; Google Business Profile guidelines; Federal Trade Commission — rule on consumer reviews; Ahrefs — SEO pricing survey.