How to Hire a Local SEO Consultant

Hiring a local SEO consultant goes better when you arrive with a clear goal and a short list of questions. This guide gives both. It does not recommend a particular provider, and the examples are statements taken from providers’ own pages.

Start with what you want

Write down the outcome in plain terms before any call: more calls from a certain area, more booked jobs for a certain service, or an outside review of what an agency or employee is already doing. Note what exists today, such as a verified Google Business Profile, a website with a page for each service, and a way to count calls.

What to ask a consultant

• Scope. Which parts of local search are included: profile, website pages, reviews, citations, and tracking?
• Access and ownership. Will your profile, website, and analytics stay in accounts you own?
• Reporting. Will you see calls and form fills, or only rankings?
• Timeline. What can realistically change quickly, and what builds over months?
• Who does the work. Is it the person you are speaking with?
• Terms. What is the minimum term, and how does it end?

Promises to treat with caution

No provider controls Google’s results. Some providers say so plainly. AptLocal says on its own pages that nobody can promise a position. SeoProfy says even the best SEO company cannot promise specific rankings and calls such guarantees a red flag. WebFX lists guarantees of number one rankings and promises of unrealistic immediate results among its red flags when hiring a local SEO agency. A consultant who promises a particular ranking is promising something outside their control.

Consider an audit first

An audit can be a low-commitment way to see how a provider thinks. Scope and format vary, so ask what you receive and whether it stands alone. Kick Point says its audits stand on their own as something you can take and use without a monthly contract. Tom Kosicek describes a quick audit that picks two or three priority gaps rather than a long report. See the SEO audit providers for others that list audits as a service.

Read stated terms exactly

Providers describe terms in different ways, and the wording matters. A statement that there is no 12 month lock-in does not tell you the minimum term, and a statement of no lengthy contracts does not either. Ask for the term, the notice period, and the cancellation process in writing.

Before you sign

1. Confirm the written scope and what is priced separately.
2. Confirm account ownership and access.
3. Confirm how and how often you will receive reports.
4. Confirm the minimum term and how to end it.
5. Ask who your day to day contact is.