8 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Search Agency
If you’re at the stage where you’re speaking to SEO or digital PR agencies, you’ve probably already done your homework. Maybe you’ve read their case studies, browsed a few blogs, or even seen some impressive-looking service pages. By now, you might have several proposals sitting in your inbox or a first call on the calendar.
But glossy decks and polished testimonials don’t always tell you what it will really feel like to work with an agency. That’s where asking the right questions comes in. Knowing what to ask can help you cut through the surface-level sales pitch and get a clearer idea of whether the agency is the right fit for your goals, your budget, and your working style.
Here are eight questions that will give you the best possible picture before signing on the dotted line.
1. What Will Our First 90 Days Look Like?
The onboarding process can set the tone for the whole relationship. Some agencies dive into technical audits and keyword mapping straight away, while others focus on quick wins and visibility. Asking for a clear outline of the first three months will help you see whether their priorities align with yours — and whether they’ve thought about both strategy and execution from day one.
2. How Will You Measure and Report Success? Can I See a Sample Report?
Every agency talks about “results,” but what counts as success can vary widely. Is it rankings, traffic, conversions, revenue, backlinks, or something else? Asking to see a sample report forces them to show you not just the numbers they’ll track, but how they’ll communicate them. A good report should be easy to understand, tie metrics back to your business objectives, and give you insights you can act on.
3. Who Exactly Will Work on Our Account?
It’s easy for agencies to roll out senior people during the sales process and then hand your account over to a much more junior team once the contract is signed. Clarify upfront: who will be your day-to-day contact? Who’s actually doing the work? How much senior oversight will there be? The names and roles here can give you a sense of whether you’ll get the attention you’re expecting.
4. How Do You Approach AI Search?
AI-powered search is already changing the way people find and consume information. From Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) to AI Overviews, the search landscape isn’t just about blue links anymore. A forward-thinking agency should have a clear stance on how they’re adapting to AI in search, whether that’s content designed for citations, new approaches to E-E-A-T, or digital PR tactics built for visibility in evolving results pages. If they don’t have an answer, that’s a red flag.
5. Why Do I Actually Need This Service?
It’s a simple but powerful question. A strong agency should be able to connect their work directly to your business goals. For example, “link building” shouldn’t just be about getting backlinks it should be about improving your visibility for high-intent keywords that drive conversions. This question helps you make sense of their approach and see whether they understand the bigger picture.
6. Can You Share an Example of Deliverables for the First 3 Months?
Strategy is important, but so are outputs. Whether it’s an audit, content calendar, technical fixes, or PR campaigns, you should get a sense of what’s tangible in the early months. Asking for sample deliverables shows whether the agency has a process that moves beyond planning and into execution and whether that’s aligned with what you expect.
7. Do You Have Experience in Our Industry?
Every industry has its quirks. Finance, health, travel, SaaS, e-commerce — each comes with different challenges, regulations, and opportunities. Agencies that have worked with businesses like yours will already understand the landscape and may even have established journalist or publication relationships that make campaigns easier to land. Don’t be afraid to ask for specific examples.
8. What’s Your Approach If You Don’t Hit the Results You Promised?
This is one of the hardest but most revealing questions. No agency hits 100% of targets all the time. The important thing is how they respond when things don’t go to plan. Do they communicate early? Do they pivot strategies? Do they take responsibility? Their answer here will tell you a lot about whether you’ll be left in the dark or kept in the loop.
Final Thoughts
Choosing an agency is a big investment for many, and it’s easy to get swept up by big promises and fancy pitch decks. But asking these questions will help you move beyond the sales pitch and into the reality of what working together will look like.
The right agency should welcome these questions and answer them transparently. If they can’t, it might be worth asking yourself whether they’re the right fit before you spend your budget finding out the hard way.
