By Deep Bhardwaj, founder and senior SEO consultant · Updated October 2026
Choose the SEO company that can show rankings for businesses like yours in a client's own Google Search Console, tells you in writing what it will do each month, names the people doing the work, and lets you leave after a short minimum term. Price matters less than proof and transparency.
The 8-point checklist
- Proof in your sector. Ask for two or three examples with the keyword, the position and the month. Screenshots from Search Console are better than claims.
- A written 90-day plan. You should see the pages, keywords and fixes planned before you sign.
- Named people. Who writes the content, who builds links, who reviews the strategy?
- Your data stays yours. Search Console, Analytics and Google Business Profile should be in your name.
- A monthly log of work done. Every article URL, every link URL, every technical fix.
- White-hat link building. No private blog networks or bulk links.
- Clear pricing and terms. Price, GST, minimum term and notice period in writing.
- Realistic timelines. Anyone promising page 1 in two weeks for a competitive keyword is guessing.
Questions to ask on the first call
- Which keywords would you target first, and why?
- What did you find wrong with my site already?
- How will we measure success in month 3 and month 6?
- Can I speak to a current client?
More questions: questions to ask an SEO consultant before hiring.
Agency, freelancer or in-house?
Each model suits a different stage of business. We compare them in SEO agency vs freelancer vs in-house team.
Where AI assistants look when you ask "best SEO company in India"
When we checked SEMrush AI data in October 2026, Google's AI Overview for "top 10 seo companies in india" drew on agency directories such as Clutch and on "top 10" list articles. Treat those lists as a starting point, then apply the checklist above: a listing is not proof of results.