By Deep Bhardwaj, founder and senior SEO consultant · Updated October 2026
Ask an SEO consultant to show proof for businesses like yours, explain the first 90 days in writing, name who does the work, confirm you own all accounts, and state price, term and notice period. Clear, specific answers are a good sign; vague promises and guarantees are not.
About results
- Can you show rankings you achieved for a business like mine? Good answer: specific keywords, positions and dates, ideally in Search Console.
- What happened with a client where SEO did not work? Honest consultants have an answer.
- How long before I see movement? Good answer: a range tied to competition, not a fixed promise.
About the plan
- What will you do in the first 90 days?
- Which keywords will you target, and why?
- What technical problems do you see on my site already?
- How do you get backlinks? Red flag: link packages, private blog networks.
- Do you work on AI search visibility (ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews)?
About the people
- Who will actually do the work?
- Who writes the content, and who reviews it?
- How often will we talk?
About money and terms
- What is the monthly price, and does it include GST, content and links?
- What is the minimum term and notice period?
- Do I own Search Console, Analytics and all content? The only good answer is yes.
- What does the monthly report include? It should list every URL published and every link built.
Answers that should worry you
- "We guarantee #1."
- "Our methods are secret."
- "We'll set up Search Console under our account."
- "500 backlinks a month."