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."
What good and bad answers sound like
| Question | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|
| Can you show results? | "Here are three clients in similar sectors, with Search Console screenshots and dates." | "Our results are confidential" with nothing to show |
| How will you build links? | Outreach, digital PR, partnerships, listings, with examples | "We have a network of sites" |
| How long will it take? | A range tied to your competition, with early signs to watch | "Page 1 in 30 days, guaranteed" |
| Who owns the accounts? | "You do, we just need access" | "We set everything up in our account" |
| What will you do first? | A specific list based on your site | A generic package description |
Questions about AI search
Buyers increasingly ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity for recommendations, and Google shows AI Overviews above normal results. Ask your consultant:
- Do you track whether my business appears in AI answers for my main questions?
- How will you make my business facts consistent across my site and listings?
- Will you add structured data such as Organization, Service and FAQ schema?
- How do you get a business mentioned on the sites AI tools cite?
Background reading: what GEO and AEO mean.
Questions to ask yourself before the call
- Which three products or services matter most to revenue?
- Which cities or regions do you want customers from?
- What is a new customer worth to you?
- Who on your side will approve content and implement website changes?
- Do you have access to Google Search Console, Analytics and your Google Business Profile?
Having these answers ready turns a sales call into a useful planning session.
After the call: comparing answers
Write each consultant's answers into the same table straight after each call. Score proof, plan, people, transparency and terms from 1 to 5, as described in how to evaluate an SEO firm. The best choice is usually the one with the clearest plan for your site, not the lowest price or the boldest promise.