Choosing an SEO agency to help your business grow organically across traditional and emerging channels is no easy task. There’s a lot at stake, and picking the wrong partner could mean wasting budget, damaging your brand’s visibility, compromising your existing reputation, and missing out on months (if not years) of potential revenue.
And yet, brands sometimes walk into the agency hiring process without a clear framework for evaluating who’s actually worth their time, trust, and investment.
That’s not on them, though.
It’s easy to assume all SEO agencies offer similar services or follow the same playbook. But the reality is very different. Strategy depth, team structure, transparency, and even reporting standards can vary wildly.
This guide gives you the questions that actually matter – whether you’re at the initial enquiry stage or deep in an RFP. More than just a checklist, it unpacks what each question is really asking, why it matters, and what a strong answer looks like. We’ve also included the red flags to watch out for, because some answers sound good until you dig a little deeper.
What to ask when you’re having initial conversations with prospective SEO agencies
The earliest interactions you have with a potential SEO partner will tell you more than you might think…if (and only if) you ask the right questions.
At this stage, your goal isn’t just to understand what an agency does. It’s to uncover how they think, how they structure their work, and whether they can connect SEO to your broader business objectives. The best agencies will start offering strategic value long before a contract is signed.
These questions are designed to help you filter out surface-level providers and focus on those who can bring commercial clarity from day one.
You’re looking for signs of maturity, repeatable frameworks, a deep understanding of the levers that drive growth, and crystal-clear signs that the agency will integrate seamlessly with your business to become an extension of your team.
What you’re not looking for are generic promises or polished sales talk.
1. How do you approach SEO strategy in the first 90 days?
What it’s really asking:
Do you have a structured onboarding and quick-wins strategy process, or are you winging it?
Why it matters:
The first 90 days shouldn’t be spent sitting in workshops, debating hypotheticals, or producing decks that never translate into action. At the same time, charging ahead without a plan is how your budget gets burned.
Strong SEO agencies use this period to do two things in parallel: establish a clear strategic direction and capitalise on quick-win opportunities that unlock early performance. That balance is critical – not just for momentum, but for internal confidence and stakeholder buy-in.
A good answer:
Look for a phased approach that combines immediate execution with longer-term planning. If it were me, I’d look for agencies that talk about:
- Rapid audits to uncover low-effort, high-impact opportunities (technical fixes, internal linking gaps, under-optimised pages).
- Getting fixes and improvements live early, not waiting for a “perfect” strategy document.
- Building the longer-term roadmap alongside early delivery, informed by real performance data rather than assumptions.
The best answers make it clear that strategy and execution aren’t sequential – they run side by side.
Red flags:
Either focusing wholly on discovery and planning, with no mention of early delivery, or the opposite extreme: rushing into tactics with no prioritisation or commercial framing.
Digitaloft’s take:
We use the first 90 days to create momentum. That means identifying and acting on quick wins immediately, while simultaneously building a strategy grounded in effort vs. impact. You’ll see meaningful work go live early, not just slides explaining what could happen.
2. Which metrics will you use to measure success, and how often will we receive reporting?
What it’s really asking:
Will you focus on the numbers that actually matter to our business, or just send us surface-level stats we can’t contextualise or action?
Why it matters:
It’s easy for agencies to default to vanity metrics – impressions, rankings, DA lifts – that look good in a deck but don’t connect to commercial outcomes. Strategic reporting should track what’s impacting the search moments that matter to your business, not just what’s easy to measure.
More importantly, reporting frequency and format influence how decisions get made. If reporting is too infrequent, too generic, or too technical, it loses its strategic value. You’re not just asking for data – you’re asking how performance will be measured, interpreted, and actioned over time.
A good answer:
A smart agency will tailor metrics to your goals, whether that’s revenue, leads, brand authority, or market share. Expect to hear about layered reporting (e.g. weekly tactical check-ins plus monthly strategic overviews), as well as insights that go beyond the numbers to explain why something is happening.
Look for specific examples of how metrics are prioritised, how reports are contextualised, and how performance conversations are used to shape future work – not just prove past activity.
Red flags:
- Reports that only include traffic, rankings, or DA.
- Agencies that say “you’ll get a dashboard” without mentioning analysis or strategic input.
- Metrics framed to make the agency look good rather than help you make better decisions.
- No mention of tying performance back to business outcomes.
Digitaloft’s take:
We build reporting frameworks around your commercial objectives, not our convenience. That means tracking what matters – revenue-driving keyword clusters, conversions by landing page, market share visibility – alongside trend insights and next-step recommendations. You’ll never just get a graph; you’ll get a plan with tailored consultancy on the best next steps we need to take together.
3. How do you ensure your strategies adapt to AI search and evolving SERPs?
What it’s really asking:
Are you forward-thinking enough to help us maintain visibility as search behaviour and technology shift?
Why it matters:
Traditional SEO strategies – optimising for the blue links of page one – are no longer enough. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), AI-powered SERP features, and the growing role of LLMs in shaping results mean that visibility now relies on structured content, topical authority, and brand relevance across multiple surfaces.
You’re looking for an agency that isn’t just aware of these changes, but is actively building a strategy around them. Otherwise, you’ll end up investing in content and optimisation that won’t stand the test of time (or, in fact, even perform at all in the current climate).
A good answer:
An approach that incorporates AI search readiness into content structure, on-page markup, semantic clarity, and PR strategy. You want to hear how they’re:
- Structuring content for LLMs and answer engines.
- Prioritising topical authority and entity associations.
- Tracking visibility in generative features, not just rankings.
- Thinking about citations, mentions, and brand signals in AI-generated results.
Bonus points for acknowledging what’s not yet knowable – strong agencies will balance innovation with pragmatism, not baseless hype that disappears the moment you’re onboarded.
Red flags:
- “We’re waiting to see how it plays out.”
- Overuse of buzzwords without strategic clarity.
- No mention of structured data, schema, or entity-focused content.
- Optimising for Google as it was 3 years ago, not for what it’s becoming.
Digitaloft’s take:
As a specialist AI SEO agency, we’re actively testing and refining strategies to maximise visibility across both traditional and AI-driven search environments. That includes structured content frameworks, smart internal linking, citation-focused PR, and topical authority mapping. Like it or not, AI search isn’t the future – it’s now. And we’re already helping clients across industries capitalise on it for commercial success.
4. Can you provide examples of results in industries similar to ours?
What it’s really asking:
Do you understand the challenges and dynamics of our space, and have you proven that your approach works in comparable environments?
Why it matters:
Not all industries behave the same in search. What works in D2C ecommerce won’t necessarily translate to B2B SaaS. Regulated sectors like finance or healthcare bring specific content and compliance hurdles. Even seemingly simple markets often have unique user behaviours, competitive pressures, or legacy tech constraints.
Here’s the kicker, though: you’re not just asking for proof of performance, you’re asking whether the agency has the contextual awareness to shortcut the learning curve and avoid costly missteps.
A good answer:
Relevant case studies that go beyond what we like to call vanity metrics and get into the mechanics of how success was achieved. Expect to see:
- Industry context: What challenges were they solving?
- Strategic insight: What approach was taken and why?
- Execution detail: How were tactics prioritised?
- Outcome clarity: What changed, and what did it mean for the business?
- Testimonials: Is there evidence from existing clients similar to your business that the results showcased are legit?
Ideally, they’ll also explain what lessons from those campaigns would be applicable to your situation, and what they’d approach differently next time, based on your business’s unique needs or objectives.
Red flags:
- Broad claims like “we’ve worked with loads of brands” with no specifics.
- Success stories that focus solely on traffic or links with no commercial framing.
- A copy-and-paste approach: assuming the same strategy will work for you without adaptation.
- No examples from comparable levels of complexity or scale (especially for international SEO projects).
Digitaloft’s take:
We’ve driven growth across complex verticals, including regulated finance and insurance, as well as high-competition travel and ecommerce niches. Our team can walk you through the thinking, challenges, and results behind these campaigns, and explain how we’d tailor the approach for your market rather than just repurpose it.
Want to see results like these in practice? Explore our library of client success stories and learn more about our award-winning SEO services.
Questions to ask on technical SEO and content strategies
Once you’re deeper into the conversation (likely at the pitch or proposal stage), it’s time to move beyond theory and start interrogating delivery.
At this point, you need to know how an agency’s strategic thinking translates into action.
- Can they tackle technical complexity?
- Can they create content that performs and converts?
- Can they tailor their approach to your specific market dynamics?
This is also where you’ll start to see how integrated (or fragmented) their service offering is. SEO doesn’t work in isolation, so it’s critical to assess how well content, technical work, and authority-building are joined up behind the scenes.
5. What does your technical SEO process look like?
What it’s really asking:
Do you have the in-house expertise and frameworks to identify and resolve the issues that actually impact performance?
Why it matters:
No amount of great content or PR will move the so-called needle if your site can’t be crawled efficiently, if critical pages aren’t indexed, or if you’ve got structural issues undermining performance. Technical SEO is often where the biggest performance blocks (and opportunities) sit, especially for enterprise or legacy websites.
You’re not looking for someone who knows how to run a crawl. You want an agency that can prioritise, interpret, and translate technical insight into meaningful business impact without getting lost in jargon or vanity audits.
A good answer:
Here, you want a clearly defined technical workflow that goes beyond just listing issues. You want to hear about:
- Comprehensive auditing across crawlability, indexation, site speed, architecture, internal linking, structured data, and Core Web Vitals.
- Tools used (e.g. Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, log file analysis tools) and how outputs are prioritised.
- How issues are categorised by commercial impact, not just by volume or severity.
- A roadmap for implementation that works with your dev team’s constraints and sprint cycles (this is key to ensuring things actually get actioned, not just spoken about).
The best agencies will always show they know when to go deep, when to escalate, and when not to overengineer a fix. Progress is about knowing what to prioritise and when based on the search moments that matter to your business.
Red flags:
- Generic “we run a technical audit” with no detail or process.
- No mention of prioritisation frameworks.
- No experience working directly with dev teams.
- Outsourcing technical SEO entirely to freelancers or offshore partners.
Digitaloft’s take:
Technical SEO isn’t a box-ticking exercise for us; it’s a fundamental growth lever central to effective organic search campaigns. We combine deep technical insight with a sharp understanding of commercial trade-offs, so you’re not drowning in audit outputs. Plus, we can work directly with your dev teams to ensure the fixes are actually implemented.
6. How do you handle content creation, and what makes your content genuinely effective?
What it’s really asking:
Do you have a strategic content function that delivers performance, not just words on a page, based on outdated keyword lists?
Why it matters:
Too many SEO agencies treat content as filler – something to pump out quickly to hit a deliverable count and appear busy. But in competitive search landscapes, that doesn’t cut it. Your content needs to be strategically planned, well-researched, expertly written, offering standout UX, and continuously optimised to deliver measurable returns.
You’re looking to understand how the agency develops content that not only ranks but also aligns with search intent, supports conversion, reinforces brand authority, and adapts to evolving SERP formats (including AI search). It’s about the difference between producing content and delivering content that performs.
A good answer:
Don’t settle for anything less than a joined-up process that covers:
- Strategic input from SEO, content, and digital PR teams at the planning stage.
- Robust briefing frameworks built on keyword intent, topical authority, and user needs, not just volume.
- Skilled, in-house writers and editors who understand both brand voice and optimisation.
- A defined editing and QA process to ensure consistency and quality at scale.
You should also hear how content is reviewed post-launch, as strong agencies will treat content as a living asset, not a static deliverable.
Red flags:
- Overreliance on freelance writers with little SEO oversight.
- Content written in isolation from SEO or PR strategy.
- No editorial process or quality control beyond basic proofreading.
- “We use AI tools to speed things up” with no human layer of strategy or editing.
Digitaloft’s take:
We don’t separate content from performance. Our content team works side-by-side with SEOs and digital PRs to build briefs that reflect user needs, not just detached keywords. And our editorial process ensures every piece we produce has purpose, polish, and commercial relevance.
Questions to ask about digital PR and link-building
Authority-building is one of the most misunderstood and often mishandled elements of SEO.
In reality, the best SEO agencies don’t treat PR as a bolt-on service – they build campaigns that are strategically aligned with overarching growth goals, keyword priorities, and topical authority to deliver on bottom-line results.
These questions will help you separate the agencies that build links that Google and emerging search spaces actually value.
7. How do you align SEO strategy with digital PR to maximise authority and impact?
What it’s really asking:
Can you consistently earn high-quality, relevant coverage from authoritative publications and ensure it aligns with our broader SEO and brand strategy?
Why it matters:
The goal of digital PR isn’t just to build links. It’s to build the right links from trusted, topically relevant sources that strengthen your site’s authority in the eyes of search engines. Relevance, trust, and context matter more than ever, especially in an era of AI search and E-E-A-T.
You’re also looking to understand how PR and SEO come together: are link-building campaigns strategically aligned with your target pages, commercial goals, and topical focus areas? Or are they just chasing coverage for coverage’s sake?
A good answer:
A coherent approach that starts with your SEO strategy, not as an afterthought, covering:
- Campaign ideation being shaped by SEO insights, including target topic clusters and link gaps.
- Clear criteria for publication selection – authority, relevance, editorial standards, etc.
- Messaging consistency to ensure PR supports brand positioning and topical relevance.
- Processes for targeting links to key pages – not just homepage mentions or “brand awareness” angles.
- PR reporting that links coverage back to SEO KPIs: rankings, visibility uplift, and authority building.
Here, the best agencies will show how digital PR supports both off-page SEO and broader marketing objectives without relying on outdated link metrics or vanity campaigns.
Red flags:
- No clear connection between PR activity and SEO priorities.
- Placements in irrelevant publications just to meet link quotas.
- Overuse of DA/DR to prove value, without deeper impact analysis.
- No conversation about the consistency of brand messaging or topical authority.
Digitaloft’s take:
We build digital PR campaigns that work with your SEO strategy. That means earning links from publications your audience and Google both trust, targeting them to the right pages, and reinforcing the messaging that drives rankings and relevance. Our teams recognise that now, digital PR is a non-negotiable element of effective organic growth, as third-party mentions and recommendations form an integral part of off-site authority-building.
8. Can you show how your PR campaigns contribute to actual SEO performance, not just press coverage?
What it’s really asking:
Can you prove that your PR activity drives rankings, visibility, and revenue…not just media mentions?
Why it matters:
It’s one thing to secure coverage. It’s another to demonstrate that coverage is actually contributing to your organic growth goals. Too many agencies still measure digital PR success by outdated metrics: the number of placements, domain authority, or potential reach. None of those truly reflects whether your SEO performance is improving.
You want partners who measure digital PR by its impact on rankings, keyword coverage, authority, and conversion, not by how pretty the coverage book looks (although that obviously doesn’t hurt).
A good answer:
A clear reporting framework that ties PR activity to measurable SEO outcomes. Expect to hear about:
- How link equity is distributed to key pages and tracked over time.
- Keyword movement and visibility uplift following PR campaigns.
- Increases in referring domains and their relevance to target topics.
- Examples of campaigns that contributed directly to improved rankings or revenue.
Red flags:
- No ability to show how links contributed to ranking shifts or visibility improvements.
- PR campaigns that aren’t tied to target URLs or topical authority development.
- Vague anecdotes instead of clear performance data.
Digitaloft’s take:
All PR activities we run are built to improve SEO performance and grow your brand’s presence amongst target audiences. We track how links impact target page visibility, how coverage improves authority across topic clusters, and how earned mentions support E-E-A-T and branded search. Our reporting connects the dots between PR activity and commercial outcomes, so you can better measure the return on your investment.
9. What’s your approach to E-E-A-T, and how does PR support it?
What it’s really asking:
Can you help us build the signals of trust, authority, and expertise that Google actually pays attention to, and are your PR efforts designed to reinforce them?
Why it matters:
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) isn’t a standalone ranking factor, but it’s central to how Google assesses content quality, especially in high-stakes verticals like finance, health, travel, or legal (also known as “Your Money, Your Life”).
It’s not just about creating author pages (although this is an important tactic you shouldn’t ignore). It’s about demonstrating real-world authority and brand credibility across your entire digital footprint. Digital PR can play a major role here, but only if it’s designed to do more than just generate links.
A good answer:
You want to hear about a multifaceted approach that combines content credibility, brand mentions, subject-matter expertise, and trust signals across channels. The agency should have a deep understanding of:
- How digital PR is used to earn branded mentions in authoritative, topically relevant publications.
- How schema, citations, and author attribution are implemented sitewide.
- How they help you build a consistent narrative of expertise, both on and off-site.
- How a “more is more” mindset isn’t the right one to have – a smaller number of higher-quality, relevant links is typically more impactful than hundreds of irrelevant, low-authority ones.
Red flags:
- No mention of real expertise or of developing credibility.
- PR campaigns focused on novelty or volume, with no topical relevance or brand alignment.
- Lack of clarity around how off-site activity ties into on-site trust signals.
Digitaloft’s take:
E-E-A-T is something we understand inside and out. It’s baked into our strategies, using a blend of SEO tactics and targeted digital PR to connect the dots between on- and off-site authority. Our teams help you build the right kind of reputation that search engines, LLMs, and users trust, and this compound effect over time ensures a robust brand presence across channels.
Want to learn more? Read James Brockbank’s blog post on the role of digital PR in demonstrating E-E-A-T.
Questions related to team access and ways of working
Hiring an agency should never be seen as outsourcing – it’s adding to your team.
You want partners who can collaborate across functions, work transparently, and actively participate in your internal workflows. This section probes how agencies manage communication, resource alignment, and accountability. The goal here is to understand not just what they do, but also how they’ll work with you.
A great strategy means nothing if it’s poorly executed, poorly prioritised, or held back by friction between teams. These questions are about setting the foundation for a long-term, high-performing partnership.
10. What level of access and transparency will we have to the people actually doing the work?
What it’s really asking:
Will we get direct access to the strategists and specialists driving performance, or will we be filtered through layers of account management?
Why it matters:
High-performing SEO requires ongoing collaboration, responsiveness, and trust. That’s only possible when you can speak directly with the people who are doing the thinking, making the decisions, and implementing the work. If there’s a barrier between you and the experts, communication slows down, problems take longer to resolve, and nuance gets lost in translation.
Remember, you’re hiring an agency, not just a service, so access should feel like an extension of your in-house team, not a client-service wall.
A good answer:
To feel confident in who you’re appointing, you need to see a team structure that gives you regular, transparent access to key players: SEO leads, content strategists, PR managers, and technical specialists. This means having visibility of:
- Who will be in your core delivery team, and how often you’ll speak with them.
- How they handle day-to-day communication (Slack, email, video calls, etc.)
- Whether senior team members stay involved after the pitch.
- How knowledge is shared internally so your strategy doesn’t hinge on one person.
Red flags:
- Being unwilling to disclose the team members who would be working on your account.
- Not having access to senior strategists after onboarding.
- Rigid communication processes that won’t flex to align with how your business prefers to operate (this needs to be seamless for your team).
Digitaloft’s take:
Our clients speak directly with the people doing the work, because that’s how strong relationships and great strategy are built. Whether it’s our SEO leads, content editors, or PR specialists, your team is accessible, accountable, and proactive from day one. You can even meet the team you’d be working with before signing contracts to check whether personalities match in advance.
11. How will you integrate with our internal teams (marketing, dev, product, etc.)?
What it’s really asking:
Can you operate as a true extension of our team – not just an external supplier working in isolation?
Why it matters:
SEO doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It overlaps with dev teams (for technical fixes and implementation), product teams (for content and CRO alignment), and brand or wider marketing (for messaging, positioning, and campaign timing). If an agency can’t work across functions, things slow down. Priorities clash. Work stalls. You get the picture.
You’re looking for an agency that understands how to collaborate with in-house teams: one that respects your internal workflows, adapts to how your business operates, and adds value without creating friction.
A good answer:
Agencies that know how to integrate with their clients’ teams will approach things with a partnership-first mindset and clear collaboration structures. They’ll be keen to tell you about:
- How they run joint planning sessions, sync with sprint cycles, and share roadmaps.
- Familiarity with project management tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello.
- Willingness to adapt comms styles to your culture, whether that’s Slack, weekly calls, or in-person sessions.
- Clear documentation, task ownership, and regular check-ins across stakeholders.
More than this, though, agencies that genuinely care about and understand integration will also talk about how they work to maintain momentum when your capacity is stretched. For example, they’ll have proven ways to make it easier for your teams to approve, implement, and contribute to key initiatives, preventing delays and keeping growth goals on track.
Red flags:
- Only sending recommendations with no hands-on support to help drive them through implementation.
- No experience working alongside dev teams to understand and flex around technical constraints.
- No willingness to meet in person – face-to-face catch-ups are invaluable to building productive, high-impact relationships!
Digitaloft’s take:
We integrate deeply with our clients’ internal teams, joining your planning sessions, working within your tools, and adapting to your ways of working. Whether you’re working with us on technical SEO, content strategy, or digital PR campaigns, we collaborate seamlessly to keep things moving and aligned.
12. How do you prioritise tasks when resources are limited or unexpected issues arise?
What it’s really asking:
Can you make smart, strategic decisions when time and budget are tight or when plans need to change fast?
Why it matters:
Any marketer will know that things rarely go exactly to plan. SEO is the same – it never happens in perfect conditions. Internal resource constraints, dev bottlenecks, shifting business goals, or unexpected algorithm updates mean plans will need to flex. You need an agency that doesn’t just identify what needs doing, but knows what to do first and why it matters most.
In other words, you’re asking: when the roadmap gets messy or we encounter unforeseen challenges, can you help us stay commercially focused and on track to win visibility in the search moments that matter to our business?
A good answer:
You want assurance that your agency has a clear prioritisation framework that considers effort, impact, dependencies, and business value. This question should invite answers that mention:
- How they categorise tasks by ROI and complexity.
- How they make trade-offs when not everything can be implemented at once.
- How quickly they can adapt roadmaps when priorities shift without losing momentum.
- How they communicate those changes clearly with internal stakeholders.
Before partnering with any agency, you should feel confident that they can move fast, make decisions grounded in commercial logic (not in what will artificially inflate reporting metrics), and avoid busywork disguised as progress.
Red flags:
- Long lists of tasks that lack clear prioritisation frameworks.
- Reliance on you to tell them what’s most important and the order in which to execute tactics.
- Rigid roadmaps that never flex or shift to account for changing realities.
- No understanding or willingness to work around internal constraints or blockers.
Digitaloft’s take:
We don’t just recommend, we help you make smart choices. Our roadmaps are built around effort vs. impact and adapt in real time as your business evolves. When priorities change, we don’t slow down; we refocus fast and keep delivering where it counts.
Ultimately, we believe no strategy should stand still…as no business runs at a single speed! There are ups, there are downs, and there are unexpecteds…the value comes from knowing how to pivot in response to these events to ensure continued success, month after month.
13. How much input do you need from my team to execute strategies?
What it’s really asking:
Will you be self-sufficient and drive delivery, or will your progress depend on us doing the heavy lifting?
Why it matters:
Even the best SEO strategy won’t deliver if it sits in a backlog or needs constant internal input to move forward. Your internal teams might already be stretched, so you need to understand how much support an agency will need from you to deliver meaningful outcomes.
This question is also about operational fit. Agencies that can work independently when needed, but know when to loop you in, will move faster and make your life easier.
A good answer:
You want to hear that the agency has a balanced, flexible approach that can adapt to suit different client capacities. This includes:
- Knowing which tasks they can fully own (content production, optimisation, technical diagnostics, PR outreach, etc.).
- Understanding where they’ll need input (approvals, access, and dev implementation), and how they make that process as easy as possible.
- Hearing about how they scale can up or down their involvement depending on your internal bandwidth.
Before partnering with any agency, you should feel confident that they can move fast, make decisions grounded in commercial logic (not in what will artificially inflate reporting metrics), and avoid busywork disguised as progress.
Red flags:
- Vague, “We’ll need some help with implementation and approvals” answers.
- No clarity on who owns what, or how dependencies are managed.
- No flexibility around increasing and decreasing ownership to allow your team to feel in control.
Digitaloft’s take:
We’re built to be self-sufficient, owning delivery across SEO, content, and PR, while integrating smoothly with your team when and where it matters. We keep things moving, even when your internal resource is limited. On the flip side, we can take a more hands-off approach if that’s what suits you.
Sometimes, a fully managed strategy isn’t what your business needs, and some always-on consultancy with access to genuine experts is enough to drive growth. We work with you to understand your needs, how these might change over time, and what we can do together to engineer the greatest success.
Questions to dig deeper into accountability and long-term thinking
This is where the real test of an agency relationship comes in.
The best partners won’t just show up when things are going well. They’ll stick with you when performance dips, when algorithms shift, and when priorities change. They’ll adapt, re-forecast, and keep the momentum going.
This section is all about understanding how an agency thinks about performance over time and how they take ownership of results. Ask these questions to find out whether they’re built for short-term wins or sustainable growth.
14. How do you forecast outcomes or set realistic expectations?
What it’s really asking:
Can you give us a clear picture of what success looks like without overpromising?
Why it matters:
Forecasting is a signal of strategic maturity. It shows whether an agency understands your market, can interpret historical data, and is willing to be transparent about what’s realistically achievable. Overpromising creates internal pressure and ultimately leads to disappointment. Underpromising shows a lack of confidence or insight.
What you’re really looking for is an agency that can model different scenarios (best case, realistic case, cautious case, etc.) based on your site’s baseline performance, competitive landscape, and market potential.
A good answer:
Sharing and explaining the forecasting process rooted in historical performance, industry benchmarks, keyword opportunity sizing, and realistic assumptions around implementation speed and resource availability. Look for:
- Sensible projections around traffic, visibility, and commercial metrics (revenue, leads) – not overinflated targets designed to bring the wow-factor at the pitch stage.
- Contextual caveats explaining what assumptions forecasts are based on (e.g. implementation timelines, publishing cadences, etc.).
- Regular updates to forecasts based on what’s been delivered and how the market is moving.
- Willingness to say “we don’t know yet” where appropriate and flag when more data is needed.
Red flags:
- Traffic guarantees – nothing is ever guaranteed in marketing. We can’t predict the future!
- No forecasting at all, or a reliance on generic tools.
- Fixed or one-dimensional forecasts that don’t change as the work progresses.
- No conversation about what input tweaks would make the forecasts more accurate or achievable.
Digitaloft’s take:
We’re transparent about the fact that forecasting is largely dependent on the quality of the historical data you’re able to provide. When available, we forecast performance based on reality rather than best-case scenarios. Our models reflect your current position, technical health, and market opportunity, and we use those projections to help you plan investment, prioritise effectively, and measure progress without guesswork.
15. What happens if performance stalls?
What it’s really asking:
Will you take accountability and course-correct if results slow down, or will we just get excuses and “let’s wait and see” approaches?
Why it matters:
In SEO, we’re operating in a landscape that’s always moving. Algorithms evolve, markets shift, and sometimes what worked before stops working overnight. When that happens, you want to know your agency won’t go quiet, bury the issue in reporting, or blame external factors. You need a partner who’ll take the lead, re-evaluate, and do what’s needed to drive momentum again.
A good answer:
Good responses to tricky questions about underperformance like this cover clear, proactive processes for diagnosing issues and putting them right. You want to hear about accountability, transparency, and a willingness to accept when approved strategies are no longer working as expected. Look for comments on:
- How they monitor for plateaus or regressions, and what internal triggers prompt investigation.
- How they review strategy, channel mix, or technical health to identify the cause.
- A system for reprioritising efforts and communicating new direction clearly.
- Examples of when performance dipped and how they responded.
You never want an agency that waits to be asked or needs you to bring issues to their attention. The strongest partners are upfront about challenges, raise concerns early, and offer proactive solutions to ensure swift recovery.
Red flags:
- Blame-focused responses (“Google changed the algorithm”) with no action plan.
- No examples of how they’ve handled stalled performance before.
- Little interest in proactively identifying performance risks before they materialise.
Digitaloft’s take:
If performance stalls, we take that seriously. We run diagnostics, revisit strategy, and reallocate resources fast. You won’t have to chase us for answers or fixes – we’ll be the ones showing up with the plan and helping you communicate this effectively to stakeholders at your end, if needed.
Questions to ask about editorial quality and content performance
If you still see SEO content as little more than a route to search visibility, it’s time to rethink your approach. Now, content is about brand credibility, topical authority, and (most importantly) conversion.
This final section helps you probe the depth and quality of an agency’s content function. From editorial oversight to LLM-aware structuring, the goal is to determine whether their approach is scalable, performance-driven, and well-suited to the future of search.
These questions will show you who takes content seriously, and who still sees it as filler.
16. How do you tailor content for AI search and LLM visibility?
What it’s really asking:
Are your content strategies designed to perform in AI-driven search environments, not just traditional SERPs? Also, are you on top of the latest industry shifts impacting organic discovery?
Why it matters:
In the world of LLMs and generative answers, content needs to do more than rank. It has to be understood, extracted, and cited by machines. That means thinking differently about how content is structured, how authority is signalled, and how consistency is maintained across topics.
You’re not just asking if they write well, you’re asking whether their content helps your brand own the conversation in AI search results.
A good answer:
You need to hear that the agency has a fully-formed strategy for engineering visibility in AI-led search spaces. They should have a content framework that’s built for both human engagement and machine interpretation, which typically involves:
- Structuring content using semantic headings, a clear information hierarchy, and entity-first planning.
- Optimising for AI Overviews.
- Incorporating credible sources, author bios, citations, and supporting assets to reinforce trust.
- Designing content to be easily parsed, cited, and repurposed by LLMs and generative search tools.
Red flags:
- No understanding of LLM behaviour or how AI search differs from classic ranking systems.
- Flat content structures that don’t guide interpretation.
- No willingness to experiment and test theories – AI search is still emerging, so agencies should be keen to build their own understandings of what does and doesn’t work, rather than relying on outdated practices or the research of others.
Digitaloft’s take:
Digitaloft is a specialist AI SEO agency with a wealth of experience in creating content that performs across formats – both traditional rankings and AI-led results. Our editorial strategy is built around structure, clarity, and semantic relevance, so whether it’s a user or an LLM engaging with your content, they know exactly who you are and what you’re about.
We’re curious by default, and always seeking opportunities to shape the future of how our industry operates. We bring you on this journey with us, ensuring that your brand is at the forefront of new trends, not playing catch-up to competitors.
17. How do you maintain editorial quality and consistency across multiple writers?
What it’s really asking:
Can you scale content production without sacrificing clarity, accuracy, or brand tone?
Why it matters:
Inconsistent content undermines trust with both users and search engines. It doesn’t matter if it’s a mismatched tone, conflicting advice, or sloppy structure; poor editorial quality can erode brand authority and dilute your SEO efforts. If an agency is producing content across multiple writers or clients, you need to know there’s a rigorous process in place to keep everything aligned.
You’re asking how seriously they take quality and whether they have the editorial leadership and operational systems to uphold it at scale.
A good answer:
Look for clarity and visibility over their editorial process. It should be overseen by experienced writers, supported by clear, well-documented frameworks, and followed by the whole team. The best agencies will also be keen to build bespoke systems around your brand’s specific needs, including tailored QA processes. Ask whether they:
- Have in-house editorial leads who review every piece of content before it’s shared or published.
- Use or offer to create style and tone-of-voice guides for your brand.
- Create detailed briefs that align SEO goals with audience needs and brand messaging.
- Follow strict QA processes to catch inconsistencies, errors, or missed opportunities.
- Can, if needed, restrict production to a smaller number of writers to control quality further.
Red flags:
- Relying on freelancers or outsourcing to other agencies.
- No clear in-house editing or quality assurance processes.
- Limited appreciation of tone of voice and how the content written for your business needs to feel authentic if it’s going to perform.
Digitaloft’s take:
Quality is non-negotiable for our team. Every piece we produce goes through expert-led editorial review to ensure accuracy, consistency, and strategic alignment. Our content is more than words on a page – it’s crafted to reflect your brand, satisfy true information gain, speak to your audience, and perform in search.
We’re also happy to produce content samples during the pitch process so you can get a better idea of what we deliver, how we present it, and the value you’re getting from working with specialists who really know their stuff.
18. How do you integrate CRO and on-page UX into long-form content?
What it’s really asking:
Is your content just designed to rank, or is it built to engage users and drive conversions?
Why it matters:
Ranking is only half the job. If users land on your page and bounce, or if the content doesn’t guide them toward the next step, then all that organic traffic is wasted. Long-form content needs to balance search visibility with user experience to inform, build trust, and ultimately convert.
This question also helps you identify whether the agency has a mature understanding of how SEO fits into the broader digital experience, not just keyword placement.
A good answer:
An integrated approach that blends SEO, content strategy, UX, and CRO thinking. You want to hear that the agency can:
- Structure content for scannability and flow, using design, subheadings, pull quotes, CTAs, and internal linking.
- Test and optimise CTAs, form placement, and on-page journeys within long-form content.
- Align tone, visuals, and messaging with different stages of the buyer journey.
- Implement page design and information hierarchy best practices into every content task.
Red flags:
- No mention of user engagement, conversion paths, or content design.
- Heavy blocks of unstructured text, keyword stuffing, or generic blog templates.
- No ability to create wireframes, conduct UX analyses, or propose strategic page redesigns with a clear rationale.
Digitaloft’s take:
At Digitaloft, everything we do is built around making an impact on your business’s commercial success. Part of this is ensuring that all the content we deliver leverages on-page best practices designed to boost conversions and support user journeys from awareness to action. Our content team also excels in creating wireframes, page templates, and mock-ups to help you visualise and implement new designs or layouts.
Ultimately, it’s a case of asking better questions to get a better SEO agency
Yes, credentials and case studies are important, but we believe that choosing the right SEO agency comes down to knowing what to ask…and what to look for in an answer.
The questions in this guide are designed to go beyond surface-level screening. They help you uncover how an agency thinks, how they operate under pressure, and whether they can actually deliver against your growth goals, not just your deliverables list.
Because the reality is, plenty of agencies can talk a good game at the surface level, but few will be able to back up their claims with concrete examples of execution, impact, and ways of working.
If you’re in the process of reviewing potential partners (or thinking about what comes next for your brand’s organic growth), we’d love to show you how Digitaloft stacks up.
You can explore our core services here:
Or if you’re ready to talk specifics, get in touch and let’s start a conversation.