How to Choose an SEO/AEO Agency: 10 Checks Before Hiring

Hiring an SEO or AEO agency can feel like guesswork if you’ve never done it before. So here are ten checks, from whether you need one at all to what to ask on the first call. Whatever an agency tells you, it’s worth getting in writing.

A heads-up first. We run an SEO and AEO agency, so we’re not neutral, and you should hold us to the same ten checks. If the terms are new to you, SEO is about ranking in Google. AEO, short for answer engine optimization, is about getting your business named when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity a question. Our post on how GEO differs from SEO goes deeper.

1. Do you need an agency at all?

Maybe not yet. Google’s own guide to hiring an SEO says a small local business can probably do much of the work itself. Picture a dental clinic with a ten-page site. A few hours a week on the Business Profile, the service pages and the reviews will take that clinic a long way. But with serious technical problems, strong competitors or no spare time, an agency starts to earn its fee.

2. What will they actually do?

You want the first 90 days written down, covering what they’ll check, what they’ll fix and why in that order. If a proposal arrives before anyone has asked about your business, treat that as a warning. The usual work is technical fixes, key pages, content and links from real sites. On links, find out what they refuse to do, since links built only to push rankings go against Google’s spam policies. And be patient. Steady results usually take a few months, and an agency that promises them in a few weeks is telling you something about itself.

3. What proof can they show?

Rankings alone don’t prove much, since a page can rank first for a phrase nobody buys from. What counts is results tied to leads and revenue, plus a client you can phone yourself. Case studies from businesses that make money the way yours does are the most useful, along with how each result was measured. Then check that the agency really exists. Ask for the registered company name and its CIN (or LLPIN, if it’s an LLP), and search for both on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website. The GST number takes a minute on the GST portal. Being new isn’t a dealbreaker, but if the agency is, a small paid audit makes a safer first step than a long contract.

4. Can they handle AI search, not only SEO?

A lot of buyers now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Google AI Overviews before they open a single website, so it’s fair to ask how the agency deals with that. A decent answer includes a list of customer questions they’d check, a baseline taken before work starts, and a view of which of your pages get cited. What comes back shifts by tool, by location and even by day, which is why one screenshot proves nothing. And if someone promises to get you into ChatGPT, be doubtful. No agency controls that.

5. Who actually does the work?

The person who impressed you on the sales call may never touch your account, so find out who will before you sign. You’d want to know who leads the strategy, who fixes technical problems, who writes the content and who sends the reports, and it’s reasonable to ask to meet that person, even for ten minutes. A freelancer is usually cheaper and easier to reach, but you’re relying on one person’s time and skills. An agency has more skills to draw on, though most weeks you might end up talking to a junior team member. Neither is wrong. You just need to know who’s doing the work.

6. How will they report results?

Ask to see a sample report before you sign anything. A good one tells you what was done, what changed and what’s coming next, and it shows up on the same date every month. Leads, traffic and conversions from search belong in it too. A task list and a ranking table can look busy while saying nothing about whether the money is working. Make sure you also have your own login to Google Search Console and Google Analytics, because screenshots are easy to cherry-pick.

7. What will it cost, and what is included?

Price alone tells you little, but everyone wants a ballpark, so here goes. Indian agency guides in October 2026 put small local work at about ₹8,000 to ₹25,000 a month. By those same guides, small agencies charge ₹25,000 to ₹50,000, mid-sized programs ₹40,000 to ₹1.2 lakh, and the big ones ₹1.5 lakh to ₹4 lakh. Don’t lean on those numbers too hard. Agencies wrote the guides and they contradict each other, so use them to sanity-check a quote rather than to set a budget. What the fee covers matters more than the fee itself: how many pages get worked on each month, what’s left out, and whether GST is included.

8. Which red flags mean walk away?

Google’s guide says nobody can guarantee a number one ranking, and it warns against anyone claiming a special relationship with Google. So a cold email promising page one tells you all you need to know. Walk away if you see any of these:

• A guaranteed ranking or AI citation within a set number of days
• A vague answer when you ask how they build links
• “Unlimited SEO” at a very low monthly fee
• Reports full of rankings and tasks but no leads or sales
• Reluctance to give you access to your own accounts

Good agencies are upfront about what they can influence and what they can’t.

9. What should the contract cover?

A contract should name four things: the work included, the reporting dates, the notice period and who owns the accounts. Three to six month minimums are common, and they’re fine if the deliverables are listed clearly. Aim for about 30 days’ notice with no penalty for leaving. Your Google Analytics, Search Console and Business Profile accounts should sit in your name, with the agency added as a user, and anything they build for you should stay yours if you part ways. We’re not lawyers, so if a clause bothers you, show it to one.

10. What should you ask on the first call?

Put the same questions to every agency, and the answers become easy to compare:

• Where would you start on my site, and why?
• Can I talk to a client with a similar business?
• How do you track leads, not just rankings?
• Which AI tools and customer questions do you monitor?
• What happens if I want to leave?

After that, shortlist three and ask each to look at your site and say what they’d do first. Compare their diagnosis, their plan and how they’d measure it, and leave price for last. Pick the one whose thinking made the most sense to you, even if it isn’t the cheapest.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does SEO cost in India?

Quite a range. Small business retainers start around ₹8,000 a month, and large programs can reach ₹4 lakh. Whatever the quote, check what’s included: pages, content, technical fixes and reporting.

Can I do SEO myself?

Sometimes. Google’s own guide says a small local business can probably manage a lot of it. Help makes sense when the site has technical problems, rivals are well ahead or nobody has the hours. Either way, advice only works if someone acts on it.

Can an agency promise me page one?

Not honestly. Google says nobody can, and AI answers work the same way. A good agency can promise careful work, clear reports and straight updates, and that’s about it. Fixed-day guarantees, a claimed special link with Google, or any promise nobody can explain are all reasons to be wary.

How can I tell if my current agency is earning its fee?

Start with a report. It should show the work completed, leads from search, traffic trends and what’s planned next. Make sure you can open your own Search Console and Analytics. If it’s all rankings and tasks, or they can’t explain what they did, ask for a call to go through it with you.

How long should an SEO contract be?

Many agencies want three to six months, and some work month to month. A longer term can be fine when the deliverables are clear and you can leave on 30 days’ notice if they’re missed. Whatever length you settle on, get the scope, reporting dates and account ownership in writing.

Is SEO enough, or do I need AEO too?

Start with SEO, because AEO needs it underneath. A site that’s hard to find or trust won’t get far with AI tools either. On top of that, AEO tracks whether ChatGPT and Perplexity mention you for your customers’ questions. Many agencies do both, so ask which one you’re paying for and how it’s reported.

Next step

Want a second opinion on your own site before you start shopping around? Our free AI visibility audit is a good place to begin. And yes, we’d like you to hold us to the same ten checks.