Hiring an agency
How to choose an SEO, PPC or web agency: what to check, what to ask, what a contract must say, and the warning signs that predict a bad year.
PublishedHiring an agency is a purchase most businesses make once every few years, with little practice and a lot at stake. This topic collects the guides that make that purchase safer: how to read an agency's proof, what a contract has to say, which warning signs predict a bad year, and how to compare two shortlisted agencies without relying on their own pitch.
Who this is for
US businesses hiring their first or next agency, and the marketing manager who has to defend the choice. Most of the advice also applies to a US agency choosing a delivery partner; those readers should also read the white label and reseller topic.
Start here
- The SEO contract checklist for US businesses hiring offshore: the clauses that decide who owns what when the contract ends.
- Red flags when hiring an offshore SEO agency: the warning signs that show up in negative reviews, and what to ask instead.
- How we rank: the five factors behind the Rankyfy Score, so you can weigh them yourself.
How the lists on this site help
Every ranked list opens with a short answer and a table of the top five, then shows each agency's verified reviews, measured search visibility, response time and published prices. Reviews are checked by work email, LinkedIn or a call before they are published, and negative reviews stay visible. Sponsored agencies sit in a labelled strip and cannot buy rank. The US SEO companies list, the industry lists such as dental SEO agencies, and the India lists such as SEO outsourcing companies in India all follow the same rules.
A short method that works
- Write a one-page brief: goal, budget band, timeline, who owns which accounts.
- Shortlist three agencies from a ranked list, using the "best for" labels and the price filter.
- Ask each for a sample report, a named account manager and a paid pilot of two to four weeks.
- Run the contract through the checklist above before signing anything longer than three months.
If you would rather have agencies come to you, describe the job once and up to three matched agencies reply within 48 hours.