If you run a small business, you probably receive emails every week promising “page one rankings” or “10x traffic” for a low monthly fee. Some SEO providers deliver real, lasting results. Others sell automated reports, cheap links and vague promises, and a few do work that actively harms websites. Choosing well matters. This guide will help you evaluate any SEO freelancer or agency, including us, with clear questions and honest expectations.
This article is part of our complete guide: SEO for Small Business: The Complete Guide (2026).
Freelancer or agency?
- Freelancers often offer direct access to the person doing the work, flexible engagement and lower overheads. The risk is capacity: one person can be stretched, and skills may be narrower.
- Agencies offer a team with different skills (technical, content, development, design) and continuity. The risk is that you may be handed to junior staff after the sales call, and overheads raise prices.
- Small specialist studios sit in between: a small team with direct senior involvement.
The structure matters less than the people, their process and their honesty.
15 questions to ask before hiring
About experience
- Can you show real examples of work for businesses like mine? Ask for case studies with specific problems, actions and results, and live websites you can check.
- Can I speak to a past client? A confident provider will arrange it.
- Where can I read independent reviews? Look for reviews on platforms they do not control, such as Google, freelance marketplaces or Clutch-style directories.
- Who will actually do the work? Ask to meet them.
About approach
- What will you do in the first 30, 60 and 90 days? Look for an audit, prioritised fixes, and a clear plan, not just “ongoing optimisation”.
- How do you decide what to prioritise? Good answers mention business goals, Search Console data, technical blockers, and quick wins on pages that already have impressions.
- How do you build links? Good answers involve content, digital PR, partnerships and local citations. Be wary of “we have a network of sites”.
- What changes will you make to my website, and will you need access? Understand who makes changes, how they are tested and how they are documented.
- How do you handle content? Who writes it, how is it reviewed, and how will it reflect your real expertise?
About reporting and results
- Which metrics will you report? Look for enquiries, sales, organic traffic to key pages, rankings for priority terms and indexing health, not just keyword counts.
- How often will we talk? Monthly reporting with a short call is common.
- What results are realistic, and when? Honest providers give ranges and explain dependencies.
About terms
- What is the contract length and notice period?
- Who owns the content, accounts and data? You should own your website, Google Business Profile, Search Console and Analytics accounts, and all content created for you.
- What happens if we stop working together? Nothing should break or disappear.
Red flags to avoid
- Guaranteed rankings or “#1 on Google”. No one controls Google’s rankings. Google itself warns about guarantees.
- Secret methods they will not explain.
- Cheap link packages, such as “500 backlinks for £50”. These are often spam and can lead to penalties.
- Very low monthly fees for “complete SEO”. Real work takes time.
- No access to your own accounts, or accounts created in their name.
- Reports full of vanity metrics like hundreds of irrelevant keywords.
- Fake reviews or inflated portfolios. Check that case study websites exist and that the work matches.
- Pressure to sign quickly or long lock-in contracts without a trial period.
- Mass-produced content that could appear on any site.
What realistic SEO looks like
For most small businesses, a sensible engagement starts with an audit: technical health (see our technical SEO checklist), on-page optimisation (see the on-page checklist), local presence and competitor analysis. Then come prioritised fixes, content improvements and steady authority building. Early wins often come from fixing indexing problems and improving pages that already have impressions. Larger gains usually build over three to twelve months, depending on competition.
How much does SEO cost?
Pricing varies widely by country, scope and experience. Common models are one-off audits, fixed-price projects (such as an indexing fix or site migration), and monthly retainers. Compare what is included rather than the headline price. A focused project with clear deliverables can be better value than an open-ended retainer, especially if your site has specific technical problems. Ask for a written scope.
How to check a provider’s claims yourself
You can verify a lot in ten minutes. Open the case study websites they list and check that the work is live and matches the description. Search for the provider’s name on review platforms and read the negative reviews as well as the positive ones. Look at their own website: does it load quickly, have clear titles and useful content, and rank for anything relevant? Ask for a sample report from a current client, with identifying details removed. If a provider claims partnerships or certifications, look them up on the issuing organisation’s website. Honest providers welcome this scrutiny; evasive answers tell you what you need to know.
Preparing before you hire
You will get better proposals if you share your goals, your main services and locations, any past SEO work, and access to Search Console and analytics. Clear information lets providers give specific recommendations rather than generic packages.
Specialists for specific problems
Some problems need specialist skills: recovering from a hack and spam pages, fixing large-scale indexing issues, or planning a migration without losing rankings. Choose someone who has done exactly that before. See redesign without losing SEO and removing hacked spam URLs.
How we work at MIVAQ
We believe in being transparent, so here is how we answer these questions. We publish real case studies from client projects with links to the live sites, and our reviews come from independent platforms such as PeoplePerHour and Fiverr. We do not guarantee rankings, we do not sell link packages, and you keep ownership of every account and piece of content. Our SEO services, indexing fixes and Wix and Squarespace SEO are scoped in writing, with clear deliverables.
A simple scoring checklist
- Real, verifiable case studies and reviews.
- Clear explanation of methods.
- Prioritised plan for the first 90 days.
- Reporting tied to business outcomes.
- You own all accounts and content.
- No guarantees of rankings.
- Fair contract terms.
Related guides and services
- Technical SEO audit checklist: the 40-point technical checklist we use on every site.
- On-page SEO audit checklist: a page-by-page checklist for titles, headings, content and links.
- Keyword research for small businesses: how to find the searches that bring customers.
- SEO services: technical, on-page and local SEO for small businesses.
- Google indexing fix service: we diagnose and fix pages Google will not index.
Get expert help
Want an honest second opinion on your SEO, or on a proposal you have received? We can review your site and tell you plainly what we would prioritise. Start with our free website review, browse real client results in our case studies, or contact us for a free, no-pressure review of your website.
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone guarantee first-page rankings?
No. Rankings depend on Google’s algorithms and competition. Treat guarantees as a red flag.
How long before SEO shows results?
Technical fixes can show impact within weeks; competitive rankings usually take three to twelve months.
Should I choose the cheapest SEO provider?
Compare scope, experience and transparency. Very cheap SEO often relies on low-quality tactics.
Do I need ongoing SEO or a one-off project?
It depends. Specific problems suit projects; growth in competitive markets usually needs ongoing work.
