Getting a good SEO consultant can be tough. There are many great consultants out there, but how do you know if they’re the right one for your company?

The truth is that there’s no perfect way to choose an SEO consultant – it’s all about how well they understand your needs and how much of a fit they seem to be with your company. We’ve compiled some questions below that should help get you started and that you should keep in mind throughout the process.

1) Does this person/company have exceptional knowledge of the subject matter?

2) Do I feel like this person will provide me with what I need in order to grow my business?

3) How often does this person/company update their blog posts, social media, and external publications?

These 3 questions will help you gauge SEO consultants to see if they check all of the boxes.

What Makes a Good SEO Consultant?

A good SEO consultant can help you with all facets of this process from creating content to making technical fixes on your website to create a clean environment for Google and other search engines to crawl. In order to find the right person for your needs, you need to know what makes up a good SEO consulting company.

They Understand Your Goals

A good SEO consultant understands your goals for both traffic and revenue so they can help craft strategies with content marketing, link building, social media campaigns, and other tactics to reach those goals. By working together with an expert on these topics you’ll have more success in reaching your business objectives.

They Pass on Knowledge

Good SEO consultants should educate you and your staff on the importance of SEO. From knowing what keywords to use, to understanding how Google ranks webpages, it’s important for business owners to have a basic knowledge of organic search best practices.

They are Honest

A good SEO consultant will be honest and upfront with you about your site’s situation. They won’t make false promises or try to scam you out of money! A good consultant will work side by side with you to come up with a plan that is best for your business and not just what seems like the easy way out.

What to Ask When Vetting SEO Consultants?

What experience do you have in the SEO industry?

This might be the single most important question you can ask. It sort of gives you an answer to all of the other questions you may ask. You want to ensure that the company you are vetting has a proven track record.


You should be looking to work with an account manager or a team of SEO professionals who have combined for 5-10+ years of experience. The way Google makes ranking algorithm changes, nothing is really going to stay the same for too long. You’ll need someone with a breadth of experience so you never question their abilities or why they are doing something.

Have you had success with my type of business before?

Ask the consultant or comapny if they have worked with your type of business in the past or are currently working with one. If so, don’t be afraid to ask how it is going.


Likewise, from this information you will be able to tell if there are any conflict of interests by working together.

How long has their company been around and do they offer testimonials?

Don’t be afraid to examine the company’s track record. Ask them how long they’ve been around and if they offer any testimonials or case studies.


Even if it’s not a business in your niche, proving that the company can produce results is key. It doesn’t matter what type of business you run, SEO can be done for anyone as long as you find the right partner!

When should I expect results?

There is a right answer here, and immediately isn’t it.


Unless the opportunity it is so blatently obvious, SEO is going to take a few months to show any type of significant progress. SEO isn’t like other forms of lead generation channels, it takes time for search engines to crawl and index the work done. The long-term results are what will determine the success rate.

Can you guarantee me position 1 in Google?

This is a test and you should field the answer. The answer should be NO.


It’s impossible to guarantee results in SEO. A consultant or consulting company can do everything right, but that doesn’t mean Google is going to award your website the top position. Over time it could happen, but as long as you find the right partner, the results will still be plentiful even if you don’t gain position 1 rankings.

Do they provide a plan about how they will handle your poject?

You don’t want to be left in the dark. There should be transparency as to what is wrong with your website, and what items will be prioritized to provide the best results.


If the consulting partner can’t or won’t provide this, they probably aren’t a good fit.

How to Hire an SEO Consultant?

Before you ultimately hire an SEO consultant or SEO consulting company, you’ll not only have to determine what you are looking for in terms of a relationship but also feel comfortable with some of the details. Below is what you should determine and see if the company can meet your expectations.

Are you looking for a short-term or long-term agreement?

There are really two ways to accomplish SEO. A short-term SEO audit type of agreement, or a longer-term ongoing SEO agreement.

We at LSEO prefer the longer-term agreement because SEO isn’t something that should be turned on and off, but sometimes clients only need some of the heavy lifting done up-front like technical fixes, research, and a devised plan that they can then run with internally.

It all depends on the resources you have available and the state that your website is in. Good SEO consultants should be able to talk through this with you.

What is the length of term they are offering?

Make sure you aren’t locked into some crazy, outrageous agreement. Ideally, you’ll want to see something in the 6-12 month range with renewal possible after that. 6-12 months gives an SEO plenty of time to show progress or that things are heading in the right direction.

If a company tries to lock you in longer, say “no thanks.”

What is the cancellation policy?

Relating to the length of the contract, you’ll also want to be aware of the cancellation policy. Let’s veer on the side of this won’t matter or come into play, but sometimes things can go South. Just be aware or make sure there is something like a 30-day out in the contract.

How Much Should an SEO Consultant Charge?

The going rate for a good SEO consulting company or consultant is between $150-$250 per hour. We compiled this based on our own pricing as well as conducting some competitive analysis.

“You get what you pay for.”

Although this saying doesn’t hold true for everything, it does in the SEO world. The Great Value brand of dish soap isn’t going to be as good as Dawn.

Paying on the higher-end of the average hourly fee for SEO consulting is worth it as someone who charges that much should put in the amount of effort you are seeking. They are the ones that aren’t going to skimp on the research required, development of the strategy, provide support in all aspects of SEO, and be there when you need something.

Why Hire an SEO Consultanting Company?

The answer is simple. They will take a daunting task off of your hands. The chances are you haven’t been in the day-to-day of digital marketing over the last decade like most SEO consulting companies. Let professionals take you to the next level.

If you’re looking for a good SEO consultant, we can help. LSEO is the leading search engine optimization company in the United State and has been providing the service to businesses since 2014. We are known as one of the best Pennsylvania SEO companies in existence. Our team of experts has over 20 years of combined experience that they bring with them to every project we work on.

When it comes down to it, choosing an expert is about more than just one thing – but knowing your requirements and what questions to ask will get you closer to hiring someone who fits the bill perfectly!

Come see how we fit that bill. Fill out the form below and make LSEO your SEO consulting partner!

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