#SEO_Buyer's_Guide

Everything You Need to Know Before Hiring an SEO Agency

Why This Guide?

If you’re reading this, you’re likely considering investing in SEO — a smart move. But with countless agencies, technical jargon, and price ranges all over the map, how do you make the right decision?

What Is SEO, Really?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website’s visibility in search engine results so that your ideal customers can find you more easily.

Core Components:

Technical SEO: Site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing, structured data.
On-Page SEO: Optimizing content, meta tags, headings, and keyword targeting.
Off-Page SEO: Link building, digital PR, citations, and brand mentions.
Content Strategy: Blogs, landing pages, service pages, FAQs, and AI-friendly content.
Local SEO: Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, reviews, and map rankings.

What to Look For in an SEO Agency

Proven Results: Look for case studies, before-and-after traffic comparisons, and testimonials.

Transparency: Agencies should explain what they’re doing and why — no black box strategies.

Customized Strategy: Your business isn’t cookie-cutter, and your SEO strategy shouldn’t be either.

Technical Capability: They should be able to diagnose crawl issues, optimize site speed, and improve Core Web Vitals.

Content Expertise: SEO without content is like a car without fuel. Does the agency produce high-quality, search-optimized content?

Ethical Link Building: Avoid agencies promising thousands of backlinks quickly — that’s a red flag. You want links from relevant, trustworthy sources.

Red Flags to Avoid

Vague reporting with vanity metrics (e.g., impressions instead of leads)
Guaranteed rankings (no one can promise this)
No strategy documentation or project roadmap
Outsourced or AI-spun content
Overemphasis on keywords without considering intent

Questions to Ask Any SEO Agency

What’s your approach to keyword research?
Can I see reporting samples?
How do you measure success?
Who will be doing the work?
Do you build links? If so, how?
Can you share client success stories or case studies?

Final Thoughts

Choosing an SEO partner is a major decision. Done right, it drives real business growth. Done wrong, it wastes time and money.

Let this guide help you vet wisely.

“We saw more growth in 6 months than in the past 8 years.”

Working with TLMG has been a blessing—they truly cares. After years with other companies, I finally feel seen. Brooks stays in touch regularly and boosted our online presence more in 6 months than others did in 8 years. Huge thanks to Brooks and the TLMG team!

“They promised and they delivered!”

The thing that impressed me the most was TopLine Media Group's ability to learn about our firm culture and brand and integrate our culture and brand into the program they created for us. Other firms consistently tried to force us to change our culture and brand to match them. TopLine Media Group never asked us to sacrifice who we are as a firm.

“TopLine Media Group engages like they're an extension of our team.”

On calls, it's a "we" and "our" - they take a vested interest in your satisfaction with the work. We were brand new to Google Ads and Analytics and their team would provide short loom videos to help me understand what I was looking at, how to read analytics - they not only did the work, they ensured I understood the work. Their team is a pleasure to partner with! And, they are just that - partners!

“TopLine Media Group communicates their goals clearly and follows through.”

Clear communication, accessibility along with defined results. We dealt with too many marketing professionals who did more talking than doing and when push came to shove, we didn't see results. TopLine communicates their goals clearly and follows through.

“Their continuous commitment to improvement and the cultivation of a lasting relationship sets them apart.”

We sought a partner to elevate our presence in the painting industry, and Topline Media proved instrumental in achieving our goals. Their expertise extended across website development, SEO, PPC, and strategic market planning, contributing significantly to our growth.

Let’s Talk!

Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation discovery call.

Not ready for a call, but still have questions?

Complete this form to get in touch with us.