Many companies choose the wrong SEO consultant. Not through carelessness, but because they do not know what a good working relationship looks like and which questions separate it from an average one.
I write this after working in SEO since 2012, including years of running my own practice. I have seen dozens of audits prepared by others: good ones, and ones that landed on my desk with a request for a “second opinion.” Below is a list of warning signs, questions and evaluation criteria. You can read how I work on the SEO consultant page.
SEO consultant vs SEO agency: when does each make sense?
A consultant is a good option when you have your own team (developers, editors, marketing) that implements changes, you need an experienced specialist for strategy and decisions, you want to work directly with the person who actually audits your website instead of handing the work to juniors, and you prefer a defined scope with measurable KPIs.
An agency makes sense when you have no in-house resources and need full service (from the audit through implementation to links), you prefer working with an account manager and regular reports, or you have a large monthly budget and need a team of several specialists.
9 red flags: walk away if you see them
- A guaranteed #1 ranking in Google. Google’s algorithms are independent, so nobody can promise that. Anyone who guarantees a specific position is either lying or planning techniques that sooner or later end with a penalty.
- “50 keywords on page one in 3 months.” That is how SEO was sold a decade ago. Today SEO is work on the visibility of the whole website, not collecting rankings for single keywords.
- No answer to “what exactly will you do in the first month?” If you hear a vague “optimization, link building and content,” there is no plan.
- One 200-page audit without priorities. An audit should open the conversation, not end it with a list of 200 errors. A good audit says what to fix first, why, and what effect it will have.
- No case studies with numbers. It is not about client names, which are often covered by a confidentiality agreement, but about specifics: “organic traffic up by X%”, “migration without loss of visibility”, “12 new URLs in the top 10”.
- “We will take care of everything, don’t worry.” SEO does not work without your involvement: content, technical implementation and business decisions. A consultant who promises a full autopilot does not understand the job.
- An hourly rate far below the market. Rates differ between countries, but a rate that is a fraction of what experienced consultants charge in your market usually means a junior, or someone who has to take on many clients instead of focusing on results.
- Silence about AI search and GEO. In 2026, a consultant who has no opinion on how ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are changing search is not keeping up with the market.
- A minimum 12-month contract with no way to terminate. A good working relationship speaks for itself through results and does not need a contract that locks the client in.
7 questions worth asking before you sign
- Which metrics will be in the monthly report? A good answer: organic traffic (GA4), visibility in search results (tools such as Ahrefs or Semrush), positions of the most important keywords, conversions from organic traffic and technical progress (Core Web Vitals, indexing).
- Can I see a sample audit? A good consultant has an anonymized example at hand. If there is none, that is a warning sign.
- What does the first month of working together look like? Expect a kickoff meeting (goals, KPIs), an initial audit (1–3 weeks), agreed priorities and an implementation plan. If someone says “we start with links right away,” walk away.
- Who will I work with on your side? The best answer: “directly with me.” At an agency, it is worth asking whether it will be an experienced specialist or a junior with two years of experience.
- How do you respond to Google algorithm updates? Expect a specific process: monitoring, impact analysis, an adjustment plan. Not generalities like “we follow the changes.”
- What if I am not happy with the results after 3 months? An honest answer: SEO brings the first results after 3–6 months, but after the first quarter you should see progress in technical work and content, even if traffic has not moved yet.
- Can I see your LinkedIn profile and certifications? Basic, but often skipped. Check the career path, recommendations and industry activity.
SEO audit vs SEO consulting: what is the difference?
An SEO audit is a specific document that diagnoses the condition of your website and shows what to change. It usually takes 2–4 weeks of work and is a one-time cost that depends on the size of the website.
SEO consulting is a process: regular meetings where the consultant answers current questions and reviews implementations, and together you go through the data and make decisions. It is billed by the hour or as a monthly retainer.
Most companies need both: first an audit to set the priorities, then consulting to implement them.
Checklist: assess your potential consultant
- Has at least 5 years of experience in SEO (ideally 8–10 or more)
- Has a LinkedIn profile with a documented career path
- Shows examples of work or anonymized case studies with numbers
- Has a well-thought-out approach to AI search, GEO and AEO
- Asks about your business goals, not just about budget and keywords
- Explains processes in a way a non-technical person understands
- Does not promise specific positions or traffic within 30 days
- Has transparent pricing or can quote the scope after a short call
- Gives you time to decide and does not push “offer valid today only”
- Has their own website, which is well optimized itself
What next?
If you want to check me against the same list, please do. The intro call with me is free and with no obligation. You tell me about your project, and I tell you whether I can help and what the first step would look like.
If I am not the right person for your project, I will say so directly and recommend someone from my network.