Search engine optimization (SEO) drives visibility, leads, and revenue. Many small and midsize businesses (SMBs) can handle the basics—publishing blog posts, tweaking pages, running local listings. But there comes a point where growth stalls, technical issues pile up, or competition outpaces you. That’s when hiring an SEO consultant can make the difference.
The challenge is that the SEO field is crowded with both excellent professionals and opportunists who overpromise and underdeliver. Picking the wrong partner can cost you thousands while producing little to no return. But the right partner can turn SEO into one of your highest-ROI channels.
Here’s a straightforward guide to hiring wisely.
Step 1: Define Your Goals
When you walk into an SEO conversation with clear, specific goals, you’ll quickly see which consultants understand business strategy versus those just selling “traffic.” Define what success means in measurable outcomes:
Book 5 more qualified client calls each month.
Increase ecommerce sales by $50,000 per quarter.
Expand into a new geographic market.
It can also help to clarify what type of SEO help you’re actually looking for:
Site review: A one-time audit to find gaps and make quick fixes.
Content strategy: New content roadmap or optimization of what you already have.
Ongoing SEO: Frequent updates, content creation, and monitoring.
Training: Hands-on education so your team can own SEO long-term.
Consultation: A second opinion to avoid costly mistakes.
Being clear upfront keeps you from overpaying for services you don’t need.
Step 2: Understand the Basics of SEO
Even a surface-level understanding of SEO helps you avoid being misled. Know that:
Technical SEO covers site health: speed, crawlability, mobile readiness, broken links, structured data.
Content SEO focuses on keywords, content strategy, and aligning pages with searcher intent.
Off-page SEO includes your GBP, reviews, brand mentions, and other local SEO signals.
A legitimate consultant will address all three. Overemphasis on just one (especially endless “technical fixes” or generic blog posts) is a red flag. Ways to learn more:
Moz’s SEO Learning Center is top-notch.
See our more in-depth resource on how to learn SEO.
Or try a tailored SEO training to learn SEO as it relates directly to your website.
Note, you don’t need to pay for an “SEO course”.
Step 3. Check the Expert’s Own SEO Performance
Examine how well the SEO’s own website performs in search results. Anyone offering SEO services (or SEO copywriting, SEO content, etc.) should have a website showcasing a fundamental level of SEO skill.
Any site with a blog is vying for organic traffic—simply put, if their site has little to no traffic, they don’t know what they are doing. An SEO who can’t rank their own site is unlikely to rank yours. Do a quick audit:
Traffic relevance: Does their site attract traffic for keywords tied to their services, not just brand searches? You can use free traffic checkers and seo tools to pull back the curtain.
Content quality: Are their blog posts detailed, accurate, and up to date? Or generic filler? Keep in mind, advancements in generative AI mean that authority-like content can be swiftly produced and mask a lack of genuine expertise.
Excuses: Anyone who says they’re “too busy with client work” to optimize their own site isn’t walking the talk.
A solid online presence is the bare minimum proof of SEO skill.
Step 4: Verify Experience and Background
SEO has a low barrier to entry. Plenty of “experts” land their first client after reading a few blogs. You need evidence of real-world practice:
LinkedIn profiles and About pages with career history.
At least 3–5 years of hands-on SEO / GEO work (or equivalent portfolio).
Demonstrated marketing and technical background—not just sales pitches.
Tools like WhoIs or the Wayback Machine to confirm how long their site or agency has existed.
Longevity doesn’t guarantee quality, but lack of transparency is a red flag.
Step 5: Ask for Case Studies or Examples
Look for proof of ROI, not just screenshots of rankings. A good consultant can show how their work led to measurable outcomes:
More qualified leads
Revenue growth
Stronger conversion rates
For example, one business we worked with had been paying $2k per month for years to an “industry-specific” SEO company. All they received were automated reports and thin blog posts. The SEO agency worked with other similar businesses in the same metro area—a built-in conflict of interest. After redesigning their site, stripping out the fluff, and focusing on fundamentals, they almost immediately rose to the top of the SERPs—and have stayed there for years with only occasional check-ins, no retainer needed.
Quick caution: Many “case studies” are recycled testimonials from affiliate partners. Look for substance, not fluff. Have they worked with companies at various stages of business growth? Give weight to results from reputable, mature businesses—versus new sites that are simply excited to see their brand name show up in results.
Step 6: Learn Their Process
If their intake process is just “fill out this form” or they can’t explain their methodology, walk away. A credible consultant should walk you through:
Research and discovery: Your SEO will want a deep understanding of your business, industry, competition, audience, and goals.
Strategy formation: Based on the research, what’s the best course of action?
Implementation: Applying the strategy.
Analysis: Tracking key metrics to see what’s working and what’s not.
Adjustment: Tweaking the strategies based on results.
Step 7: Evaluate Fit as a Partner
The best SEOs aren’t checklist executors—they take a holistic approach and act like business consultants:
They’ll ask more questions about your business than you ask them.
They’ll explain trade-offs like technical limitations vs content opportunities.
They’ll help you align SEO with your broader marketing funnel.
If they sound like they’re selling a productized package instead of tailoring a partnership, that’s a warning sign.
Step 8: Understand Cost and Contracts
While pricing for SEO should not be the sole determinant when hiring an SEO consultant, the saying “You get what you pay for,” often holds true.
That said, a higher price doesn’t always mean better service or results. What matters is alignment between cost, proven expertise, and your goals. Beware of generic SEO packages or “free audits” designed only to scare you into a sale.
Note, many SMBs do not need a monthly SEO retainer—ask if you can re-engage in a few months to evaluate the effectiveness of the applied strategy.
Step 9: Ask Questions
See our article on questions to ask SEOs. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on any topic. Keep in mind, an experienced SEO will likely have many more questions for you than you have for them.
Final Thoughts on Hiring SEOs
The wrong SEO hire drains your budget, buries you in jargon, and leaves you no further ahead. The right one becomes a long-term growth partner.
Protect yourself by being clear about your goals, digging into an agency’s or consultant’s real track record, and refusing to sign vague contracts. Do those three things and you’ll avoid the noise, sidestep the pretenders, and find an SEO partner who can actually move the needle for your business.
For a deeper dive, see our articles on common sense questions to ask SEOs and how to identify spammy marketing tactics.
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