Ten questions to ask before you hire an agency

Ask these on the call or by email, and write the answers down in the agency's own words. Ask every agency you're considering, including us. A good agency will be glad you asked.

1. Who will actually do the work?
Good answer: the names and roles of the people on your account, whether they're staff or freelancers, and whether any of the work goes to another company. Passing work on isn't wrong; hiding it is.

2. Whose name is the domain registered in, and who has the login?
Good answer: yours. The domain is registered to your business, with a login you hold. The agency can be added as a user.

3. Who owns the hosting, the website and the other accounts?
Good answer: you own, or can have on request, the hosting, the website admin login, Google Analytics, Search Console, your Google Business Profile and any ad accounts. The agency works in them as a user, not as the owner.

4. If we leave, what happens to the website?
Good answer: you can take a full copy (the files and database, or an export) with no release fee, and they explain how the handover works. If the site is built on their own system and can't be moved, they tell you before you sign.

5. How do you build links, and are any of them paid for?
Good answer: they show you real examples of where links come from, say plainly which ones are paid placements, and let you approve each one before it's booked. Be wary of a fixed number of links promised every month with no examples. Google's spam policies cover links bought to manipulate rankings: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#link-spam

6. What's the minimum term, and the notice period?
Good answer: both in writing before you sign, in plain numbers (for example "three months, then month to month"). Watch for contracts that renew automatically for another year.

7. What will a monthly report show?