Choosing the right SEO agency is a critical decision for any startup aiming for long-term visibility and growth. By asking the right questions—from strategy and technical expertise to content and reporting—founders can ensure they partner with an agency that aligns with their goals, understands their industry, and delivers measurable results.
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Hiring an SEO agency is a high-impact move for startup founders. But with the rise of AI-led marketing, it’s no longer just about technical SEO—it’s about strategic vision, scalability, and data-driven execution.
Whether building a SaaS tool, scaling a D2C brand, or entering a niche market, choosing the right SEO partner could be the difference between compounding traffic and flatline visibility.
Here are the 13 essential questions every founder should ask to ensure your chosen agency is built for modern, AI-powered growth.
1. What does your SEO performance look like?
Before trusting someone to optimise your site, check if they’ve successfully optimised their own.
Run a simple Google search for phrases like “SEO agency in [city]”, “SEO for startups”, or “technical SEO consultants”. If the agency doesn’t appear on the first page for any relevant terms—even their brand name—it raises concerns. Their website should be a live example of their capabilities.
Go further: ask them to show their Google Search Console data, top-ranking pages, and growth over time. A credible agency will be proud to walk you through their numbers and strategy.
If they’re not discoverable, what does that say about their ability to make you discoverable?
2. What AI tools or systems do you use for SEO today?
The SEO landscape has changed. Manual keyword mapping, content briefing, and performance reporting have been replaced by smart workflows powered by AI.
Ask the agency how they use AI in their daily operations. Do they:
Use AI tools for keyword clustering and intent-based topic research?
Automate content briefs or outlines for faster execution?
Predict SEO outcomes using traffic simulation tools?
Run automated technical audits and schema checks?
If they only mention Google Sheets and basic SEMrush reports, you’re looking at an outdated workflow. In 2025, AI is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s foundational to scalable, cost-effective growth.
3. What’s your experience with SEO—and how have you evolved with AI trends?
It’s not just about how long an agency has been around, but how well they’ve adapted. SEO has seen massive shifts over the past few years—from the introduction of semantic search to the dominance of Google’s AI models like MUM and SGE.
Ask the agency:
How long have they been running SEO programs?
How have they changed their approach post-BERT, post-MUM?
Are they currently adjusting their strategy for AI-generated results (like Google’s SGE)?
You want a partner who doesn’t just “do SEO”—one who understands the algorithms behind search and how AI is reshaping user behaviour.
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4. What’s your complete SEO strategy—from audit to execution?
SEO is not a checklist—it’s a comprehensive, iterative process. A capable agency should walk you through their approach across three major pillars:
On-page SEO: How do they plan to research keywords, structure content, and map user intent? Do they use AI to generate keyword clusters or optimise content briefs?
Technical SEO: Can they audit and resolve crawlability, site speed, schema markup, and mobile usability issues? What automation do they use to monitor site health?
Off-page SEO: Do they rely on AI tools for backlink gap analysis, authority scoring, or content outreach prioritisation?
Ask for a sample roadmap or playbook from a recent client. It will give you a glimpse into whether their strategy is scalable—or stuck in 2018.
5. How do you approach backlinks and authority building?
Backlink quality is a key ranking factor, and building them the right way takes time, credibility, and consistency.
Don’t settle for vague answers like “we do outreach” or “we get you listed in directories.” Ask:
What’s your process for identifying link-building opportunities?
Do you personalise outreach with AI-powered tools?
How do you assess link quality (DA/DR, spam score, topical relevance)?
Can you show examples of high-quality links you’ve secured for clients?
If they mention forums, Fiverr gigs, or link exchanges—walk away. Modern backlink strategies require a mix of authority partnerships, PR amplification, and high-value guest content.
6. Can you get us to Page 1 in a month?
Any agency that says yes is either misleading you or using black-hat tactics that might backfire later.
Real SEO takes time. You may see early wins in long-tail or low-competition terms, but for competitive keywords, it often takes 3–6 months or more—even with AI-accelerated execution. A good agency will give you a phased forecast, not a blanket promise.
Also, ranking means little without conversions. Focus on how they plan to improve traffic quality and business outcomes—not just vanity metrics.
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Explore Our AI-Led Growth Plans
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7. Do you follow Google’s SEO guidelines and best practices?
Make this a non-negotiable. Ask them:
Do you follow Google’s Webmaster Guidelines?
How do you stay updated with algorithm changes?
Do you use schema markup, Core Web Vitals, and mobile-first principles?
They should also be aware of the latest AI-driven updates from Google, including Helpful Content, SGE, and topic authority indicators. If their strategy ignores user experience, intent relevance, and content quality—they’re playing a risky game.
8. Are you aligned with Google’s latest AI updates like MUM or SGE?
The future of SEO is deeply integrated with AI—especially from Google’s side.
Your agency should be building content with multimodal indexing in mind (MUM), preparing content that can appear in AI snapshots (SGE), and aligning with structured data strategies to help search engines better understand your site.
If they’re still writing SEO content without factoring in AI-generated SERPs, you’ll be invisible in tomorrow’s search.
9. Have you worked in my industry before?
Search behaviour varies significantly across industries. Healthcare, SaaS, eCommerce, and B2B each have unique content structures, conversion paths, and keyword intent profiles.
Ask:
Have you worked with startups in our industry?
Can you show keyword strategies or content maps for similar companies?
What worked (and what didn’t) in past campaigns?
If they haven’t worked in your vertical, they must at least show how they adapt their approach based on industry research and competitor insights.
10. What metrics do you track—and how do you report performance?
SEO success isn’t just rankings. A credible agency will track:
Organic traffic growth
Keyword position movement
Page-level conversions and assisted conversions
Cost per acquisition (CPA) vs SEO investment
Ask if they provide real-time dashboards, AI-powered insights, and clear action recommendations—not just monthly PDF reports.
Performance is about outcomes, not output. You need insights that help you make decisions—not vanity charts.
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11. Can you rank multiple pages for the same keyword/topic?
Yes—if it’s done strategically.
This involves:
Keyword mapping across the funnel
Topic clustering
Internal linking
Differentiated content formats (e.g., comparison pages vs blog articles)
Example: Search for “SEO calculators” and you’ll find multiple upGrowth URLs ranking on page 1—each tailored for different user intents, but connected by a shared topic. That’s how you dominate a niche.
12. How long do clients usually stay with you?
Churn speaks volumes. Ask:
Who is your longest-standing client?
How long do clients typically stay?
Why do clients choose to continue working with you?
Agencies that deliver results tend to build long-term relationships. Look for 2–5+ year engagements, not just one-off campaigns.
13. Can you show case studies and client results?
A confident agency will show you:
Before and after analytics
Keyword position improvements
ROI metrics
Strategy explanations
Ask for:
At least two recent case studies
Relevant to your industry or growth stage
With visible, verified outcomes
Explore:
SaaS SEO Strategy
SEO for Financial Services
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The Wrap
When you hand over the SEO reins to a third party or partner, you may not need to ask the team-specific questions we outlined in our earlier blog since it is up to the SEO agency to check in on their teams and ensure that things are flowing smoothly from a growth, marketing, and content perspective.
However – handing over those reins requires a level of trust in your partner that can only come about when you know that the agency is knowledgeable and in full control of what they are doing.
Your goals need to be well-articulated, and the agency should understand what you want to achieve with SEO and deliver on those parameters, keeping in mind your budget and timeframe.
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For Curious Minds
An AI-led SEO strategy moves beyond simple automation to deliver predictive insights and operational efficiency, which are critical for sustainable growth. It redefines execution by using AI to analyze vast datasets, understand user intent with greater accuracy, and forecast traffic outcomes, giving your startup an edge over competitors relying on manual processes. This approach is not just about doing things faster, it is about making smarter decisions at every stage. A modern agency will use AI for:
Keyword Clustering: Instead of just identifying keywords, AI groups them based on user intent, allowing you to build topic authority that ranks for hundreds of related queries.
Predictive Analytics: Tools like traffic simulators can forecast the potential impact of an SEO campaign before you invest significant resources, ensuring a higher ROI.
Automated Audits: AI-powered systems continuously monitor technical SEO health, from site speed to schema markup, identifying and flagging issues in real-time for faster resolution.
The integration of AI transforms SEO from a reactive checklist into a proactive, data-driven growth engine. To understand the tangible impact on your own business, you can use calculators like the NoCrew.ai AI Marketing Impact Analyzer to model potential savings and output gains. Explore the full article to learn how to quantify this advantage during your agency selection process.
A major red flag is an agency's inability to articulate how AI is integrated into their core workflows beyond mentioning basic tools. If their process still heavily relies on manual reporting in Google Sheets or standard SEMrush reports without a deeper layer of automated analysis, they are likely operating with an outdated model that cannot scale efficiently. A modern partner, in contrast, will proactively demonstrate their AI-powered systems and data-driven decision-making. Key indicators of an outdated agency include:
A vague or nonexistent strategy for adapting to Google's AI models like SGE.
An overemphasis on manual tasks like keyword mapping without mentioning intent-based clustering.
A failure to rank for their own competitive keywords, such as “SEO agency in [their city]”.
A lack of transparency when asked to share their own Google Search Console data or case studies showing compounding traffic growth.
Stronger agencies avoid these pitfalls by treating their own website as a testament to their skills and proudly showcasing the sophisticated tools they use for everything from technical audits to content briefing. Dive deeper into the full list of questions to ensure your chosen partner is equipped for the future of search.
A forward-thinking agency must pivot from a purely keyword-centric approach to a comprehensive topic authority model. This means your strategy should no longer focus on just ranking for individual terms but on becoming the definitive source of information for your entire niche, which is what AI-driven search engines like SGE prioritize. Your agency should be proactively adjusting its strategy to account for these algorithmic shifts. Expect your partner to demonstrate how they are preparing for a future where user behavior is more conversational and intent-driven. Key strategic adjustments include:
Developing comprehensive content clusters that answer every conceivable question a user might have about a core topic.
Optimizing for semantic search by using structured data and schema markup to give AI models clear context about your content.
Shifting focus from backlinks alone to building brand credibility and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) signals.
An agency that still talks about SEO in terms of pre-BERT or pre-MUM tactics is behind the curve. Read on to discover the specific questions that reveal an agency’s readiness for the next generation of search.
Verifying an agency's own SEO performance provides direct evidence of their ability to deliver results. Simply searching for relevant terms like “SEO for startups” is a good start, but you must go deeper by asking for direct access to their performance data to separate proficient agencies from those that just talk a good game. A transparent and successful agency will be happy to share this information as a showcase of their expertise. When you make the request, ask them to walk you through these specific data points:
Top-Ranking Pages: Request a view of their Google Search Console report showing the pages that drive the most organic traffic.
Growth Over Time: Ask to see their performance graph over the last 12-18 months to verify a pattern of compounding traffic, not just a temporary spike.
Relevant Keyword Rankings: Confirm they appear on the first page for commercial-intent keywords in their industry, not just their brand name.
If an agency is hesitant to provide this data, it suggests a lack of confidence in their own results. The full article provides more non-negotiable questions to ensure you partner with an agency that practices what it preaches.
To ensure an agency is built for modern growth, you must systematically evaluate their entire strategic workflow for AI integration. A truly capable partner will have AI embedded across all three pillars of SEO, not just in one isolated area. This systematic approach helps you look past surface-level promises and see how they actually deliver scalable results. Your evaluation process should involve these key steps:
Audit Their On-Page SEO Process: Ask how they move from keyword research to content creation. Do they use AI tools to generate intent-based keyword clusters and data-driven content briefs, or is it a manual process prone to guesswork?
Examine Their Technical SEO Automation: A solid agency uses automated systems to monitor site health 24/7. Inquire about their tools for detecting crawlability issues, monitoring site speed, and validating schema markup automatically.
Probe Their Off-Page AI Capabilities: Effective link building today is about precision. Ask if they use AI for backlink gap analysis, prioritizing outreach targets based on authority scores, or identifying content promotion opportunities at scale.
By dissecting their full strategy this way, you can determine if they have the modern infrastructure required to drive the compounding traffic your D2C brand needs. The complete guide offers a full roadmap to follow during your agency interviews.
The fundamental difference lies in the shift from manual, reactive tasks to automated, predictive strategies. A traditional agency might rely on historical data and gut-feel decisions, while an AI-powered agency uses machine learning to forecast outcomes and scale execution, directly impacting your growth speed and cost-efficiency. This distinction is most apparent in how they handle core SEO functions. A traditional agency's approach often involves:
Manual keyword mapping and content briefing, which is slow and subjective.
Periodic technical audits that catch problems after they have already affected performance.
Generic off-page outreach based on domain authority alone.
In contrast, an AI-powered agency will:
Use AI for intent-based topic research and automated brief generation, ensuring content is precisely aligned with user needs.
Run continuous, automated site health monitoring to resolve technical issues proactively.
Leverage AI for sophisticated backlink analysis and outreach prioritization.
This modern approach, supported by tools from companies like NoCrew.ai, reduces manual work and accelerates execution, allowing your business to capture market share faster. Discover more questions in the full article that highlight these crucial operational differences.
In today's context, a truly data-driven agency uses AI not just to report on past performance but to predict future outcomes and automate complex decisions. The key is to look for evidence of systems that translate raw data into strategic actions, moving beyond simple dashboards into prescriptive analytics. This capability is what separates agencies using AI as a gimmick from those using it as a core operational driver. To validate an agency's claims, ask for specific examples of how they use AI to:
Forecast SEO ROI: Do they have traffic simulation tools that can model the potential growth from targeting certain keyword clusters before committing resources?
Automate Content Optimization: Can they show you how their AI-powered briefs lead to content that ranks faster and more reliably than manually created outlines?
Prioritize Technical Fixes: Ask how they use AI to score the urgency of technical issues based on their potential impact on traffic and revenue.
An agency that can demonstrate these advanced capabilities is genuinely data-driven. The full guide offers more ways to test an agency’s strategic depth and ensure their promises are backed by a sophisticated, AI-powered system.
In an AI-driven environment, a genuine SEO strategy is a comprehensive, iterative growth plan, not a static checklist. It integrates on-page, technical, and off-page efforts into a cohesive system designed to build lasting topical authority and adapt to algorithmic changes. Demanding this strategic depth is crucial because isolated tactics like publishing blogs without a clear intent map are no longer effective for achieving sustainable, compounding visibility. A proper strategy should clearly articulate:
How keyword research informs a broader content architecture designed to capture entire user journeys.
How technical SEO underpins content performance by ensuring optimal crawlability, indexability, and user experience.
How off-page signals are acquired to build authority and trust around your core topics, not just to accumulate links.
An agency that presents SEO as a list of monthly deliverables is focused on activities, not outcomes. The full article explains how to push for a true strategic roadmap that connects every action to your ultimate business goals.
You must verify that the agency's off-page strategy is centered on building E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), not just acquiring backlinks. A modern, AI-enhanced off-page strategy focuses on quality and relevance over quantity, using data to identify high-impact opportunities that build your brand's credibility in the eyes of both users and search engines. Outdated tactics can harm your site, so it is vital to probe their methodology. A sophisticated off-page plan includes:
AI-Powered Backlink Gap Analysis: Identifying where top competitors earn links and using that data to inform your own outreach and content creation.
Authority-Based Prioritization: Using AI tools to score potential outreach targets not just on domain authority but on topical relevance and audience alignment.
Content-Led Outreach: Creating valuable assets (reports, tools, studies) that naturally attract links from authoritative sources, rather than pursuing low-quality placements.
Ask for a sample off-page roadmap and case studies demonstrating how they have built authority for other SaaS clients. Learn more about evaluating an agency’s full strategic vision by reading the complete guide.
The evolution of Google's AI has fundamentally shifted SEO from a game of keywords to a discipline of understanding and satisfying user intent. Models like BERT and MUM allow Google to comprehend language contextually, meaning a modern agency must build strategies around topics, not just isolated search terms. This requires a deeper, more holistic approach to content and site structure. This algorithmic shift has several key implications:
Content must be comprehensive, addressing a user's primary query and related follow-up questions within a single, authoritative piece or a tightly connected content cluster.
Site architecture is critical, as internal linking and clear URL structures help Google understand the relationships between different pieces of content and establish your site's expertise on a topic.
Keyword stuffing is obsolete; the focus is now on natural language, semantic relevance, and providing genuine value to the reader.
An agency that cannot articulate how their approach has evolved post-BERT is likely still using outdated tactics. Dive into the full article to see how to assess an agency’s understanding of these modern algorithmic principles.
Requesting sample deliverables is a critical step to look behind the curtain of an agency's sales pitch and see their actual work product. A confident agency will have sanitized examples ready to share that demonstrate their strategic depth, attention to detail, and ability to translate data into an actionable plan. These documents provide a tangible preview of the quality and thinking you can expect as a client. Key deliverables to ask for include:
A Sample SEO Roadmap: This should be more than a calendar of blog posts. Look for a prioritized plan that outlines on-page, technical, and off-page initiatives over a 6-12 month period, with clear KPIs for each phase.
A Sanitized Technical SEO Audit: This document reveals their ability to identify critical site issues. It should be well-structured, prioritize fixes by impact, and provide clear, developer-ready instructions for implementation.
An Example Content Brief: A modern, AI-enhanced brief should include target user intent, semantic keywords, competitor analysis, and structural recommendations, not just a primary keyword and word count.
Reviewing these materials helps you assess whether their work is as sophisticated as their claims. The full guide details more ways to rigorously vet an agency before you sign a contract.
Calculating the ROI of an AI-led SEO agency involves looking beyond simple traffic metrics to model the impact on business efficiency and revenue. Unlike traditional SEO, an AI-powered approach generates value through cost savings, accelerated execution, and more accurate targeting, all of which should be quantified. A comprehensive ROI calculation helps justify the investment by connecting SEO activities directly to bottom-line results. To build a compelling case, your ROI model should include:
Cost Savings from Automation: Use a tool like the NoCrew.ai AI Marketing Impact Analyzer to estimate the reduction in manual labor hours for tasks like content briefing, keyword research, and reporting.
Projected Traffic and Conversions: Based on the agency's traffic simulations and your site's historical conversion rates, forecast the potential increase in qualified leads or sales. For example, project the value of ranking on the first page for high-intent keywords.
Increased Content Velocity: Quantify the business impact of being able to produce and optimize high-quality content at a faster rate than competitors, allowing you to capture market share more quickly.
This approach frames SEO as a strategic growth investment rather than a marketing expense. Discover more frameworks for evaluating the business impact of SEO in the complete article.
Chandala Takalkar is a young content marketer and creative with experience in content, copy, corporate communications, and design. A digital native, she has the ability to craft content and copy that suits the medium and connects. Prior to Team upGrowth, she worked as an English trainer. Her experience includes all forms of copy and content writing, from Social Media communication to email marketing.
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If your site isn’t ranking or bringing in qualified traffic, you likely need expert help. An SEO agency uses AI-powered tools to improve visibility, drive traffic, and support business growth through smarter search strategies.
2. Should I hire an SEO agency for my business?
Yes, especially if you lack in-house SEO skills. Agencies bring AI-driven insights, automation, and proven frameworks to manage on-page, off-page, and technical SEO at scale.
3. What can I expect from an SEO agency?
A good agency handles everything from audits and keyword research to content and backlink strategies. Today, many use AI for faster analysis, predictive rankings, and scalable content creation.
4. What should you look for in an SEO consultant?
Look for strong experience, industry-specific case studies, and up-to-date knowledge of AI tools and Google’s algorithm changes. They should prioritise growth outcomes—not just rankings.
5. How can I hire a good SEO expert?
Check their track record, ask for case studies, and ensure they understand your domain. The best experts use AI tools and scalable processes, not outdated manual tactics.
6. How do I choose an SEO agency for my business?
Choose an agency that aligns with your goals, understands your industry, and uses modern, AI-powered SEO methods. A customised strategy is key—not one-size-fits-all packages.
7. What questions should I ask an SEO agency?
Ask about their SEO process, AI tools, ranking philosophy, industry experience, and reporting cadence. Their answers should reflect transparency and forward-thinking strategy.
8. How can you evaluate an SEO agency?
Review their client results, retention rates, and technology stack. Agencies that use AI for forecasting, content strategy, and performance optimisation stand out in today’s landscape.
9. Is hiring an SEO agency worth it?
Absolutely—if you want to grow efficiently. A good agency uses automation and AI to reduce time to results, improve ROI, and future-proof your search visibility.
10. How much does it cost to hire an SEO company?
Costs vary, but quality SEO starts around ₹80K/month. AI-powered agencies offer better scalability and insights, often delivering more value for your spend.
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