Hiring hub (by industry)

Hire the right SEO agency — start with your industry

SEO needs differ across SaaS, B2B, ecommerce, and local services. Use this hub to pick the right category, review a practical checklist, and (if you want) submit a short brief on the industry page.

Popular categories: SaaS · Ecommerce · B2B

Looking to contact agencies? Start with a category page (e.g., SaaS) to submit a brief.

How this hub helps

A simple path from choosing the right category to evaluating partners and contacting them.

Industry → checklist → brief

Step 1

Pick your industry

Start with the business model that matches you — SaaS, B2B, ecommerce, and more.

Step 2

Use a practical checklist

Compare partners using scope, execution ownership, and measurement — not marketing claims.

Step 3

Submit a short brief (optional)

On the category page, you can submit a brief so relevant partners can evaluate fit and reach out.

What people search for before hiring an SEO agency

Each topic below jumps to a dedicated section (so you can scan faster).

How to hire an SEO agency

Start by matching the partner to your business model (SaaS, ecommerce, local services). Then evaluate scope, execution ownership, and reporting. Use the checklist below to compare partners consistently.

Questions to ask an SEO agency

  • What will you deliver monthly (technical, content, internal linking, reporting)?
  • Who implements changes — you, our dev team, or both?
  • How will you measure success (leads/pipeline/revenue vs only traffic/rankings)?
  • What does month 1 look like (audit, quick wins, priorities, access needed)?

SEO agency vs freelancer

The key difference is usually execution capacity. A strong freelancer can be great for strategy + hands-on work, but if you need content ops + technical shipping + reporting at scale, an agency team may be a better fit.

SEO audit & technical fixes

A good audit is only valuable if it gets implemented. Ask what they will fix directly, what requires your dev team, and how they’ll track progress (coverage, indexing, critical templates, internal linking).

How to hire an SEO agency (quick checklist)

Most hiring mistakes come from picking an agency that looks good on paper but doesn’t match your business model, constraints, or execution needs. Use this checklist to evaluate fit.

Industry fit (business model first)

SaaS, ecommerce, and services behave differently in Google. Start with agencies that have experience in your acquisition model — not generic SEO claims.

Clear scope and deliverables

Ask what they do monthly: technical work, content, internal linking, reporting, experimentation. Avoid vague “we’ll optimize everything.”

Proof of work (case studies over claims)

Good case studies explain constraints, what changed, why it worked, and what didn’t — not just screenshots.

Technical ownership and execution

Who touches your site? Do they ship changes, coordinate with your devs, or only send recommendations? Make ownership explicit.

Measurement and accountability

Define success: organic conversions, pipeline, revenue, qualified leads. Reporting should connect work to outcomes.

Communication and expectations

Agree on responsibilities, cadence, and what “progress” looks like (coverage/indexing/qualified clicks before revenue moves).

Start here

Pick your business type

Choose the category that matches your acquisition model. Each category page includes tailored guidance and an optional brief form to contact relevant partners.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a “best SEO agency” list?

No. This is a business-model-first hiring hub. It focuses on evaluation criteria and routes you to industry pages for more specific guidance.

Where do I submit a request?

On the industry page (for example: SaaS). The hub is for choosing the category and learning how to evaluate partners.

What are common red flags when hiring an SEO agency?

Guaranteed rankings, vague deliverables, refusal to explain what will be done, no access to analytics/search data, and “secret sauce” instead of clear execution.

How much does an SEO agency usually cost?

It depends on scope, market, and competition. A strong partner should clearly explain what’s included and how outcomes are measured.

Specialist agency or generalist?

If your site has specific complexity (docs/integrations, ecommerce faceted navigation, multi-location local SEO), specialists often win. For simpler sites, a strong generalist can be enough.

What should I prepare before contacting agencies?

Your website URL, target markets/languages, primary goals, constraints (dev resources), and a rough budget range. This makes first conversations more productive.

Start with your industry

Pick the category that matches your business model. Use the checklist — and submit a brief on the industry page if you want to contact relevant partners.

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