Short answer. Ask what they will do in the first 30 days, what you will own at the end, what they will report and how often, and what they will not promise. A good company answers in plain words and puts the answers in writing. A company that guarantees you first place on Google is one to walk away from: Google’s own guidance says no one can guarantee a number one ranking.
Why the question is harder than it looks
Search “local SEO Vancouver” and you will find many agencies, most with a list of questions of their own. Those lists tend to be written to start a sales call. This one is written from the buyer’s side: what to ask, what a good answer sounds like, and what should make you pause. Think of it like hiring someone to look after your shop’s front window: you want to know what they will change, who holds the keys and how you will tell it worked.
Seven questions to ask
1. What will you do in the first 30 days? A good answer names specific work: checking the Business Profile, the site’s titles and pages, the sitemap and Search Console, then picking one priority. A warning sign is a long list of activities with no order, or “we’ll optimize everything.”
2. Who will own the accounts? Your Google Business Profile, Search Console, analytics and website should be in your name, with the company added as a user. A good answer is “you will, and we’ll be added.” A warning sign is a company that wants to create these under its own account or keep the logins.
3. What will you report, and how often? Ask to see an example. A good report says what changed, what the numbers were on which dates, and what happens next, in a page or less. A warning sign is a dashboard of impressive totals with no explanation, or a report that counts only rankings for terms you did not choose.
4. How do you measure success? Google’s guidance suggests asking this directly. A good answer ties the work to things you can check: searches that show your business, clicks, calls and inquiries, each with its limits. A warning sign is a single score or a promise of a number.
5. Will you explain every change before you make it? Google suggests asking whether the company will share all changes to your site and why. A good answer is yes, with a list of what will change. A warning sign is secrecy, or a company that will not say what it intends to do.
6. What won’t you promise? The best answer is a short, honest list: rankings, a number of leads and a date by which things will happen. Nobody outside Google controls its results. Google’s page says that if an SEO promises you first place, you should look for someone else, and it also flags claims of a special relationship with Google or a “priority submit” service.
7. Which locations and which services come first? “Everywhere” or “all of Canada” is too broad to act on. A good answer names the places and services that matter most to your business, in order, and says what will be done for each. A warning sign is a plan to optimize for everywhere at once.
What to ask for in writing
Before you sign, get these in writing: that your Business Profile, Search Console and analytics stay in your name; who can edit your website and how changes are logged; what the first report will contain and when; and how either side can end the work. If the company needs to audit your site, Google suggests read access to Search Console at first, not write access.
Checklist
Before you sign, get these in writing
- Your accounts stay in your name. Business Profile, Search Console and analytics list you as owner, the company as a user.
- A first-30-days plan. Specific work, in order, with one priority.
- A sample report. What changed, on which dates, and what comes next.
- A change log. Who edits the website, and what they changed and why.
- A list of what is not promised. No ranking, lead count or date.
- A way out. How either side can end the work, and what you keep.
Long Square Studio. General practice, not legal advice. Google Search Central, read 2026-10-30.
What nobody can promise
No one can promise a ranking, a number of leads or a date. Google’s results depend on what people search, what other businesses publish and what Google decides, and those change. A fair promise is about the work: what will be checked, fixed and reported, and when. Anything stronger is a reason to ask more questions.
How we work, as one example
This is how we approach it, so you can compare. We start with a review of what already exists: the Business Profile, the pages, Search Console and how AI answers describe the business. Then we choose one priority, do it, and check it the following week. We report what changed with dates and the limits of the numbers, and we do not promise rankings, leads or revenue, and we do not publish prices. Our own results are small and recent: 35 of the 67 pages on our site were indexed by Google after four weeks, and in our weekly sample of AI answers our name appeared in 1 of 32. We say so because those are the numbers.
Related reading
If you are weighing a change of web designer rather than an SEO company, read What should I ask before replacing my web designer?. For how AI answers choose which local businesses to mention, read How do I get my business mentioned in Google AI Overviews?. Our Local search & SEO page describes the work itself.
A few common questions
How do I choose a local SEO company in Vancouver?
Use the seven questions above on two or three companies and compare the answers in writing. Prefer the one that explains its work plainly, leaves the accounts in your name and says what it will not promise.
Can an SEO company guarantee my business will rank first on Google?
No. Google’s guidance says no one can guarantee a number one ranking, and that you should look for someone else if a company promises it.
How do I check my business website for basic search problems myself?
Start with your home page: can a stranger tell who it is for, where you work and what to do next? Our short guide, How do I check my home page in ten minutes?, walks through it.
Sources
Google’s page, read 30 October 2026. It changes, so check it before you act.
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