SEO Agencies Australia · Buyer guidance · 16 October 2026
A good agency conversation should leave you with a clearer picture of the work ahead. Use these five questions to compare proposals on the same terms.
1. Who will work on our account?
Ask to meet the person responsible for strategy and day-to-day delivery. Find out which work is done internally, which uses outside specialists and who checks the final output. A senior sales conversation does not tell you who will run the campaign.
2. What happens in the first three months?
Look for a sequence that starts with access, measurement and an assessment of the website. Ask what the team expects to diagnose, which changes it will prioritise and what depends on your developers or content approvals. The proposal should distinguish confirmed deliverables from recommendations that still need investigation.
3. How will we measure progress?
Agree business outcomes as well as search metrics. Relevant enquiries, qualified leads and revenue may tell a different story from total traffic. Ask how brand and non-brand searches, location performance and tracking gaps will be explained in reports.
4. What is included in the fee?
Clarify technical implementation, content production, reporting, meetings and outside costs. If the agency recommends a separate development budget, understand what it expects that budget to cover. Compare the whole scope rather than the headline monthly number.
5. What happens if we leave?
Before signing, ask about account ownership, notice periods, handover, access to completed work and any dependencies on agency-owned tools. Read the actual agreement and resolve unclear points directly with the provider.
Build a shortlist around fit
Use the directory to compare locations and stated specialisations. A listing is an introduction to a business, not a performance guarantee. Check relevant examples and speak with the team before making a decision.