Every SEO company promises rankings — including us. So how do you choose when every pitch sounds identical? The same way we told you to choose a web development company: with a checklist that exposes the difference between providers who do the work and providers who do the talking. Yes, judge us by this list too.
An SEO company\u2019s own presence is its real portfolio. Search their business on Google: is their Business Profile complete, reviewed, active? Does their website rank for anything? Do they publish substantive content, or three thin posts from 2023? A company that cannot rank itself is telling you its capability honestly — just not in words.
Not \u201cwe increased traffic 300%\u201d screenshots — live, checkable results. The standard we hold ourselves to: our case studies name the client (with permission), state the exact searches, and invite you to verify them right now —Jeevansakthi at #1 on Maps, theclinic ranking #1 in 10 days. Ask every candidate: \u201cshow me a result I can search myself today.\u201d Watch what happens.
1. \u201cWhat exactly will you do each month?\u201d— expect specifics, not \u201con-page and off-page optimization.\u201d2. \u201cWhen will I see results, honestly?\u201d— the honest answer sounds like3–6 months with milestones, never \u201ctwo weeks.\u201d3. \u201cShow me a real monthly report.\u201d4. \u201cHow do you build links?\u201d— vague answers hide spam tactics that earn penalties.5. \u201cWho owns everything if we part ways?\u201d— the only acceptable answer is: you do.
🚩 Guaranteed #1 rankings. 🚩 \u201cSecret techniques\u201d or a refusal to explain methods. 🚩 Prices that cannot fund the promised hours (see ourcost guidefor what real work costs). 🚩 No reporting until you ask. 🚩 Pressure to sign long lock-ins today. 🚩 Cold-callers claiming your site has \u201ccritical SEO errors\u201d they discovered — a fear-based sales script, not an audit.
Reverse test: notice which companies tell you NOT to buy something. A provider who says \u201cyour GBP is empty — fix that free first, then talk to us\u201d just proved they advise before they sell.
SEO retainers buy hours applied to: content creation, on-page optimization, profile management, citations, technical monitoring, reporting. Get the allocation in writing — \u201c₹10,000/month\u201d means nothing; \u201ctwo optimized pages, four GBP posts, citation building, and a Search Console report monthly\u201d is a contract you can hold someone to. Then hold them to it every month.
Before signing, confirm in writing: your Google Business Profile stays owned by your account (they get manager access), your website and content belong to you, analytics and Search Console are on your accounts with them added as users, and everything survives the relationship ending. Agencies holding assets hostage is the most common horror story in this industry — and entirely preventable with one email before you start.
Local helps for local SEO specifically — a Trichy company understands locality search behaviour, can photograph your premises, and meets you in person. Remote works too if their process and reporting are strong. What matters most is verifiable results and transparent reporting, wherever they sit.
Judge in 90-day windows. Months 1–3 should show foundations done and early movement (impressions, long-tail rankings). Avoid 12-month lock-in contracts before any proof — credible companies earn renewals with results, not clauses.
At minimum: work performed (specific — pages optimized, content published, citations built), Search Console data (impressions, clicks, position trends), ranking movement on agreed keywords, and next month's plan. A traffic graph alone is not a report.
Common story. Ask the new candidate to first audit what the previous one did — reviewing existing work reveals a provider's honesty fast. And this time, verify their own visibility and case studies before signing anything.
Search our rankings. Check our case studies live. Ask us the five questions — we enjoy them. Then decide with evidence, whoever you choose.