A How question

How do I assess an SEO company's technical skills?

3 min read Cites 3 sources

Check its answers against Google’s own documentation, which is public and written in plain language. You do not need to be a developer to ask a company to explain a technical point and then read what Google says about the same point. Add two practical checks: a sample of a technical audit it has delivered, and a description of how it works with developers. A company with real technical skill explains things precisely, uses current terms, and separates what Google states from what the industry believes.

Ask it to explain a distinction Google makes

A good test is a question with a clear right answer that is easy to get wrong. Ask: “If we want a page kept out of Google’s results, should we block it in robots.txt?” Google’s introduction to robots.txt answers it directly: a robots.txt file “is not a mechanism for keeping a web page out of Google. To keep a web page out of Google, block indexing with noindex or password-protect the page.” A company that recommends robots.txt for this has a gap in the basics. One that explains the difference, and adds that a page blocked by robots.txt cannot show Google its noindex rule, understands how crawling and indexing interact.

Listen also for current names: the report that shows which of your pages are indexed is called the Page indexing report in Search Console today; a company should be able to say where in Search Console it would look and what the report’s reasons mean.

Ask what it would do for AI search features

Some proposals now include work aimed at Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google’s page on AI features and your website states: “There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor other special optimizations necessary.” If a company proposes special markup or files for these features, ask where Google says they are needed. A technically sound company will describe the ordinary work that makes pages eligible and useful, and will not sell a separate AI technique that Google says is not necessary.

Ask it to read a speed report with you

Open a page speed report for one of your pages and ask the company to explain it. A skilled answer separates field data, which reflects real visitors, from lab data, which comes from a test run, and explains what each of the three Core Web Vitals measures. The current thresholds are published on Google’s Core Web Vitals page, so you can check whether the figures the company quotes are right. Be wary of anyone who treats speed as a single score or promises a fast fix without having looked at your hosting and code.

Ask for a sample technical audit

Ask for a real audit delivered to another client, with identifying details removed. The things to look for are findings tied to specific pages or URL patterns, an explanation of why each matters, and a recommended fix with an owner. A tool export with no commentary, or an audit where every site seems to have the same problems, tells you the company runs software rather than judgment.

Ask how it works with developers

Technical fixes may have to be made by your developer or your platform. Ask how the company writes a fix request: does it include example URLs, the exact change needed, and a way to confirm the fix worked after release? Ask whether it checks fixed pages afterwards, for example with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. A company that can hand your developer a clear, testable request, and check the result, will get technical work done rather than just recommend it.

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