A How question

How can I check an SEO company's reputation?

3 min read

Check it against sources the company does not control, then compare what you find with what the company tells you. Five checks do the work: whether the business is what it says it is, whether the people behind it can be found, what clients say where the company cannot edit the reviews, whether its claims hold up at the source, and how it behaves while selling. None takes long, and together they tell you far more than the testimonials on the company’s own website.

Is the business what it says it is?

Search for the company in the business registry of the state or country where it says it is registered. A registration record can show the legal name, when the business was formed, and whether it is active. Compare that with the company’s claims: a firm that says it has served clients for a decade should not have been registered last year, and a name that differs from the one on the proposal is worth a question. Look up the address too. A business presented as having an office should not turn out to be a virtual mailbox.

Can you find the people?

Look up the founders and the people who would work on your account. You are looking for real names, work histories that match the company’s claimed experience, and some visible professional presence. Ask who will do your work and whether any of it is subcontracted; subcontracting is not a problem in itself, but you should get a straight answer.

What do clients say where the company cannot edit it?

Read reviews on platforms the company does not run, such as its Business Profile and independent review sites, across more than one platform. Read for detail rather than score: reviews that describe specific work and results over a period of years tell you more than a burst of short five-star reviews posted in the same week. Read how the company replies to criticism, too.

Then speak to references. Ask for a current client and, if possible, a former one, and ask them about communication, reporting, and whether the work matched what was promised.

Do the claims hold up at the source?

Check any award, certification, or partnership at the organization that is said to have granted it, not on the company’s website. Check that case studies name clients you can contact. And search the company’s name alone and with words such as “complaint” to see what others have said.

How does the company behave while selling?

Pressure is information. A company that contacts you unprompted with urgent warnings about your site, pushes for a quick signature before a discount expires, or avoids putting its claims in writing is showing you how it operates. A company that gives you time, answers questions in writing, and lets you check its claims is showing you the same.

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