Is Your SEO Agency Still the Right Fit?

SEO is often one of the most consistent drivers of long-term growth — but it’s also one of the fastest-changing areas of digital marketing.

With AI transforming how people search, privacy regulations reshaping data strategies, and buyer behavior evolving across platforms, staying ahead requires more than basic optimization. 

If you’re working with an agency, it’s worth asking: Are they adapting their strategy to today’s realities? Are they showing how organic search converts visitors into customers and drives measurable revenue growth? Can they prove that your SEO investment is generating real business impact?

The right questions can help you assess whether your SEO partner is keeping pace — or holding you back.

Can You Answer These Questions About Your SEO Agency?

If you're in a true strategic partnership with your SEO agency, you should already know the answers to these questions. If you don’t, it may be time to re-evaluate — or use these questions to guide conversations with a potential new partner.

Adapting to the Rise of AI In Search

Do you know how your agency is preparing for SEO’s AI-powered future?

AI Overviews, search generative experiences, and conversational queries are changing how people search — and how brands get found. Your agency should be anticipating change, not reacting to it.

You should know:

• How your agency is adapting keyword strategy for AI-influenced search behavior
• What role structured data, featured snippets, and entity optimization play in your current strategy
• What testing or implementation they’ve done around AI Overviews visibility

Ask yourself:

• How is our agency helping us prepare for search generative experiences and evolving SERPs?
• What proof have they shown that we’re being optimized for AI-driven discovery?
• Are we shifting strategy as search behavior becomes more conversational?

Red Flag: If “AI” only comes up as a buzzword in meetings, your agency likely isn’t taking meaningful action.

Proving ROI Beyond Keyword Rankings

Do you know how your agency is connecting SEO to revenue?

SEO should be a business growth engine, not just a traffic report. Your agency should be demonstrating how organic search contributes to leads, pipeline, and revenue.

You should know:

• Which KPIs tie SEO performance to your specific business goals
• How organic traffic is tracked from first click-through to closed-won
• Whether your agency provides revenue forecasts based on real performance data

Ask yourself:

• Can I explain how SEO efforts impact our bottom line — not just traffic volume?
• What’s our current pipeline or revenue contribution from organic?
• How accurate are the forecasts we’ve been given?

Red Flag: If reporting stops at traffic or rankings, your agency isn’t connecting the dots to business impact.

Transparent Reporting & Communication

Do you know what your agency is doing — and why?

You shouldn’t be left guessing. A true partner provides clear reporting, strategic insights, and consistent communication that keeps everyone aligned.

You should know:

• What’s included in each report and how it connects to goals
• Who your day-to-day contact is and how often you meet
• How the agency adjusts strategy based on performance data

Ask yourself:

• Do we regularly receive insights that go beyond SEO metrics, providing strategic insights about how search performance impacts customer acquisition?
• Are meetings focused on strategy and performance, not just recaps?
• Is our agency proactive in identifying issues or new opportunities?

Red Flag: If your agency disappears between reports, they’re not acting like a partner.

Aligning SEO Strategy to Buyer’s Journey & Business Goals

Do you know how your agency maps SEO to your customers and sales funnel?

SEO should be personalized to your business — built around your buyers, their intent, and your revenue goals. One-size-fits-all strategies miss the mark.

You should know:

• How your agency researches your buyers and aligns SEO to how they find and evaluate your products and/or services
• Whether content is mapped to funnel stages and key personas
• What process is used to prioritize high-value keywords and topics

Ask yourself:

• Can I see a clear connection between our SEO content and our sales funnel?
• Does our agency understand our product, positioning, and value props?
• How are we tailoring SEO efforts to support specific business objectives?

Red Flag: If your SEO content could work for any competitor, it’s not working for you.

Approach to Technical SEO and Site Health

Do you know what’s being done behind the scenes to support your SEO performance?

Technical SEO is foundational — but often overlooked. Your agency should have an ongoing plan to monitor, optimize, and improve the infrastructure driving search visibility and conversions.

You should know:

• How often technical audits are conducted, and what they include
• What’s being done to improve speed, crawlability, and mobile performance
• What tools are in place for monitoring and maintaining site health

Ask yourself:

• Do I know our current technical health score, and how it’s trending?
• When was the last time a technical audit was done, and what changed as a result?
• Is our agency collaborating with devs to implement fixes and improvements?

Red Flag: If the only time technical SEO comes up is when something breaks, your agency is being reactive — not proactive.

It’s Time to Expect More from Your SEO Partner

AI is rewriting the SEO rulebook. Marketing leaders can’t afford to rely on outdated tactics or vague reporting. Asking the right questions now helps ensure your agency is aligned with the future of search — and still worthy of your investment.

Want a second opinion on your SEO performance? Let’s talk.