Most businesses that have been disappointed by SEO were not cheated exactly; they bought something vague and got exactly that. A few questions at the start prevent it.
Ask these before signing anything
- What do you think is currently holding my site back? A real answer requires them to have looked.
- Which pages will you work on first, and why those?
- What will you measure, and how will I see it?
- Who does the work day to day, and how often will we speak?
- What do you need from me — content approvals, developer access, review requests?
- What happens if results are slower than expected?
Red flags
- Guaranteed number one rankings, or guaranteed rankings at all
- A fixed monthly package with the same deliverables for every client regardless of situation
- Refusal to explain link building methods in detail
- Reports full of ranking screenshots but no traffic, enquiry or revenue data
- Pressure to sign immediately, or an unusually long lock-in with no exit
What good looks like
A good engagement starts with a diagnosis, states priorities plainly, explains trade-offs, sets expectations you can hold them to, and reports in terms of business outcomes. You should be able to understand what was done last month and why it mattered.
Local knowledge matters, but less than you think
Understanding the Kolkata market helps with local search and competitor context. But the fundamentals — technical health, intent-matched content, authority, conversion — are universal. Judge the fundamentals first.
Questions about applying any of this to your own website? Request a free consultation.