1. Do you guarantee rankings?
The reliable answer is no. Google decides rankings, so guarantees mean little.
2. Who will actually do the work?
Founder, senior consultant or outsourced team: ask.
3. How do you measure success?
Enquiry quality and dated observations, not traffic alone.
4. How often do you report, and on what?
Monthly reports should show change, cause and next steps.
5. Who owns the site and accounts?
Domain, content and analytics should belong to you.
6. Can we see real work?
Ask for sites you can open and check, not just percentages.
7. How do you handle AI search?
Which platforms, which method, and how limits are explained.
8. What happens when we stop?
Agree the handover so you are never locked in.
Want to know where your site stands in AI search?
Technical audit