Search engines are often the deciding factor in whether customers find your business or your competitors. A strong SEO strategy helps you bring in steady traffic from people who are already interested in what you sell. It increases brand visibility across search results and, when done well, converts rankings into sales rather than just clicks.
But picking the wrong SEO agency can do the complete opposite. It’s wasted money and poor SEO can cause lasting harm to your website. Tactics that breach Google’s rules can lead to penalties, while poor technical setups can slow your site or block important pages from being indexed. Fixing these problems takes months and consumes resources that could have been spent on growth.
The best way to think about it is like hiring a builder. If the foundation is solid, you can expand confidently. If it’s flawed, you’ll spend years patching cracks. The SEO agency you hire is responsible for building that very foundation.
When an agency talks about experience, don’t just be swayed by the number of years in business. What matters more is proof of consistent results. Look for case studies showing competitive keyword rankings that have been achieved and maintained. An agency worth hiring should be able to show traffic growth over time rather than pointing at one lucky spike.
Ask for references and, most importantly, check them. Speaking with past or current clients gives you a real sense of what it’s like to work with the agency. For example, if a retail brand doubled its organic sales within a year of starting an SEO campaign, that’s impressive. But what makes it valuable is when the agency can explain how they did it, what challenges they faced, and what long-term results were sustained.
Good SEO agencies back up their claims with transparent evidence. If an agency avoids sharing details or only talks in vague terms, that’s a warning sign.
One example is REFY Beauty, where StudioHawk built a tailored SEO campaign that delivered huge growth in organic visibility. Their online presence strengthened to the point where search became a major revenue driver. Read the full case study on how we worked with REFY Beauty to achieve these results.
The needs of an online store are very different from those of a local tradesperson or a software company. That’s why specialisation matters.
For eCommerce, agencies need to know how to manage duplicate product descriptions, optimise site speed, and create clear pathways that lead to sales. They should be comfortable working with platforms like Shopify, Magento, or WooCommerce.
Local SEO, on the other hand, involves ensuring businesses appear in “near me” searches, optimising Google Business Profiles, and building local reviews and citations. This type of SEO is vital for companies that rely on foot traffic or serve defined areas.
Technical SEO is yet another speciality. It involves solving crawl issues, preventing index bloat, and making sure site architecture is designed in a way that search engines can understand. Technical fixes often require collaboration with developers, so agencies should have experience working directly with tech teams.
If you run a niche software company, a local SEO plan designed for pizza shops won’t do much for you. That’s why it’s important to find an agency that speaks your industry’s language and has a track record in your sector.
For tailored SEO that matches your business model, consider reaching out to StudioHawk UK for a discussion about your industry.
The best SEO agency doesn’t just get results; they make sure you understand what’s happening along the way. Good communication means regular updates, clear reports, and strategies explained in plain language instead of jargon.
You should expect scheduled calls or emails that outline progress and next steps. Many agencies provide dashboards or reporting tools so you can see results in real time.
What matters most is honesty. A good agency will tell you what’s working, what isn’t, and how they plan to adjust. If an agency can’t explain their work without hiding behind technical terms, that’s another red flag.
Not all SEO is created equal. White-hat SEO follows search engine guidelines and focuses on long-term growth. Black-hat SEO uses spammy tactics like buying thousands of backlinks for a few pounds. While the latter might boost rankings in the short term, it almost always ends with penalties and disappearing from search results entirely.
No serious agency should gamble with your business by using black-hat tactics. Ask direct questions about their methods. If they can’t explain how they build links, create content, or optimise websites in a way that aligns with Google’s rules, it’s best to walk away.
SEO reports should connect directly to business outcomes. Rankings are useful, but they don’t mean much if they don’t lead to traffic and sales. A strong agency report includes organic traffic growth, conversion tracking, and return on investment tied to specific campaigns.
The best reports also lay out next steps so you know where the campaign is heading. If you only see vanity metrics like impressions or keyword visibility without context, that’s a sign the agency might be hiding underwhelming results.
For ProNails, StudioHawk’s SEO work was tied directly to growth in both leads and revenue. The campaign focused on building visibility for key search terms that mattered most to their business, which in turn drove high-intent traffic to the site.
What made this campaign particularly strong was the clarity of reporting. ProNails could see month by month which pages were performing, how those improvements translated into enquiries and sales, and where the next opportunities lay. This level of transparency gave them confidence that SEO wasn’t just producing clicks but delivering measurable business outcomes.
At StudioHawk UK, we put business goals at the centre of reporting. See how we helped ProNails turn SEO into measurable growth in our full case study.
SEO agencies usually work under 3 common models.
The right choice depends on your goals.
For long-term SEO, monthly retainers are usually the best option, but you should still expect regular reviews and flexibility. Be cautious of agencies that lock you into long contracts without proof of results.
Also, make sure project-based work has clear boundaries. Otherwise, “scope creep” can lead to unexpected costs.
Once you’ve narrowed down a shortlist, don’t be blinded by glossy websites or slick sales pitches. Ask direct questions in consultations. How does the agency measure success beyond rankings? Can they share results from businesses similar to yours? How do they react to major Google updates? What should you expect in the first three to six months?
Case studies should be reviewed carefully. Look for evidence of revenue growth, not just traffic increases. Pay attention to challenges and how the agency overcame them. One-time wins aren’t as valuable as sustained, long-term results.
Clear timelines also matter. While SEO takes time, you should never be left in the dark.
Credible agencies will outline milestones, such as an audit in the first month, technical fixes by the second, and early ranking improvements in months three or four.
If you run an online store, the right eCommerce SEO partner should be fluent in platforms like Shopify, have a history of growing product visibility, and know how to optimise large catalogues without causing technical problems.
They should also have experience reducing cart abandonment through faster site speeds and better user experiences.
For technical SEO, you’ll want an agency that can run full audits using tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb, improve Core Web Vitals, and restructure websites to help Google crawl them efficiently. Agencies with technical expertise should be comfortable working directly with developers.
If your business relies on local traffic, the focus should be on Google Business Profile management, building citations in relevant directories, and targeting local search terms such as “Solicitor in Shoreditch.” Review management also plays a big role here, since customer feedback influences local rankings.
There are clear warning signs that should make you cautious. Guaranteed number-one rankings are impossible; no agency controls Google’s results. Pricing that seems too good to be true usually means corners are being cut. Agencies that dodge questions, use too much jargon, or refuse to share reporting structures are worth avoiding.
SEO isn’t a quick fix. It’s a long-term investment in your business growth. When you hire an agency, you’re entering a partnership. The right partner will take the time to understand your business and industry, explain their methods clearly, and provide measurable progress.
The wrong partner wastes both time and money. Doing the homework upfront gives you the confidence that your agency can deliver real results.
Most businesses start seeing results within three to six months. Timelines vary depending on industry, competition, and current site health.
If local customers are your priority, a local agency makes sense. If you want to reach a global audience, proven international experience is valuable.
Smaller businesses often spend between £1,000 and £3,000 per month. Competitive industries usually require a higher budget.
If you run an online store with many products, specialised eCommerce SEO knowledge is very helpful. It prevents common issues like duplicate content and indexing errors.
Look for transparency, detailed case studies, references from real clients, and a refusal to make impossible promises.
Freelancers can be effective for smaller projects, but agencies usually bring a team of specialists covering technical SEO, content, and outreach. That depth is harder to find in one person.