How to Choose an SEO Specialist
Search engine optimisation, usually called SEO, means improving a website so people can find it through search engines such as Google. An SEO specialist can help with the wording, the way pages are organised and technical problems. They should be able to explain what your site needs in language you understand.
Updated: 7 September 2026.
Start with the customers you want to reach
Tell the specialist what you offer and where your customers are. A local electrician might want enquiries from nearby homeowners; an online shop may want people searching for particular products.
If you do not know why the website is quiet, say so. Finding out what is happening is part of the specialist’s job.
Ask what they would check first
They may look at your pages, how search engines find them and the information available about visits and enquiries. Ask for a short explanation of the main issues, the changes they recommend and which should come first.
Some changes involve writing; others need a web developer. Check who will do each part and whether that work is included in the price.
Questions to ask a specialist
- Have you helped businesses like mine?
- What do you think is holding this website back?
- What would you change first, and how would it help customers?
- What work is included in the fee?
- Will you need help from my designer or anyone in my business?
- How will you explain progress, and when should we review it?
- What happens if we decide to stop working together?
Look for explanations you can follow
Nobody can guarantee a particular position in Google’s unpaid search results. Be wary of promises made before someone has examined your site, methods they will not explain or pressure to publish large amounts of content you have not reviewed.
Ask why a suggested change is useful for your customers. If links from other websites are part of the proposal, ask where they will come from and whether the approach follows Google’s guidance.
Keep access to your website
Your business should retain access to its domain, website and accounts used to monitor search performance. Give the specialist their own login instead of handing over your only one.
Ask them to keep a record of changes. For work that could affect how the website functions, agree who will take a backup, test the change and put things right if needed. They should be able to arrange this with your web developer.
Review the results together
Search improvements can take time. Agree when you will review the work and what you will look at, such as visits to your service pages, useful enquiries and sales.
Ask for a report that explains what changed, what happened and what they suggest next. You should leave the conversation understanding more about your website.