Hiring an SEO agency can be a big investment, especially if you're not familiar with SEO yourself.

Before signing a contract, you want to know what you're actually paying for, whether the agency's strategy makes sense for your business, and whether they're making realistic promises.

AI can help.

You can use AI to analyze an agency's website, proposal, pricing, contract, and strategy before you make a decision.

Here are 10 prompts worth trying.

1. Analyze the SEO Agency's Website

Start by asking AI to investigate the agency itself.

"Analyze this SEO agency's website: [INSERT URL]. Explain what services they provide, who they appear to specialize in, what makes them different, and whether they seem like a good fit for my business: [DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS]. Identify anything that seems unclear or that I should ask them about."

2. Analyze Their SEO Proposal

Don't just look at the monthly price. Understand what you're actually receiving.

"Review this SEO proposal and explain every deliverable in plain English. Tell me what each service is intended to accomplish, whether it is valuable for my business, and whether anything important appears to be missing."

This can be particularly helpful when a proposal is filled with terms like technical SEO, citations, schema, link building, content optimization, or AI optimization.

3. Find Potential Red Flags

Use AI as a second set of eyes.

"Act as an independent SEO consultant. Review this SEO agency's website, proposal, pricing, and promises. Identify potential red flags, vague claims, unrealistic guarantees, or anything I should investigate further before hiring them."

Look closely at promises involving guaranteed rankings, guaranteed traffic, or extremely fast results.

4. Evaluate Their Strategy

An SEO strategy should be built around your business—not copied from another client.

"I own a [BUSINESS TYPE] in [CITY/AREA]. My primary goal is [GOAL]. This SEO agency proposed the following strategy: [PASTE STRATEGY]. Evaluate whether this strategy makes sense for my business and identify what you would change or prioritize differently."

This can help you determine whether you're getting a customized strategy or a generic SEO package.

5. Evaluate Their Pricing

The cheapest agency isn't necessarily the best, and the most expensive isn't necessarily the best either.

"This SEO agency charges $[AMOUNT] per month. I own a [BUSINESS TYPE], my average customer is worth approximately $[AMOUNT], and my monthly marketing budget is $[AMOUNT]. Evaluate whether this pricing seems reasonable for my business and what questions I should ask before agreeing."

6. Compare Multiple SEO Agencies

If you're considering several companies, give AI the information you've received from each.

"Compare these SEO agencies based on pricing, services, transparency, strategy, flexibility, specialization, and potential fit for my business. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each and tell me what additional questions I should ask before choosing one."

Don't let price be the only deciding factor.

7. Fact-Check Their Promises

Did an agency promise page-one rankings or massive traffic increases?

Ask AI:

"This SEO agency told me: '[PASTE CLAIM].' Explain whether this claim is realistic, what would need to happen for it to occur, and what questions I should ask the agency before believing it."

A good agency should be able to explain how it plans to achieve results rather than simply promising them.

8. Review Their Contract

Before signing a six- or twelve-month agreement, have AI explain what you're actually agreeing to.

"Review this SEO contract and explain it in plain English. Identify the cancellation policy, minimum commitment, automatic renewal terms, ownership issues, payment requirements, and anything else I should pay attention to before signing."

Understanding the cancellation terms is especially important. You don't want to discover you're locked into a long-term agreement after deciding the agency isn't a good fit.

9. Find the Questions You Should Ask

Not sure what to ask during your sales call?

Let AI come up with the questions for you.

"Based on this SEO agency's website, proposal, pricing, and services, give me the 10 most important questions I should ask them before hiring them. Prioritize questions that could reveal whether they actually have a strategy for my business."

Some questions may include:

• What will you do during the first month?

• How will you measure success?

• Who will work on my account?

• How often will I receive reports?

• What happens if I cancel?

• What can I realistically expect during the first 90 days?

• 
  

10. Ask AI If You Should Hire Them

Finally, give AI everything you've learned and ask for an overall assessment.

"Based on everything I've provided about this SEO agency, including its website, proposal, pricing, contract, strategy, and answers to my questions, give me an objective assessment of whether this agency appears to be a good fit for my business. Separate your answer into green flags, yellow flags, red flags, unanswered questions, and your final recommendation. Do not recommend the agency simply because it is inexpensive."

AI shouldn't make the final decision for you, but it can help you see the bigger picture.

Want to See If Vibe SEO Co. Is Right for You?

At Vibe SEO Co., we believe you should be able to ask these questions of us, too.

If you're considering working with us, give AI information about our services, pricing, website, and approach, then use this prompt:

"I'm considering hiring Vibe SEO Co. for my business. Review everything available about Vibe SEO Co., including its website, services, pricing, approach, and promises. My business is [DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS], I'm located in [CITY/AREA], my primary goal is [GOAL], and my monthly marketing budget is approximately [BUDGET]. Objectively evaluate whether Vibe SEO Co. appears to be a good fit for my business. Identify its strengths, potential weaknesses, red flags, unanswered questions, and reasons I should or shouldn't hire them. Compare their approach to what I should reasonably expect from a good SEO agency. Do not recommend Vibe SEO Co. simply because this information came from their own website."

Seriously—try it.

We offer a free first month and you can cancel anytime, because we believe you should have the opportunity to experience our approach without being locked into a long-term commitment.

If we're the right fit for your business, we'd love to work with you.

And if we're not, hopefully these prompts help you find an SEO agency that is.