Start with the business constraint
A practice needing better appointment inquiries has a different problem from a retailer with incomplete product information. Document the audience, services, margins, geography, and current acquisition path. Review whether the website can support those goals before asking for a package. Location alone does not establish how much work is necessary or what a fair price should be.
- ✓ List the actions that create qualified business value.
- ✓ Identify technical restrictions, approval requirements, and existing measurement gaps.
Compare deliverables and operating responsibilities
Ask proposals to name the pages, technical changes, reporting cadence, and review responsibilities included. Separate one-time remediation from recurring analysis and content work. Clarify who owns the domain, analytics accounts, files, and cancellation process. A low headline price can leave essential implementation outside scope; a higher price still needs an explanation of the work.
- ✓ Request a scoped plan and itemized optional work.
- ✓ Keep ownership, access, and handover requirements in the agreement.
Choose evidence over a ranking promise
Search positions depend on factors an agency cannot control. Evaluate the quality of diagnosis, the implementation sequence, and whether the provider will explain uncertainty. Agree how to judge progress with a baseline and qualified conversions. HGM can discuss a focused engagement after reviewing the actual constraint; this guide is not a published rate card.
- ✓ Ask what will be delivered before requesting a projected return.
- ✓ Review lead quality and completed improvements alongside search trends.