Hiring an SEO consultant can be one of the most impactful marketing decisions your business makes. The right consultant will help you identify what’s working, fix what’s broken, and build a roadmap for long-term growth. But with so many options on the market, how do you choose someone who will genuinely move the needle?
Whether you’ve already read our articles on why SEO consultancy matters in 2025, how it compares to hiring an agency, or what an SEO consultant actually does, this guide is designed to help you move from interest to action.
Below are 10 key questions that are crucial to ask any consultant before you commit. These questions will keep you engaged and proactive in the selection process.
1. What does your typical SEO consultancy process look like?
When hiring an SEO consultant this question helps you understand how structured and strategic a consultant really is. You want to know whether they have a defined methodology or are improvising as they go.
Why it matters: SEO is not a one-off task; it’s a continuous, evolving effort. Understanding their process shows whether they can adapt over time and prioritise effectively. It’s important to hear exactly how they structure their work. Are audits included? How do they prioritise actions? Do they work with your team or independently?
What we do at BQC: We understand that every business is starting from a different place. Some come to us with technical issues, others have content that isn’t performing, and many lack a clear plan. Our process starts with a full audit — basic, comprehensive or advanced — to get a clear picture of your current SEO health. From there, we prioritise what matters most, aligning actions with your commercial goals and available resources.
We create a strategic roadmap and work closely with your team to implement it in a way that builds sustainable, long-term momentum. We like to feel part of a bigger team, not just another consultant outside the business. We’re big fans of Slack, which helps us embed ourselves into a marketing team and increase productivity.
2. Can you explain your experience in our sector or with similar businesses?
SEO doesn’t operate in a vacuum. If your consultant understands your business model, customer journey, and competitive pressures, they’ll be better positioned to deliver results.
Why it matters: SEO strategies vary between B2B and B2C, product-led and service-led models, and local and global markets. A consultant with relevant experience will save you time and avoid missteps.
What we do at BQC: We’ve worked across sectors, including tech, travel, agency, manufacturing, e-commerce, and professional services. We bring that cross-industry perspective while always anchoring our strategy in your business context. Context matters. Look for consultants who understand your market dynamics, decision-making cycles, and high-value traffic for your niche.
3. How do you define success in an SEO project?
This question shows whether your consultant thinks beyond rankings. The best consultants tie their work directly to business impact.
Why it matters: If success is defined as “ranking #1,” you’re not getting the full picture. True success includes traffic quality, engagement, lead generation, and revenue impact.
What we do at BQC: We define success based on what matters to you—qualified leads, reduced acquisition costs, better user experience, or market visibility. Rankings are a means to an end, not the goal in themselves that matters, not just traffic volume but lead quality, conversion rates, and strategic outcomes. Watch for vague answers or an overemphasis on vanity metrics.
4. Will we have access to reports and performance tracking?
This reveals how transparent, data-driven, and communicative a consultant will be throughout the engagement.
Why it matters: You should never be in the dark about progress. Transparent reporting gives you confidence and helps you make better decisions.
What we do at BQC: We provide tailored performance dashboards, monthly progress summaries, and regular calls to discuss results. Our reports go beyond numbers, including recommendations, context, and next steps. We ensure you’ll get clear, accessible reporting that connects SEO work with business performance. Bonus points if they help you understand what the data means.
5. How do you stay current with algorithm changes and industry shifts?
The SEO industry moves fast. When hiring an SEO consultant you want someone proactive, not reactive.
Why it matters: Outdated tactics can hold you back or even result in penalties. An informed consultant ensures you’re always aligned with best practices.
What we do at BQC: We invest weekly time in our own projects, reviewing search updates, industry research, and peer discussions. We also test and validate changes across multiple client scenarios before implementing them broadly. A great consultant stays ahead of trends, tests new methods, and adjusts strategies accordingly.
6. Do you offer one-off audits, ongoing support, or both?
Some businesses need a clear plan they can implement in-house. Others want a longer-term partner who stays involved and steers the strategy. This is an important question when hiring an SEO consultant and can highlight further how they work and are willing to be involved.
Why it matters: Not all consultants offer both. Depending on your internal resources, you may need flexibility in the level of support over time.
What we do at BQC: We offer one-off SEO audits (basic, comprehensive and advanced), 3-month consultancy blocks, and long-term strategic support. This lets you scale engagement based on your needs and internal capacity.
This helps you gauge flexibility. Some businesses need a strategic roadmap; others need long-term, embedded SEO consultancy. Many consultants (including us) offer both.
7. Who will actually do the work?
Hiring an SEO consultant doesn’t always mean you are working with that person. Some SEO agencies and consultants delegate implementation to juniors or freelancers. Others stay fully hands-on. You need to know who you’ll be working with day-to-day.
Why it matters: Communication, quality, and accountability can all be affected if the person selling the service isn’t delivering it.
What we do at BQC: You work directly with our founder, Tom Edwards. He leads all strategy and execution. In the industry, and where needed, we bring in trusted specialists (e.g., developers and copywriters). Still, Tom remains your main point of contact. Avoid surprises. Ask if the person you’re speaking to will be hands-on or if work is delegated to junior staff or freelancers.
8. Can you share recent results or case studies?
Looking at past performance gives insight into how a consultant works, what industries they’ve supported, and the outcomes they’ve achieved.
Why it matters: Results show proof of experience — especially if those results are aligned with your goals.
What we do at BQC: We’ve helped clients increase organic conversions by over 60%, recover from significant traffic drops, and scale from minimal visibility to page-one rankings across key commercial terms. We’re happy to walk through anonymised case studies during a discovery call. Past performance isn’t everything, but it gives you a sense of their ability to deliver. Look for relevant outcomes: increased qualified traffic, more substantial rankings, and improved conversions.
9. How do you align SEO with our wider marketing or business goals?
SEO is not a siloed activity. It must connect with your brand positioning, lead generation, sales process, and content pipeline.
Why it matters: If SEO isn’t aligned with your broader growth marketing strategy, it risks becoming a disconnected cost centre rather than a growth lever.
What we do at BQC: We work with founders, CMOs, and in-house teams to ensure SEO supports broader business initiatives. From product launches to seasonal campaigns, our work complements your bigger picture. We like to be seen and feel like team members, not outsiders.
SEO doesn’t exist in a vacuum. A strong consultant will tie SEO into your wider strategy, whether that means supporting product launches, demand generation, or content marketing.
10. What will the first 90 days look like?
The onboarding process after hiring an SEO consultant gives you an early sense of how they manage projects, communicate priorities, and deliver results.
Why it matters: You want to hit the ground running. Clarity in the first 90 days sets the tone for the entire engagement.
What we do at BQC: We start with a discovery session, deliver a complete SEO audit within the first few weeks, and follow up with a strategic roadmap. From there, we track progress through regular calls and reporting — always with your business goals in mind. You want clarity and structure from day one. This question uncovers how well they onboard, communicate and drive early impact.
Hiring an SEO Consultant: Final Thoughts
Hiring an SEO consultant means asking the right questions — and listening carefully to the answers. Beyond credentials and past results, you’re looking for a partner who understands your business, challenges your assumptions and builds a strategy tailored to how you grow.
If you’re exploring SEO consultancy now, feel free to reach out.
We’re always happy to explain how we approach projects, what distinguishes us from agencies, and whether we fit your business.
