Choosing a freelance SEO specialist is easier when you compare the proposed work, evidence and communication. A confident sales pitch or a monthly fee cannot tell you whether the service fits your business.
I’m Shaheerali, an SEO and Local SEO specialist based in Malappuram. This is the checklist I recommend Kerala business owners use when assessing my services or another provider’s proposal.
1. Explain your business before asking for a package
Share your services, areas served, website and main concern. Explain what a useful enquiry looks like. A local optical shop and a remote consultancy may need different priorities, even if both ask for “SEO.”
Look for questions about your customers, capacity and current enquiry routes. A recommendation should connect the proposed tasks to your business. Read SEO or Local SEO: which does your business need? if you are unsure where to start.
2. Ask what will actually be delivered
A useful proposal names the pages, profile or tasks covered. It distinguishes advice from implementation and a defined project from recurring maintenance.
- Which pages or business profiles are included?
- Who writes, approves and publishes changes?
- What technical checks or corrections are included?
- What needs your photos, business information or approval?
- What is excluded, and how are extra requests priced?
“Monthly SEO” is a service label, not a complete scope. Ask for enough detail to understand what your payment covers. My guide to what an SEO quote should include explains how to compare the work alongside the fee.
3. Read case studies beyond the headline
Look for the business context, dates, work performed, data source and limits of the claim. Ask whether the provider completed the implementation, contributed to part of the project or only audited it.
A screenshot without context leaves important questions unanswered. Which period does it cover? Is the month complete? Were ads running? Does the figure represent a click, a received enquiry or a sale? A case study should make those distinctions clear.
My Malabar Optics case study presents dated profile evidence with its limitations. Use it to assess the work and reporting approach; it is not a forecast for your business.
4. Agree how progress will be reviewed
Ask to see the structure of a typical update, using anonymised or public information. It should explain completed work, pending items, the reporting period and next priorities.
Different measures answer different questions. Search visibility helps assess discovery. Contact clicks show an action. Received and qualified enquiries need separate checking. A paying customer is a further outcome.
Read how I measure SEO progress for a small business for the reporting approach I use. Ask any provider to explain tracking gaps and uncertainty plainly.
5. Clarify ownership, access and handover
Ask which access is needed, what it will be used for and how it will end. Keep ownership of your domain, website and business accounts. Agree what work records and handover information you receive when the project ends.
A public Google Business Profile review does not need account access. Implementation or private data analysis may require appropriate authorised access. Do not send passwords or verification codes through enquiry forms.
6. Discuss communication and your responsibilities
Agree who handles questions, how approvals work and how often updates arrive. Ask what happens when an urgent business detail changes, a task is delayed or a recommendation needs your input.
The owner needs to supply accurate services, hours and business information. Genuine photos, content approvals and enquiry feedback may also be required. A proposal should explain these dependencies before work starts.
7. Ask how the provider handles uncertainty
Ask what they can commit to delivering and what they cannot control. I agree the work and reporting scope; I do not promise a ranking position, enquiry volume or sales result.
If a claim is vague, ask for its definition and evidence. “More calls,” for example, could mean call-button clicks rather than conversations received. A clear explanation is more useful than a result with no reporting context.
Before you accept a proposal
- I understand the work included and excluded.
- I know the fees, payment terms, schedule and any minimum commitment.
- I know what information and approvals I must provide.
- I retain account ownership and understand access arrangements.
- I know what the report measures and what it cannot confirm.
- I understand the cancellation and handover terms.
How to decide between two proposals
Compare them against the same business problem. If one includes implementation and another only provides an audit, their prices are not directly comparable. Ask each provider to clarify missing details in writing.
You may decide to begin with a smaller, defined piece of work before considering ongoing support. The right starting scope depends on what needs fixing and who can maintain it afterwards.
Considering my SEO services?
Review my website SEO services, Local SEO services and what happens after you enquire. Then send your website, services, target areas and main concern so we can discuss a suitable scope.
For a Google Business Profile, you can start with my free initial public-profile review with three priority improvements. Implementation and monthly management are paid separately, with scope and fees agreed before work begins.