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Quick Answer
Use these 20 questions during agency discovery calls and proposal reviews. They are grouped into strategy and approach (4), team and capability (4), process and communication (4), results and accountability (4), and contract and pricing (4).
Ask every agency the same set, score responses using a structured rubric, and reject any agency scoring below 3/5 on more than two questions.
These questions are aligned with Google’s official guidance for hiring SEO and marketing partners.
Most agency engagements fail not because the agency was bad, but because the buyer never asked the right questions before signing. The right questions surface the bad agencies during vetting, when walking away is free. The wrong questions waste time and lead to costly mid-engagement realizations.
This post is the question list our team uses across hundreds of agency engagements. It is built around the three-step vetting framework that Google itself recommends for hiring an SEO or marketing partner: interview, check references, and request a written audit or strategy preview. Each question below ladders up to one of those three steps.
This post is part of our series on hiring a digital marketing agency. For the full hiring framework from current-state audit to signed contract, see our pillar guide: how to hire a digital marketing agency. For the companion checklist of warning signs to disqualify on, see 12 red flags when hiring a digital marketing agency.
What this guide covers
- Why the right interview questions are the highest-leverage vetting step
- How to use this question list across multiple agencies
- 20 questions grouped by purpose: strategy, team, process, results, contract
- What a good answer looks like for each question, and what the warning-sign answer sounds like
- Two bonus questions experienced marketing buyers ask that most first-time buyers miss
Why the right interview questions matter
Google’s official documentation on hiring SEO and marketing help is unusually direct: “Deciding to hire an SEO is a big decision that can potentially improve your site and save time, but you can also risk damage to your site and reputation,” the documentation states. The discovery interview is the single most reliable filter you have between a partnership that compounds value and one that erodes it.
The HubSpot State of Marketing 2026 report, drawn from a survey of more than 1,500 global marketers, found that 86.4 percent of marketing teams now use AI in some part of their workflow, and 75 percent of marketers run five or more distinct marketing channels. That complexity raises the stakes of agency selection. A vendor that cannot speak fluently to AI search visibility or to multi-channel coordination in 2026 is operating with an outdated playbook.
The questions below are designed to surface those capability gaps quickly, and to do it in the same session for every agency you are evaluating so the comparison is fair.
How to use this question list
Two rules make this list work.
Rule 1: Ask the same questions to every agency
Variation in questions across agencies invalidates the comparison. Print the list, bring it to every discovery call, and run the same script. The agencies will not know you are running a structured comparison, and the answers will surface differences you would otherwise miss.
Rule 2: Score answers against a written rubric, not against feelings
Build a one-page scorecard before the first call. For each question, score the agency 1 to 5 on the quality of the answer. The “good answer” descriptions in each section below give you the baseline for a 4 or 5 score. Total the scores at the end. Reject any agency that scores below 3 on more than two questions.
This is the same evaluation approach used by mature procurement teams when sourcing any high-value vendor relationship. The scoring takes the emotion out of choosing the smoothest-talking sales rep.
Group A: Strategy and approach (4 questions)
These questions test whether the agency thinks strategically before tactically. Tactical-first agencies tend to deliver execution without judgment, which is how clients end up paying for 50 blog posts nobody reads.
1. Can you walk me through one of your client engagements from kickoff to month 6, with real numbers?
Why ask it: This is the single most revealing question. It separates agencies who can talk about strategy in the abstract from agencies who have actually delivered it.
Good answer looks like: Specific numbers, specific dates, named client (or anonymized with verifiable industry detail), and a clear narrative arc of how strategy translated into results. They acknowledge what did not work and what they adjusted.
Warning sign: Vague generalities. “We helped a SaaS company grow significantly over six months” is not a real answer. Press for specifics, and if they cannot provide them, that is your answer.
2. How do you decide what to work on each month?
Why ask it: Tests whether the agency has a clear prioritization methodology or whether they will burn budget on busywork that is not tied to your goals.
Good answer looks like: A named framework or methodology. They reference your specific KPIs, talk about quarterly planning, and describe how they revisit priorities monthly based on data.
Warning sign: “It depends on what the client needs” without further elaboration. That answer means they decide month to month without a system, which leads to inconsistent results.
3. What is your approach to AI search visibility in 2026?
Why ask it: AI search engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) now drive a meaningful share of decision-maker traffic. The HubSpot State of Marketing 2026 report confirmed 86.4 percent of marketing teams already use AI in some part of their workflow. An agency that dismisses AI search visibility is operating with a 2022 playbook.
Good answer looks like: They talk about Generative Engine Optimization, AI Overview citations, llms.txt files, and the structural differences between content that ranks in traditional search versus content that gets cited in AI engines.
Warning sign: “That is not really a thing yet,” or “we focus on real SEO.” These are the agencies that will be obsolete within 18 months.
4. How will our strategy adapt if the market or our priorities shift?
Why ask it: Tests for strategic flexibility. Rigid agencies execute the same playbook for every client and every quarter, which is fine until your business changes and they cannot adapt with it.
Good answer looks like: Examples of past pivots they have made for clients. A clear quarterly planning rhythm. Comfort with the idea that the month-12 plan will look different from the month-3 plan.
Warning sign: Discomfort with the question, or insistence that their methodology is fixed regardless of context.
Group B: Team and capability (4 questions)
These questions catch the most common agency bait-and-switch: senior staff sell the engagement, junior staff deliver it.
5. Who specifically will work on our account? Send me their LinkedIn profiles.
Why ask it: Forces specificity. Agencies should be able to name the strategist, the account manager, and the channel specialists before you sign.
Good answer looks like: Named individuals you can verify on LinkedIn, employed by the agency, with relevant experience. The agency offers to put the account team in writing in the contract.
Warning sign: “A dedicated team will be assigned after signing,” or names that you cannot find anywhere online. Push for specifics.
6. Is any work outsourced? If so, what specifically?
Why ask it: Outsourcing execution work like graphic design or content writing is normal. Outsourcing strategy or account leadership is the red flag.
Good answer looks like: Honest disclosure of what is in-house versus subcontracted. They are comfortable explaining the structure because they vet the contractors carefully.
Warning sign: Evasive answers, or admission that strategy itself is outsourced. If the strategic thinking is not in-house, you are paying a markup for a freelancer.
7. What is the seniority mix on our account?
Why ask it: A team that is 80 percent juniors will produce junior work, regardless of how senior the sales conversation was.
Good answer looks like: Specific seniority breakdown by role and hours per month. Honest about which work is junior-led and which is senior-led.
Warning sign: Refusal to give a breakdown, or claims that “everyone on our team is senior” without evidence.
8. How many other clients will my account team handle?
Why ask it: Account team bandwidth directly affects the quality of attention you receive. A strategist managing 15 accounts cannot give any one of them deep thinking.
Good answer looks like: Clear number per role. Strategist managing 5 to 8 accounts is standard for mid-market work. Specialists may handle more, but the principal strategist should be focused.
Warning sign: Numbers above 15 per strategist suggest the account team is stretched. Below 3 suggests the agency is too small to handle scale issues.
Group C: Process and communication (4 questions)
These questions test the operational reality of the engagement: how often you will meet, what you will see, and how problems get raised.
9. Show me a real monthly report you sent a client last month.
Why ask it: Reporting is one of the first places under-delivery shows up. Real agencies have real reports. The format and depth of an anonymized sample tells you what monthly accountability will feel like.
Good answer looks like: They send a real anonymized PDF or live dashboard sample within 2 to 3 business days. The report includes specific metrics tied to KPIs, narrative analysis, and clear next steps.
Warning sign: A marketing-deck mockup of what reports “could look like.” If they cannot share a real one, they probably are not sending real ones to clients either.
10. How often will we meet, and what is the standard agenda?
Why ask it: Meeting cadence is one of the highest-friction operational issues in agency relationships. Mismatched expectations on this point cause more grief than mismatched expectations on results.
Good answer looks like: A clear meeting structure: weekly tactical syncs, monthly strategic reviews, quarterly business reviews. Sample agendas they have used with past clients.
Warning sign: “We can be flexible based on your preference” without recommending a structure. Good agencies have opinions about what cadence works.
11. How do you handle disagreements about priorities or strategy?
Why ask it: Tests for strategic confidence and adult communication. Agencies that never push back are either too junior to have opinions or too desperate for revenue to disagree with the client.
Good answer looks like: Examples of times they pushed back on a client request, explained the reasoning, and either changed the client’s mind or proceeded with the client’s preference while documenting their disagreement.
Warning sign: “We follow whatever the client wants” or “we always defer to the client’s expertise.” This is yes-man behavior, and you are paying for outside expertise, not for someone to nod.
12. What does kickoff look like? What do you need from us in the first 14 days?
Why ask it: Reveals whether the agency has a structured onboarding process or whether they will improvise the first month.
Good answer looks like: A specific onboarding playbook: access requests, brand and asset reviews, kickoff meeting with the full account team, defined deliverables by day 30.
Warning sign: “We will figure it out together” or no clear day-by-day plan. Agencies that improvise onboarding tend to improvise everything else.
Group D: Results and accountability (4 questions)
These questions test how the agency thinks about outcomes and what happens when outcomes are not delivered.
13. What KPIs will you commit to, and which won’t you?
Why ask it: Forces the agency to be specific about what they take responsibility for. Honest agencies commit to leading indicators they control and decline to guarantee lagging indicators they do not.
Good answer looks like: Specific KPI targets with stated confidence levels. “We commit to publishing 8 blog posts and earning 5 quality backlinks per month” plus “we target a 30 percent increase in organic sessions over 6 months at moderate confidence.”
Warning sign: Either refusing to commit to anything specific, or promising guaranteed rankings or revenue. Google’s official guidance on this is unambiguous: no one can guarantee specific rankings.
14. If something is not working at month 4, what happens?
Why ask it: Reveals whether the agency has a formal escalation process or whether problems get ignored until exit.
Good answer looks like: A clear escalation playbook: monthly health-check conversations, formal 90-day review meetings, named senior leadership available for issue resolution.
Warning sign: Vague answers about “open communication” without a defined process. Good intentions do not survive contact with real disagreements.
15. Can I speak directly to two of your current clients before signing?
Why ask it: Reference checks are the most reliable signal in agency vetting. Google’s official three-step framework for hiring an SEO puts reference-checking as the second step alongside interviews and written audits.
Good answer looks like: Yes, with introductions arranged within 3 to 5 business days. The clients they connect you with are willing to speak candidly about both strengths and weaknesses.
Warning sign: Stalling, refusal, or offers to share only written testimonials. NDAs are real, but a serious agency with 50+ clients can find two willing references.
16. Why did your last two clients leave?
Why ask it: Every agency loses clients. The ones with self-awareness about why are mature. The ones who blame clients are not.
Good answer looks like: Honest, specific reasons. “They moved marketing in-house after Series B.” “We were not the right fit for their enterprise scope.” “They had budget cuts during a restructuring.” The agency acknowledges what they could have done differently.
Warning sign: “They just could not commit to SEO” or “They did not have realistic expectations.” Blaming clients is a sign the agency will blame you too when things go wrong.
Group E: Contract and money (4 questions)
Save these for the end of the discovery call, once you have a sense of fit. They surface the structural risks that often only appear in the contract draft.
17. Can you share starting pricing or a range before sending a custom proposal?
Why ask it: Tests pricing transparency. Agencies that flex pricing based on what they think you will pay set up an unequal negotiation from day one.
Good answer looks like: Specific starting prices or tier ranges. “Our growth-stage package starts at $7,500 per month for the scope you described.” They follow up with details about what is included at that tier.
Warning sign: “Pricing depends on your needs” with no benchmarks. For context, see our guide to how much a digital marketing agency costs in 2026 so you have ranges to compare against.
18. What is your minimum engagement length, and is it negotiable?
Why ask it: Some agencies require 6 or 12 month minimums. That can be reasonable for SEO work that needs time to mature, but the minimum should pair with a real exit clause.
Good answer looks like: A clear minimum length (typically 6 months for SEO, 3 months for paid media) plus a 30 to 60 day exit clause within that minimum. They can articulate why the minimum exists.
Warning sign: 12-month commitments with no exit clause at all. That structure protects the agency, not the relationship.
19. What is the exit clause, and how do transitions get handled?
Why ask it: The contract you sign on day one is the contract you live with on the bad days. Exit terms matter more than people assume because most engagements eventually end.
Good answer looks like: 30 to 60 day notice period. A defined transition handover process: account access transferred, in-flight work completed or documented, content and assets transferred to the client.
Warning sign: Resistance to the question, very long notice periods (90+ days is unusual), or vague handover terms. This is also the test of whether the agency owns or releases the work product.
20. Who owns the content, accounts, and data created during the engagement?
Why ask it: This is the silent question most buyers miss. Some agencies retain ownership of blog content, ad accounts, analytics setups, or Google Search Console properties they create. That ownership becomes a hostage situation if you ever exit.
Good answer looks like: Client owns everything: content, accounts, data, creative assets. The contract specifies this in writing. Account access is granted to your team, not just the agency’s.
Warning sign: Any answer where the agency retains ownership of work product or accounts created for your business. Push back on this clause; it is non-negotiable from your side.
Two bonus questions experienced buyers ask
These are the questions that separate first-time agency buyers from people who have hired three or more agencies. Neither is in standard discovery scripts, but both reveal more than most of the questions above.
Bonus 1: What is your longest client relationship, and what made it work?
Long-tenured clients are the most reliable signal of agency quality. An agency with several 5+ year relationships is doing something right repeatedly. The specifics of why those clients stayed (named individuals on both sides, evolving scope, regular renegotiation, mutual respect) reveal the working culture you would be joining.
Bonus 2: If we hired you and one year from now decided to bring this work in-house, would you help us transition?
Tests for partnership orientation versus revenue defensiveness. Confident agencies say yes immediately because they want satisfied past clients in their network. Defensive agencies hedge or change the topic. The question signals you are not naive about the long-term arc of the relationship.
How to score the answers across multiple agencies
After the discovery call, score each answer 1 to 5 using this rubric:
Average score across all 20 questions gives you a comparable number per agency. Reject any agency that scores below 3 on more than two questions, or that scores below 3 on any of the four Group D (Results) questions. Pricing and contract issues can be negotiated; capability and accountability gaps cannot.
Save the Scorecard
Even if the agency you select scores well, keep all completed scorecards for every candidate.
If the engagement fails later, these scorecards become a critical reference point. They help you determine whether the agency overpromised during discovery or whether they actually delivered what they committed to.
Over time, this becomes a valuable decision-making signal that improves how you hire future agencies.
Where to go from here
Bring this question list to your next agency discovery call. Combined with the framework for the broader hiring process and the red flag checklist, you will run a more disciplined vetting process than 90 percent of buyers.
Related posts in this series:
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Request Free Review → info@techzenix.comFrequently asked questions
How many questions should I ask in an agency discovery call?
Most discovery calls are 45 to 60 minutes. You can realistically cover 12 to 15 of the 20 questions in one call. Prioritize Groups A (Strategy) and D (Results) for the first call, since those reveal capability fastest. Save Group E (Contract) questions for a second conversation or a proposal review, when budget and scope are clearer.
Should I send these questions to the agency in advance?
There is value in both approaches. Sending them in advance gives the agency time to prepare specific examples, which usually produces better answers. Asking them cold during the call tests for genuine fluency. A middle path: send the agency a one-page brief with your situation and goals, but hold the questions for the live conversation. That gives them context without scripting them.
What if the agency refuses to answer some of these questions?
Refusal to answer pricing, team composition, or contract questions is itself an answer. Press once with a follow-up. If they still refuse without a legitimate reason (such as confidentiality agreements about other clients), end the conversation. Transparency during sales correlates strongly with transparency during the engagement.
Are these questions the same for SEO agencies as for full-service digital agencies?
Yes, with one adjustment. For full-service agencies, add follow-up questions about specialization depth in each channel. “Who is your strongest specialist in paid media, and how many hours per month will they spend on our account?” prevents the generalist-mediocre-at-everything problem.
Should I ask different questions for offshore versus onshore agencies?
Add three questions to the standard list for offshore agencies: what is the time-zone overlap with our team, what is the primary working language and accent for client-facing roles, and how are escalations handled across time zones. These do not disqualify offshore agencies but they surface operational details that matter.
What should I do if I notice red flags after signing the contract?
Document specific concerns with dates and examples. Have a direct conversation with the agency’s senior leadership, giving them 30 to 60 days to demonstrate improvement against agreed metrics. If the situation does not improve, re-read your contract for the exit clause and notice period, then transition cleanly with all account access and assets transferred to you in writing.
How should I document the agency answers?
Use a simple spreadsheet with one row per question and one column per agency. Fill in a brief summary of the answer plus your 1 to 5 score. This visual layout makes comparison easy and produces a defensible decision document if you need to justify the selection to leadership.
What if multiple agencies score similarly on the questions?
Close scores after structured questioning usually mean the differentiator is fit rather than capability. At that point, the right tiebreakers are: which team you genuinely want to work with for 12+ months, who responded fastest and clearest after the call, and which agency’s references gave the most candid (not just positive) reviews.
Should I tell the agency I am running a structured comparison process?
Yes. Professional agencies prefer to know they are being compared because it pushes them to send their best work. Hide the comparison and you invite complacency. Be transparent: tell each agency how many others are in the consideration set and what your decision timeline is. You do not need to share competitor names.
What additional questions should I ask if the agency will run paid media for me?
Add three: how will ad spend be billed (passed through at cost or marked up), what is your minimum required ad budget per channel, and what happens to the ad accounts if we exit. Ad account ownership in particular is critical because rebuilding account history after losing access can set you back 6 months.
How does this question list change for AI-era agency vetting?
Three additions for 2026: ask how the agency uses AI tools internally, ask what their approach is to optimizing client content for AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and ask whether they monitor AI Overview citations as part of reporting. The HubSpot State of Marketing 2026 report found that 86.4 percent of marketing teams now use AI in some workflow, so agencies without an AI position are increasingly outliers.
