To choose a digital marketing agency, start with the result you need, shortlist three to five agencies that have delivered that result for businesses like yours, then score them all the same way: proof, people, process, pricing and terms. Most bad agency hires come from skipping the last two. Nobody asked what ships each month, or what happens to the ad accounts when you leave.
Below is the seven-step checklist we would use if we were hiring an agency ourselves, with the questions to ask, the red flags to watch for and a scorecard you can copy.
The 7-step checklist at a glance
| Step | What to do | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Define the goal | Set one business goal, a budget and a timeline | You can say “X qualified leads a month at under $Y each” |
| 2. Pick the agency type | Full-service, specialist, managed service or freelancers | You know which channels you are hiring for |
| 3. Shortlist | Find 3 to 5 agencies with relevant results | Every name on the list has worked at your budget level |
| 4. Check proof | Case studies, references and their own marketing | You have seen numbers, not adjectives |
| 5. Ask the same questions | Use one question list for every agency | You can compare answers side by side |
| 6. Compare pricing and terms | Pricing model, monthly scope, minimum term, ownership | You know what ships each month and how to leave |
| 7. Score and decide | Weighted scorecard, then a 90-day plan | One agency clearly scores highest |
Step 1: Define the goal, budget and timeline
Agencies sell to the brief you give them. A vague brief (“we need more traffic”) gets a vague proposal. Before you talk to anyone, write down:
- One primary goal in business terms. Qualified leads a month, cost per lead, online revenue or booked calls. Traffic and followers are not goals on their own.
- A budget split into two parts. The agency’s management fee, and the media budget for ads. Mixing them is the fastest way to misjudge a proposal.
- A realistic timeline. Paid search can produce leads within weeks. SEO usually needs three to six months before rankings move enough to matter.
- Who owns the relationship on your side. Someone has to approve work, answer questions and read the reports.
Step 2: Decide what type of agency you need
| Type | What they do | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service agency | Brand, creative, web, social, paid and organic under one roof | Channels must work as one brand and the budget covers a big team |
| Specialist agency | One or two channels, such as SEO or PPC, in depth | You know which channel drives growth and want it done properly |
| Marketing as a service | A managed team that runs agreed channels for a monthly fee | You need several skills but can’t build an in-house team yet |
| Freelancers | Individual specialists hired task by task | Small, well-defined jobs, with someone in-house to manage them |
A specialist usually beats a generalist inside its own channel. A full-service agency earns its fee when brand and campaigns have to move together. If you are weighing a managed team against hiring, our guide to marketing as a service compares the costs.
Step 3: Build a shortlist of 3 to 5 agencies
Three to five is enough to compare without turning the search into a second job. Good places to find them:
- Referrals from businesses like yours. Ask peers who they use and, just as useful, who they fired.
- The channel the agency sells. An SEO agency that can’t rank its own site, or a PPC agency with no ads running, is a warning sign.
- Review sites and directories. Read the reviews that describe a specific result, not the ones that only praise the team’s friendliness.
- Platform partner programs. Google and Meta both run partner programs for agencies that meet spend and certification requirements. Useful as a filter, not as proof of results.
Cut any agency that can’t show work at your budget level. An agency built for $100,000-a-month advertisers will treat a $3,000 account as an afterthought, and the reverse is true too.
Step 4: Check proof, not promises
- Case studies with numbers. Look for a starting point, a timeframe and a result: “organic leads from 12 to 41 a month in nine months” tells you something. “Helped a client grow” doesn’t.
- A reference call. Ask to speak to a current client, ideally one who has been with them for more than a year.
- Their own marketing. Check whether their website, content and reviews show the same standard they promise you.
- No guarantees. Google says it plainly: “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.” Its guide to hiring an SEO tells you to find someone else if they do.
Step 5: Ask every agency the same questions
Asking the same questions in the same order is what makes the answers comparable. These are the ones that separate a good agency from a good pitch.
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| What exactly ships each month? | Specific numbers: pages, articles, campaigns, reports | “Ongoing optimization” |
| Who will work on my account, and how many accounts do they run? | Named people and a realistic account load | You only ever meet the salesperson |
| How do you report results? | Leads, cost per lead and revenue, tied to your analytics or CRM | Traffic, impressions and rankings only |
| Who owns the ad accounts, analytics and content? | You do, from day one | The agency, or “we can transfer it later” |
| What do the first 90 days look like? | Audit, plan, quick wins, then monthly delivery | No plan until you sign |
| What happens if results don’t come? | A set review point and a changed plan | Guarantees, or blaming the algorithm |
| What is the minimum term and notice period? | A short minimum and a clear exit | A long lock-in with no exit terms |
A good agency will ask you questions too: what makes your business different, who your competitors are and how customers find you today. If they don’t, they are selling a package, not a plan.
Step 6: Compare pricing models and contracts
| Pricing model | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | A fixed fee for an agreed monthly scope | A scope too vague to check |
| Project fee | One price for a defined deliverable, such as a website or audit | Nothing included after launch |
| Percentage of ad spend | Common in PPC: the fee rises with your budget | An incentive to raise spend; check the minimum fee |
| Performance-based | Paid per lead or sale | Lead quality, and who decides what counts as a lead |
For reference, our own plans: SEO is $1,650 a month and SEO + AEO is $1,900. PPC management is $1,450 a month plus a $250 setup fee for $2,500 to $10,000 of monthly ad spend, or 15% of spend (minimum $1,500) above that. All have a three-month minimum, then run month to month.
Before you sign, check the contract for five things:
- The minimum term and the notice period.
- Who owns the ad accounts, analytics, website changes and content.
- What ships each month, in numbers.
- What happens to work in progress if you leave.
- When and how the price can change.
Step 7: Score the shortlist and decide
Score each agency from 1 to 5 on every row, multiply by the weight and add it up. It stops the best presenter from winning by default.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Proof of results for businesses like yours | 25% |
| The people who will actually do the work | 20% |
| Clarity of monthly deliverables | 15% |
| Reporting tied to leads and revenue | 15% |
| Ownership and contract terms | 15% |
| Price for the scope | 10% |
Price carries the lowest weight on purpose. A cheaper agency that ships half as much costs more per result.
What to expect in the first 90 days
| Month | What should happen |
|---|---|
| Month 1 | Access, audits, tracking checks, strategy and quick fixes |
| Month 2 | Regular monthly delivery starts: pages, content, campaigns |
| Month 3 | First real review against your goal. Paid campaigns should be producing leads. SEO should show movement in impressions and rankings, even if leads haven’t followed yet |
If month three arrives with no clear report and no changes to the plan, raise it. That is what the review point is for.
How we answer these questions
We run SEO, AEO for AI search and PPC. Every plan lists what ships each month, your ad accounts and data stay in your name, and the minimum term is three months. Our case studies show the starting point, the timeframe and the result.
We don’t run social media, email or rebrands. If that’s what you need, we’ll tell you on the first call. If search is your channel, book a call and bring the question list above.
FAQ
What questions should I ask a digital marketing agency?
Ask what ships each month, who will work on your account, how results are reported, who owns the accounts and data, what the first 90 days look like, what happens if results don’t come and what the minimum term is.
What are the red flags when hiring a marketing agency?
Guaranteed rankings, vague monthly deliverables, reports with no lead or revenue numbers, agency-owned ad accounts, long lock-in contracts and only ever meeting the salesperson.
Should I hire a specialist or a full-service agency?
Hire a specialist when one channel drives your growth and you want it done in depth. Choose full-service when brand, creative and campaigns need to move together and your budget covers a larger team.
How much does a digital marketing agency cost?
It depends on the pricing model and scope. Retainers, project fees, a percentage of ad spend and performance-based fees are all common. Our SEO plans are $1,650 to $1,900 a month and PPC management starts at $1,450 a month plus a $250 setup fee.
How long should I give an agency to show results?
Paid search should produce leads within the first two to three months. SEO usually takes three to six months to move rankings, so set a review point at month three and judge progress against the plan.