How to Tell If Your SEO Agency Is Actually Doing a Good Job (A Checklist for Business Owners)
SC Marketing Technologies
At SC Marketing Technologies, a Springfield-based SEO and AI-focused digital marketing agency recognized by industry platforms like Semrush and featured on directories such as Clutch and UpCity, we talk to a lot of businesses who share the same concern:
“We’re paying for SEO every month, but we have no idea if it’s actually working.”
SEO is one of the few services where an agency can send a bill without clearly showing what was done or what actually changed. If you feel in the dark, this checklist will help you evaluate whether your SEO provider is doing a good job or whether it is time to consider a more transparent, results-driven partner.
1. You Should Receive a Clear Monthly SEO Report — Not Just a Quick Summary Email
A real SEO report goes far beyond a one-line email saying, “We updated your SEO this month.” At minimum, your report should include:
- Top-performing keywords and how their rankings changed
- Organic traffic trends and key pages driving that traffic
- New backlinks or citations acquired
- Google Business Profile activity and performance
- Technical issues found and fixed
- Exactly what was completed that month
- A simple breakdown of what is planned for the next month
At SC Marketing Technologies, every monthly report is built to be understandable to a non-technical business owner. We connect the data to what you actually care about: visibility, leads, and revenue.
2. Your Content Should Be Actively Improving and Expanding
SEO is not a one-time setup. A good agency continuously improves your site so Google and AI systems see you as the best possible answer for your ideal customers.
Your SEO partner should be:
- Adding new, high-intent pages and blog posts over time
- Refreshing older content so it stays accurate and competitive
- Restructuring thin or outdated pages to better match search intent
- Improving internal links so important pages are easier to discover
- Formatting content so it is easy for both humans and AI to understand
If your website looks exactly the same today as it did six months ago, and you are paying for ongoing SEO, that is a sign that not enough work is happening behind the scenes.
3. Your Google Business Profile Should Show Consistent Activity
For local businesses, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most powerful lead sources you have. It influences both map results and AI-driven recommendations.
Your SEO agency should be:
- Posting updates and offers on a regular schedule
- Optimizing categories, services, and business descriptions
- Adding photos and products where appropriate
- Monitoring and responding to reviews
- Ensuring your name, address, and phone number are accurate and consistent
In our SEO + AI campaigns, GBP optimization is not optional. It is built into the strategy because it directly impacts how often you show up in local and “near me” searches.
4. You Should See an Increase in Keyword Visibility Over Time
SEO success is not only about ranking number one for one or two phrases. It is about expanding your visibility across dozens or hundreds of relevant search terms.
Healthy SEO campaigns typically show:
- More keywords entering the top 10, 20, and 50 positions in search results
- Increased impressions for high-intent queries in Google Search Console
- Improved average position for core service and location combinations
- Growing visibility in AI-driven summaries and answer boxes
At SC Marketing Technologies, we track both traditional rankings and AI visibility so you can see where your brand is starting to appear inside tools like Google’s AI Overviews and other AI assistants.
5. Your Agency Should Be Optimizing for Both SEO and AI Search
Modern SEO is no longer just about keywords and backlinks. Search engines and AI assistants rely heavily on structure and context to decide which businesses to surface and recommend.
Your SEO provider should be comfortable with:
- Schema markup (LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, and more)
- Semantic HTML structure for key pages and blog posts
- Technical considerations like page speed, indexing, and crawl depth
- Creating and maintaining an
llms.txtor similar AI-facing guidance file - Organizing content so AI tools can accurately summarize what you do
This is one of the areas where SC Marketing Technologies specializes. We combine traditional SEO with AI search optimization so your brand is more likely to be mentioned or cited when people ask AI tools for recommendations in your industry.
6. You Should Know Exactly What Work Is Being Done Each Month
You should never have to chase your SEO agency for answers. Clear communication is part of the service.
Your agency should be able to explain, in plain language:
- What they did this month and why it mattered
- What changed in your rankings, traffic, or leads
- What obstacles they are working to overcome
- What the plan is for the next 30–90 days
Our clients receive structured reports and Loom-style walk-throughs when needed so they are never left guessing what is happening with their SEO or AI optimization.
7. You Should See Improvements in Lead Quality or Website Engagement
SEO should not only generate traffic; it should generate the right traffic. Over time, you should see improvements in:
- Number of qualified form submissions or inquiries
- Phone calls and booked consultations tied to organic traffic
- Time on page and scroll depth on key service pages
- Click-through rates from search results to your website
- Conversion rates on your most important pages
When we build SEO campaigns, we start with your ideal customer and work backward. Every page and optimization is designed to attract that customer and make it easy for them to take the next step.
8. You Should Not Be Trapped in a Long-Term Contract Without Results
Long-term contracts can make sense for enterprise projects, but for most local and regional businesses, they are used to secure revenue — not to guarantee results.
If you are locked into a six- or twelve-month contract and still asking yourself what your SEO agency is doing, it may be time to step back and re-evaluate the relationship.
Our approach is different. We focus on building long-term partnerships by delivering clear, measurable progress, not by relying on fine print.
If You Are Unsure Whether Your SEO Is Working, Get a Second Opinion
If this checklist raised a few red flags, you are not alone. Many of our best client relationships began with a simple question: “Can you tell us if our current SEO is actually working?”
SC Marketing Technologies offers a complimentary SEO and AI Visibility Audit for qualified businesses. In this review, we:
- Evaluate your current rankings and keyword coverage
- Check how search engines and AI tools understand your brand
- Review your Google Business Profile and local visibility
- Identify gaps in your content, structure, and schema
- Outline practical next steps, whether you work with us or not
You deserve clear answers about whether your SEO investment is paying off. If you are ready for a transparent, data-driven approach that blends traditional SEO with AI search optimization, we would be glad to take a look at your current setup.
