A promise to get your business into the top three local results sounds appealing. Especially when you are busy running the business and just want more of the right enquiries.

Before signing, it is worth understanding exactly what that promise covers. A ranking for one search in one location may be very different from the visibility you were expecting. And a guarantee does not necessarily mean you can walk away without paying if the campaign falls short.

You do not need to become an SEO expert to choose a provider. These questions will help you understand the proposal and compare it with what your business actually needs.

What does the ranking promise mean?

Ask the provider to show you where they expect your business to appear. Are they talking about the map results, the regular website listings or paid ads? Those are different placements, with different work and costs behind them.

For a local ranking promise, ask:

  • Which exact searches and suburbs does it cover?
  • Where will the person searching be located?
  • Which tool will measure the result, and how often?
  • Does success mean appearing once, or maintaining visibility over an agreed period?
  • Will the report show results across our service area, or just one measurement point?

For example, a plumber appearing near their own premises does not show how visible they are to customers across every suburb they service. Google says local results mainly depend on relevance, distance and prominence. Its local ranking guidance explains why location matters.

A provider can commit to specific work, communication and reporting. They cannot control Google's rankings. Google's own guide to hiring an SEO cautions against guaranteed first-place claims.

Are these the right searches?

Ask for the proposed keywords before agreeing to a campaign. They should reflect services you want to sell, places you actually serve and language your customers use.

Ranking for your business name can help existing customers find you. But it answers a different need from reaching someone searching for a service who has never heard of you.

Likewise, a very specific phrase might be easy to rank for but bring little useful traffic. Ask why each priority matters, what evidence supports it and which page on your website will help that customer.

The useful question is: if someone finds us through this search, are they likely to want the work we want more of?

What work will you actually do?

A monthly fee should come with a clear explanation of the work. Depending on your starting point, that might include fixing technical problems, improving service pages, creating useful content, updating your Business Profile or strengthening local business information.

Ask what happens first, what ongoing work is included and what needs your input. Find out whether the provider implements changes or sends recommendations for someone else to complete, and whether content or development costs extra.

You should also know who your contact is and how you will see completed work. You do not need every technical detail, but you should be able to explain what you are paying for.

How will we measure progress?

Agree on a starting point and how you will review the campaign. An isolated ranking screenshot is not enough to understand whether things are improving.

  • Early visibility: impressions, clicks and click-through rate in Google Search Console can show how your website is being found and whether people choose your result.
  • Position tracking: agreed keywords and locations add another view of visibility, including local results where relevant.
  • Business outcomes: enquiries, bookings and lead quality help show whether the campaign is bringing in the right opportunities.

Those measures will not necessarily improve at the same pace. More qualified leads can take longer to come through than early changes in visibility. Ask what the provider expects to see first, when you will review it together and what they will change if progress stalls.

Our guide to how long SEO takes explains that sequence in more detail. You can also use our marketing report guide to assess a sample report.

What am I committing to?

Read the agreement alongside the sales promise. Ask for anything unclear to be explained in writing before signing.

  • What are the setup fee, monthly fee and any additional costs?
  • Is there a minimum term, renewal arrangement or cancellation notice period?
  • When does billing start, and what triggers any performance-based charges?
  • If there is a guarantee, what exactly happens if it is not met: a refund, a credit or continued work?
  • Which conditions or exclusions apply to that guarantee?
  • What would I need to pay if I stopped the campaign?

A longer campaign can make sense when the work needs time. The point is to understand the commitment before taking it on, rather than discovering later that the headline promise and the agreement mean different things.

What do I own and keep?

Confirm who controls your domain, website, Google Business Profile, Search Console and analytics accounts. Your business should have its own access, with the provider given the permissions they need to do the work.

Ask what happens to content, landing pages, tracking numbers and reports if you leave. If the offer involves a provider-owned website or rented leads, understand that arrangement upfront and how it differs from improving assets your business owns.

Before you sign, you should have a clear picture of the work, the searches that matter, how progress will be measured, the costs and what you keep. That gives you something much more useful to judge a proposal by than a top-three promise alone.