How to Choose an SEO Agency in Singapore: 12 Questions to Ask
By Gordon Hwa, Founder, Khepri Digital
Published · 6 min read
Why does choosing an SEO agency go wrong so often?
Because SEO is hard to judge from the outside. Results take months, rankings move for reasons that have nothing to do with the agency, and a report full of green arrows can hide a site that brings no enquiries. Most buyers compare prices and proposal decks, which are the two things that tell you least.
Google publishes its own advice on hiring an SEO, and it's a good starting point: ask for examples of their work, how they measure success, what results to expect and when, and whether they'll share every change they make to your site. The twelve questions below build on it.
The 12 questions to ask
1. Can you show results from live accounts, with the period and the source?
A good answer shows Search Console or analytics figures from a real client, with the months they cover and how many clicks or enquiries sit behind them. Screenshots are better than slides.
2. How will you measure success?
Rankings and traffic are means. The measure is enquiries, bookings or sales from organic search, and which pages and searches brought them. Ask to see a sample monthly report. (This is how we run SEO: reported in enquiries, with rankings as the means.)
3. What will you do in the first 90 days?
You should hear a specific order: an audit (our technical SEO checklist shows what one covers), the technical fixes that matter most, the pages to build or rewrite first, and when you'll see the first report. Vague answers ("ongoing optimisation") usually mean the plan is to find out later.
4. Who will actually work on my account?
Ask for names and roles, and whether the person you meet on the sales call does the work. Ask how many accounts each person handles.
5. How do you get links and mentions?
Good answers involve earning them: content worth citing, digital PR, partnerships, listings (see our off-page SEO checklist). Bad answers involve buying them, link networks or "guest posts" on sites that exist only to sell links. Google's spam policies treat links bought to manipulate rankings as link spam, and a site built on them can lose its rankings.
6. Will you share every change you make to my site?
Google suggests asking exactly this. You should get a change log, and nothing should go live on your site without you knowing.
7. Do you guarantee rankings?
The right answer is no. Google's own guidance is that "no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google", and to be wary of anyone who claims a special relationship with Google. An honest agency forecasts in ranges and tells you what it depends on.
8. What's your experience in my industry and my market?
Google lists this too. Some industries carry rules that change what you can publish. In Singapore, licensed healthcare providers face strict limits on testimonials, before-and-after images and promotional offers under the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations; an agency that doesn't know them can put a clinic's licence at risk. Our healthcare marketing page and guide to the rules explain them.
9. Who owns the site, content, accounts and data if we part ways?
You should. Every page written, every account (Search Console, Google Business Profile, analytics) and every report should be in your name from the first day, so you keep everything if you leave.
10. How long is the contract, and what happens when it ends?
Six- and twelve-month minimums are common. Ask why the term is needed, what notice you must give, and what is handed over at the end.
11. Do you work on AI answers, and how do you measure it?
Buyers now ask ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews which business to choose. Ask whether the agency tracks how often you're named for the questions your buyers ask, and what they change when you aren't. If the answer is a new file or a gimmick, be wary: Google says no special files or markup are needed to appear in AI Overviews. In our audit of 12 hotels, what decided it was consistent facts and pages that answer real questions. That's the work behind our AI search visibility service.
12. What do you need from us?
Good SEO needs things only you can give: access, quick approvals, facts about your services, and someone who can answer questions. An agency that asks for nothing is planning to do work that doesn't depend on your business.
What are the red flags?
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed rankings or "page 1 in 30 days" | No one can guarantee rankings; Google says so |
| Results without dates, sources or client names | You can't check them |
| A long contract with nothing handed over at the end | You pay to rebuild if you leave |
| Reports that show only rankings | Rankings without enquiries are a cost |
| Cheap link packages | Bought links break Google's spam policies |
| The account in the agency's name | You lose your own history and data |
How do we answer these?
The same way we suggest you test anyone else. Our SEO and AI search visibility work is set out on those pages, and our results come from clients' Search Console, with the period on every figure, on our case studies. We report in enquiries. Every account and page is yours from the first day. Our contracts are three months, then month to month. We don't buy links, and we don't guarantee rankings. Our prices are on our pricing page, and our SEO work is rated a Clutch Top SEO Company in Singapore for 2026. If you want the detail on what SEO costs and why, read how much SEO costs in Singapore.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose an SEO agency in Singapore?
Ask for results from live accounts with the period and source, how they measure success in enquiries, who does the work, how they earn links, and what you keep if you leave. Avoid anyone who guarantees rankings.
What questions should I ask an SEO agency?
The twelve above. Google's own list covers previous work, whether they follow Google Search Essentials, expected results and timeframe, how they measure success, experience in your industry and country, and whether they'll share every change to your site.
Should an SEO agency guarantee rankings?
No. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and warns against SEOs who claim to.
Is it bad if an SEO agency buys links?
Yes. Google's spam policies treat buying or selling links to manipulate rankings as link spam, which can get a site demoted or removed from results.
How long should an SEO contract be?
Long enough to see results, short enough to leave if you don't. Ours is three months, then month to month. Whatever the term, make sure every page and account stays in your name.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO?, updated 5 June 2026
- Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web search (link spam)
- Google Search Central: AI features and your website
- Singapore healthcare advertising rules: see our guide to advertising regulations in Singapore
- Client figure in question 1: Phoenix Rehab Group, Search Console, May to September 2026
This guide supports our SEO service.
