What To Look For Before Hiring A Marketing Agency

About This Episode

Marketing agencies carry a reputation problem, so what should a client actually check before signing?

In this episode of SEO On-Air, host Koa Kauwe sits down with Megan Bond (Panther City Digital Marketing), Ashley Robinson (Green Cardigan Marketing), and Emily Shepherd (HYPR Local) to discuss the red flags worth walking away from and the questions three agency owners would ask if they were the ones buying.

The panel explores the warning signs first. Megan’s top red flag is time in business, since agencies open and close inside six months and leave clients convinced marketing does not work. Ashley wants to know what the reporting looks like, what data guides the strategy, and how the customer service gets quantified. Emily watches the basics, whether they reply quickly and do what they said they would.

They also discuss whether the industry’s reputation is earned, custom scopes versus packages and why both Megan and Ashley abandoned custom proposals, the monthly report Koa reviewed that contained a personality profile of the account manager and no record of any work, why SEO data is less reliable than most people assume, and how AI is changing what clients think they already know.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

– The first question to ask before hiring a marketing agency
– Why average client tenure tells you more than a portfolio
– The three questions to ask about reporting and customer service
– Why an agency that only speaks in analogies is a warning sign
– Why packages often serve clients better than custom scopes
– Why operational excellence beats individual SEO talent
– Why clients stop opening reporting dashboards after month two
– How agency KPIs moved from rankings to conversions
– Why SEO data is less accurate than the tools suggest
– Where agencies will change most over the next two years

Whether you’re about to hire an agency, unhappy with your current one, running an agency yourself, or handling marketing in-house, this episode provides actionable insights into vetting a partner, reading a report properly, and knowing which promises rarely hold up.

Because the agency that burns you won’t be the one that quoted too high.

It will be the one you never thought to ask the right questions.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to SEO On-Air & Meet the Guests

03:23 Do Marketing Agencies Deserve Their Mixed Reputation?

06:46 Custom SEO Scopes vs Fixed Packages

12:01 Does SEO Genius Matter More Than Operational Excellence?

17:22 The Monthly Report With No Work Listed

18:27 Why SEO Data Is Less Reliable Than People Think

22:01 How Agency KPIs Moved Past Rankings & Clicks

26:48 Why Clients Stop Treating Agencies as Partners

28:27 Red Flags to Look For Before Hiring an Agency

32:17 Where Agencies Will Change Most in the Next Two Years