webdiversity - 2:32 pm on Jul 22, 2002 (gmt 0)

I'd be interested to know how you got 6 down to 2 without having had some sort of criteria to measure against.

We are an SEO company, and are quite happy to answer any questions potential clients have before they engage. Equally, we reserve the right to undertake due diligence with the clients we take on too (it's a two way street after all). This may include checking accounting references where we extend some form of credit.

As Brett pointed out you don't want to be held over a barrel if you decide not to use them any more. We hate the ransom note SEO's (no more traffic unless you pay our new prices, that sort of thing).

Establish if any paid inclusion fees are included or extras ?

Minimum contract (6-12 months would be best for both parties). Doesn't affect statutory rights to cancel if not happy with service or if they not happy with your payment schedule.

Is maintenance included or extra ?

Is consultancy included for this site or extra ? What about if you start a new site ?

Will they undertake the SEO work themselves or outsource to some foreign country with cheap labour ?

How soon for results ?

Who owns the rights to the work ?

What is the payment schedule ? (Shouldn't be expected to pay more than 50% upfront).

Can you speak to any of their clients ?

Do they talk in terms of rankings or traffic or both ?

Do they offer any additional value added services ? Tracking, ROI measurement, e-mail address gathering, PPC, directory advice, viral, PR, link building, copywriting, ezine, newsletters, hosting ?