Questions to Ask in the First Call
Ask who will actually run your account, what their tenure is, and how many other accounts they manage. Ask for case studies in your category or an adjacent one. Ask for the specific framework they use for keyword prioritization, creative testing, and reporting. Vague answers in the first call rarely improve later.
References to Call
Ask for three references including at least one client that ended the relationship. The exit reference often tells you more than the active one. A healthy agency will provide one; an unhealthy one will refuse.
Contract Clauses to Negotiate
Negotiate ownership of accounts, ad copy, landing pages, and analytics from day one. Insist on a clean offboarding clause with documented handover. Agree on response SLAs in writing. Specify what happens if a key account lead leaves the agency.
Red Flags That Justify Walking Away
Guaranteed rankings, undisclosed link networks, refusal to share access to accounts, performance reports that hide spend, and aggressive multi-year contracts with steep cancellation fees are all signals to walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
For larger engagements yes. For smaller engagements a structured set of three competitive briefs is faster and almost as effective.
Be cautious. Results pitched without context are often cherry-picked. Ask for the median outcome, not the best.
Performance-only pricing aligns incentives in narrow situations. For most search work, hybrid retainer plus performance bonus aligns better.
Six to twelve months is typical. Multi-year terms should include performance break clauses.
Insist on a key person clause that allows you to renegotiate or exit if your named lead leaves the agency.