To hire an SEO company in Pakistan safely, ask what they will do in the first 90 days, who does the work, how they report results, and whether they guarantee rankings, then walk away from anyone who promises first position. The right questions separate a provider who will grow your enquiries from one who will send monthly reports full of activity and nothing else.
This guide covers what to prepare before you contact anyone, the twelve questions to ask, the red flags that should end the conversation, and what a useful monthly SEO report looks like.
Do You Need an SEO Company, a Freelancer or Someone In-House?
An SEO company suits businesses that need several skills at once, a freelancer suits a narrow task, and an in-house hire suits businesses with constant SEO work and someone to manage it.
SEO covers technical fixes, content, links and local visibility. A company brings these skills together under one plan. A freelancer can be excellent for one part, such as technical fixes, but rarely covers all of them. An in-house hire makes sense when the volume of work justifies a full-time role and someone in the business can direct it.
The questions in this guide work for all three. For a fuller comparison, read our guide on SEO consultant vs agency vs in-house.
What Should You Prepare Before Contacting Anyone?
Prepare a clear goal counted in enquiries, access to your Google Search Console, and a short history of your website, so every provider is judged against the same facts.
- Your goal in enquiries. More calls, WhatsApp messages, form enquiries or orders, and from which cities or products. “Rank first” is not a business goal.
- Search Console access. Google Search Console shows how your site appears in Google today. A serious provider will want to see it.
- Your website’s history. When it was built, any redesigns, past SEO work, and any sudden drops in traffic.
- Your capacity. How quickly your team can answer new enquiries. More enquiries only help if someone replies.
Want to See How ORM Would Answer These Questions?
The Blueprint starts with an audit of your site and market and a 90 day plan you own, whoever carries it out.
What Are the 12 Questions to Ask an SEO Company?
Ask about the first 90 days, who does the work, reporting, proof of results, link building, access, ownership, Urdu searches, your role, contract terms, guarantees and references.
1. What Will You Do in the First 90 Days?
A good answer starts with an audit, then fixes the problems that block results, then builds the pages and local profile that bring enquiries. A vague answer such as “on-page and off-page optimisation” tells you nothing.
2. Who Will Actually Do the Work?
Ask whether the person you are speaking to will work on your site, or whether the work goes to someone else. Know who your contact is and how to reach them.
3. How Will You Report Results?
The answer should include enquiries: calls, WhatsApp messages, forms and orders, linked to the pages that produced them. A report made only of keyword positions shows activity, not business results.
4. Can I See Results From Real Clients?
Ask for examples with real data, such as Search Console screenshots showing impressions and clicks over time, with the client’s permission. Every case study in the ORM portfolio is built from this kind of data.
5. How Do You Build Links?
Links from other websites still matter, but bought links and link networks break Google’s spam policies. Ask where links come from, and how the provider decides a site is relevant and genuine.
6. What Access Do You Need?
A provider usually needs access to your website, Search Console, Google Analytics and Google Business Profile. Give access as a user, and keep the accounts in your own name.
7. Who Owns the Content and the Accounts?
Pages, articles, images and accounts created for your business should belong to you, during and after the contract. Get this in writing.
8. How Do You Handle Urdu and Roman Urdu Searches?
Many Pakistani customers search in a mix of English, Urdu and Roman Urdu. A provider who works in Pakistan should explain how they find and target those searches.
9. What Do You Need From Me?
Good SEO needs input from the business: photos of real work, answers about your services, and quick replies to enquiries. A provider who says they need nothing from you is not planning to learn your business.
10. What Are the Contract Length and the Exit Terms?
SEO takes months, so a minimum term is normal. Ask what happens if you want to stop: notice period, handover of work, and what stays with you.
11. Do You Guarantee Rankings?
The right answer is no. Google’s own guidance on hiring an SEO says that if someone guarantees their changes will give you first place in search results, you should find someone else.
12. Which of Your Clients Can I Speak To?
A provider confident in their work can usually connect you with a current or past client. A short conversation tells you more than any sales presentation.
What Red Flags Should End the Conversation?
Walk away from guaranteed first positions, secret methods, bulk link packages, refusals to give you access to your own accounts, and unsolicited messages claiming your site is failing.
- Guaranteed rankings. Nobody controls Google’s results.
- Secret methods. Real SEO can be explained. “Secret” usually means something that breaks Google’s rules.
- Bulk link bundles. Hundreds of links for a fixed package are almost always low-quality or from link networks.
- No access to your own accounts. If the provider creates Search Console or Analytics in their name, you lose your data when you leave.
- Cold messages saying your site is failing. Google’s guidance warns against SEO firms that contact you out of the blue.
- Reports with no enquiries. Months of rising positions with no rise in calls or messages means the work is aimed at the wrong searches.
What Should a Useful SEO Report Show?
A useful SEO report shows enquiries first, then the searches and pages that produced them, then impressions, clicks and positions as supporting detail, with a plain explanation of what changed.
Free SEO report tools produce long lists of scores and warnings. Those help a specialist, but they do not tell an owner whether the business is growing. A monthly report from an SEO provider should answer four questions in plain language:
- How many calls, WhatsApp messages, forms and orders came from search, and from which pages?
- Which searches brought people to the site, and how did impressions and clicks change?
- What work was done this month, and why?
- What will be done next month?
This is how ORM reports to clients: enquiries first, with rankings and traffic as supporting detail. If results moved for reasons outside the work, such as a seasonal dip, a good report says so.
How Is SEO Work Usually Scoped?
SEO work is scoped from the state of your site, the competition in your city and category, the content needed and the authority you already have, which is why serious providers review your site before proposing anything.
A proposal written before anyone has looked at your site is a template. A useful proposal names the specific problems found, the order they will be fixed in, and what results to watch for. ORM explains how its three options are scoped in how SEO services are quoted.
Last Thoughts on Hiring an SEO Company in Pakistan
Hiring an SEO company goes well when you know what you want, ask the same questions of every provider, and judge the answers by business results. Prepare your goal in enquiries and your Search Console access, ask the twelve questions, and end any conversation that includes guaranteed rankings, secret methods or accounts held in someone else’s name. A provider worth hiring will welcome these questions and answer them plainly.
Key Takeaways
- Set your goal in enquiries, not rankings, before contacting providers.
- Ask who does the work, how results are reported and who owns the accounts.
- Google’s own guidance says to avoid anyone who guarantees first place.
- Bulk links, secret methods and cold “your site is failing” messages are red flags.
- A useful report shows enquiries first, then searches, pages and positions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it worth hiring an SEO company?
For a business that customers search for, yes, when the company reports in enquiries and works transparently. Use the twelve questions to check before you commit.
Can an SEO company guarantee first position on Google?
No. Google controls its results, and Google’s own guidance says to find someone else if a provider guarantees first place.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
A freelancer suits a single task. An agency suits work that needs technical, content, link and local skills together under one plan.
How long should an SEO contract be?
Most SEO engagements run for at least six months because results build over time. Make sure the exit terms and handover are clear.
What should a monthly SEO report include?
Enquiries from search, the pages and searches that produced them, impressions and clicks, the work done and the plan for next month.
How do I check an SEO company’s past results?
Ask for case studies with real Search Console data and permission to speak to a client. Screenshots without dates or context prove little.
Should the SEO company own my Google accounts?
No. Your website, Search Console, Analytics and Google Business Profile should stay in your name, with the provider added as a user.
What does an SEO company need from me?
Access to your accounts, answers about your services and customers, photos of real work, and quick replies to the enquiries the work produces.
Is it a bad sign if an SEO company emails me first?
Often, yes. Google’s guidance warns against SEO firms that contact you out of the blue, especially with claims that your site is failing.
Do SEO companies in Pakistan work with businesses abroad?
Many do. Organic SEO does not depend on where the provider sits, though local map results need a genuine location in the target city.
What is the first thing an SEO company should do?
An audit of your site, your market and your competitors, followed by a plan that fixes the biggest problems first.
Free Audit Call
Ask Us These 12 Questions on a Free Call
Book a free 20 to 30 minute call on Zoom, Google Meet or WhatsApp. We look at your site, your Search Console and the businesses ranking above you, then tell you what would move first.
Prefer to talk now? Call +92 300 6456323. Quotes are shared on WhatsApp once we have seen your numbers.
Nizam Ud Deen, author of The Local SEO Cosmos, is a seasoned SEO Observer and digital marketing consultant with close to a decade of experience. Based in Multan, Pakistan, he is the founder and SEO Lead Consultant at ORM Digital Solutions, an exclusive consultancy specializing in advanced SEO and digital strategies.
In The Local SEO Cosmos, Nizam Ud Deen blends his expertise with actionable insights, offering a comprehensive guide for businesses to thrive in local search rankings. With a passion for empowering others, he also trains aspiring professionals through initiatives like the National Freelance Training Program (NFTP) and shares free educational content via his blog and YouTube channel. His mission is to help businesses grow while giving back to the community through his knowledge and experience.