How can you tell whether a search provider deserves your trust?

Google has published its own advice for owners who hire help with search. Here it is in plain words, with a table of common sales claims, and the same test applied to us.

Use Google's own page, "Do you need an SEO?". Ask for past work, whether the provider follows Google Search Essentials, what results to expect and when, and whether it will share every change with its reasons. Do not hire anyone who guarantees a number one ranking, claims a special relationship with Google, or asks for more than read access to Search Console at the audit stage.

Why start with Google's own advice?

Every provider has a sales page, and every sales page sounds good. What a small business owner needs is a test written by the search engine itself. Google offers one: a page called "Do you need an SEO?", last updated on 2026-06-05 and written for owners who are thinking of hiring help, and a second page on third-party SEO tools, services and advice. This page follows both closely.

Google opens with a balanced view. Hiring a professional can improve your site's visibility and save you time, and an irresponsible provider can damage your site and your reputation. For many readers of this page, Google adds a sentence worth hearing before anything else: if you run a small local business, you can probably do much of the work yourself, starting with the SEO Starter Guide.

One fact from that page answers several sales claims at once. Google says that advertising with Google has no effect on your site's presence in its search results, that Google never accepts money to include or rank sites, and that it costs nothing to appear in its organic results, the ordinary listings that sit apart from the ads.

The questions Google suggests you ask

Google lists these questions for an interview with any provider. We have kept Google's meaning and put them in plain words.

• Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories?
• Do you follow Google Search Essentials, Google's published rules for sites in its results?
• What results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success?
• What is your experience in my industry, and in my country or city?
• How long have you been in business?
• How can I expect to communicate with you?
• Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site, and explain the reasoning behind each recommendation?

Three habits Google recommends for the owner

Questions are half of the test. The other half is how you listen to the answers, and Google suggests three habits.

First, see whether the provider is interested in you. Google says a good provider asks what makes your business unique, who your competitors are, how search results can help, and how your customers find you. If the provider is not interested in your business, Google's advice is to find someone who is.

Second, check references. Google suggests asking past clients whether the provider gave a useful service, was easy to work with and produced positive results. A provider with real clients will give you names you can call.

Third, be careful with access. If a provider offers an audit, which is a first review of your site, Google says to grant only read access to Search Console, the free Google service that shows how your site appears in search, and to hold back the right to change anything at that stage. Google adds that an audit should give you realistic estimates of improvement and of the work involved.

The warning signs Google names

Google's page is direct about the behaviour that should make you stop. Here are its warnings, one by one.

• A guarantee of a number one ranking. In Google's words, no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
• A claimed special relationship with Google, or a paid priority submission to Google. Google names both as reasons to beware.
• A claim that a tool or service is approved by Google. Google says it does not evaluate third-party services, so be wary of such claims and of those making them.
• Secrecy. Google says to be careful if a company is secretive or will not clearly explain what it intends to do.
• Emails that arrive without being asked for, offering to fix your search listings. Google advises the same doubt you would give any unsolicited offer.
• A request that you link to the provider's own website. Google says you should never have to link to an SEO.
• Talk of link popularity schemes, or of submitting your site to thousands of search engines. Google calls these typically useless exercises.

Claims you may hear, and what Google says

Sales conversations repeat the same claims. The table puts each one next to Google's published answer, so you can compare them during the call itself. One rule applies to all of them: Google says that if a provider creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, your site could be removed entirely from Google's index, the list of pages Google can show in its results, and that ultimately you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire.

Advice about AI search deserves the same test

Some providers now sell work aimed at being named in AI answers, under names such as AEO (answer engine optimization) or GEO (generative engine optimization). Google's advice is to check whether such advice agrees with Google's official guidance on its generative AI features, and whether the provider cites official Google documentation for its recommendations.

Google's guidance on AI features is short and clear. It says the best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI Overviews and AI Mode, that there are no additional requirements to appear in them, and that you do not need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special structured data (labels in the page code). It lists keeping your Business Profile information up to date among the basics that still count. A provider that sells a special AI file as necessary for Google's AI answers is selling something Google says you do not need.

Google also notes that good third-party advice either presents its claims as opinion based on data or experience, or backs them up by citing official Google guidance. That is a fair standard for any provider, and a simple one to check: ask for the source.

The same test, applied to Licheo

It would be too convenient to write this page and leave ourselves out of it. So here are Google's questions and warnings, with our answers, which you can check. Ask us these questions on a call, and compare our answers with what we then do.

If a provider has already misled you

Google's page also says where to report a provider who deceived you. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission handles complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices, and complaints about companies in other countries can be filed at econsumer.gov. Keep the emails, invoices and reports you received, since they are your record of what was promised.

Then protect the site. Make sure you are an owner in Search Console, remove the provider's access, and ask for the list of every change it made. Google's third-party guidance encourages every site owner to use Search Console, because its data comes directly from Google Search, and it is the first place to look for problems that a provider left behind.

Before you speak to the next provider, it helps to know where you stand. Our free Get Found Check reads your homepage, your DNS records (the settings that connect your domain name to your website and email) and your security certificate and returns a grade in under 60 seconds. The website, search and AI work that big companies pay whole teams for, done for your small business. Judge us by the same questions as everyone else.

Part of a larger guide

This page is one part of Who does your marketing. The other parts:

• What an agency retainer includes
• Hiring someone in-house
• Freelancer or agency
• What AI agents do
• Switching agencies

Questions people ask

What questions should I ask before hiring an SEO company?

Before hiring an SEO company, ask the questions Google itself lists: can you show examples of previous work, do you follow Google Search Essentials, what results do you expect and in what timeframe, and how do you measure success. Google also suggests asking whether the provider will share every change it makes to your site, with the reasoning behind each one.

Can an SEO company guarantee me the number one spot on Google?

No SEO company can guarantee the number one spot on Google. Google's page "Do you need an SEO?", updated 2026-06-05, says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, and warns owners to beware of providers that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a special relationship with Google, or advertise a priority submit to Google.

Will paying for Google Ads improve my free Google ranking?

Paying for Google Ads does not improve your free Google ranking. Google says advertising with Google has no effect on your site's presence in its search results, that it never accepts money to include or rank sites, and that appearing in its organic results costs nothing. Treat any provider who links ad spending to organic rankings with care.

Is an SEO service approved by Google a good sign?

An SEO service that claims to be approved by Google is a warning sign. Google's guidance on third-party SEO tools and services says Google does not evaluate third-party services, so owners should be wary of claims that a service is acceptable or approved by Google Search, and wary of those making them.

Should a good SEO company ask questions about my business?

Yes, a good SEO company should ask questions about your business before it proposes any work. Google's page on hiring an SEO says your SEO should ask what makes your business unique, who your competitors are, how search results can help, and how your customers find you. If a provider is not interested in your business, Google's advice is to find someone who is.

Should I hire an SEO company that emailed me without being asked?

Treat an SEO company that emailed you without being asked with strong doubt. Google's page on hiring an SEO tells owners to be wary of firms and consultants that send unsolicited email, and to give such offers the same scepticism as any unsolicited sales pitch. Check every claim in the email against your own Search Console before replying.

Should an SEO provider ask me to link to its website?

An SEO provider should not ask you to link to its website. Google's page on hiring an SEO says you should never have to link to an SEO, and warns against providers that talk about link popularity schemes or submitting your site to thousands of search engines, which Google calls typically useless exercises.

Do I need a special AI file to appear in Google's AI Overviews?

You do not need a special AI file to appear in Google's AI Overviews. Google's page on AI features says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no need for new machine-readable files, AI text files or special schema.org structured data. The usual SEO best practices remain relevant.

How can I tell whether SEO advice I read online is reliable?

Reliable SEO advice either presents its claims as opinion based on data or experience, or backs them up by citing official Google guidance, according to Google's guidance on third-party SEO tools, services and advice. Google recommends checking any advice against its official documentation before acting on it, and making your own informed decision.

How does Licheo answer Google's questions for hiring an SEO?

Licheo answers Google's questions for hiring an SEO openly: it was founded in 2024, its case studies are on its website, nothing goes live until the owner approves it, and it promises no rankings, since Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking. Results are measured in the owner's own Google Search Console. Contact us for pricing.

Sources

1. Do you need an SEO?, Google Search Central. Updated 2026-06-05, accessed 27 September 2026.
2. Google Search's guidance on using third-party SEO tools, services, and advice, Google Search Central. Updated 2026-06-05, accessed 27 September 2026.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide, Google Search Central. Updated 2025-12-10, accessed 27 September 2026.
4. AI features and your website, Google Search Central. Updated 2025-12-10, accessed 27 September 2026.

Keep reading

• Who does your marketing: the five ways compared
• What AI agents do, and what they cannot do
• Freelancer or agency for search work
• Switching agencies without losing access
• Big-company marketing for a small business
• Questions to ask before buying an AI SEO service
• Run the free Get Found Check

Test us with Google's questions

Start with the free Get Found Check for a grade in under 60 seconds, then ask us Google's questions on a call.