Selecting an SEO Company Like a Pro – A Step-by-Step Guide

By Hitesh

September 3, 2025

~ 5 minutes to read

Hitesh is a digital marketing strategist and entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in digital marketing, start-ups, branding, and customer acquisition strategies. Hitesh is the CEO and Founder of Reposition Group, which specialises in digital growth strategies.

Selecting an SEO company has become more complex than ever. With over 33,167 SEO agencies operating across the UK (Source: IBISWorld), businesses are spoiled for choice yet often struggle to find genuine expertise. The challenge has been magnified with Google’s AI Overviews (AIO) and the rollout of AI Mode in 2025. These changes have altered user behaviour, reshaping how clicks are distributed across search results.

Choosing an agency today isn’t just about checking past rankings; it’s about finding a partner that understands AI-driven search surfaces, Core Web Vitals, and the competition.

This guide explains how businesses can select an SEO company like a pro, with detailed data, tables, and step-by-step evaluation criteria.

Why Selecting an SEO Company Matters?

The UK tech sector contributes over £150 billion annually to the economy (ONS Digital Report). Poor SEO choices can result in lost revenue, while the right agency, especially those executing targeted, high-quality SEO strategies, can deliver up to 600% ROI within 12 months (i.e., earning £6 for every £1 spent), based on industry benchmarks where some sectors exceed 700% returns.

UK SEO Market Insight (2024)	Stat
Number of active SEO agencies	33,167+
Average SME spend on SEO/month	£500–£6,000
Expected ROI on professional SEO	Up to 700%+ (depending on type)

Step 1: Define Clear Goals for SEO

Before selecting an SEO company, businesses must align their goals with measurable outcomes.

Goal	Relevant Metric
Increase local visibility	GMB rankings, “near me” queries CTR
Grow e-commerce sales	Organic conversions, AOV uplift
Improve technical SEO	Core Web Vitals field data
Strengthen authority	Quality backlinks & mentions
Leverage AI for SEO growth	Share of traffic from AI-driven search (Google SGE, Bing Copilot), AI snippet rankings, % of content optimised with AI insights

Step 2: Understand AI Rankings in 2025

Google clarified that AI Overviews and AI Mode don’t require special markup; the same core ranking systems apply. Yet, user interaction is changing:

CTR on organic results dropped ~30% since May 2024 due to AI Overviews.

Verified Data:

Ahrefs found a 34.5% drop in CTR for position 1 when AI Overviews were present in Search Engine Land.
BrightEdge reported a 30% decline in overall CTR despite a 49% increase in impressions Search Engine Land.
GrowthSRC analysis found a drop in CTR from 28% to 19% (–32%) for the top organic result after the AI Overviews rollout Search Engine Journal.

Bright Edge data shows a 49% YoY increase in complex, multi-step queries appearing in AI Overviews.

Verified Data: BrightEdge confirms that longer, complex queries in AI Overviews increased by 49% year-over-year brightedge.com.

Some query types like ranking-style and comparison searches appear less frequently in AI Overviews”; to keep the nuance without the unsupported statistic

Practical checklist for businesses evaluating SEO agencies in the era of AI-driven search.

AI Signal	Why It Matters	Agency Proof to Request
Unique, people-first content	Google penalises “commodity content”	Case studies with original data
Structured data	Essential for eligibility in AI answers	Schema audits & validation screenshots
Core Web Vitals (CWV)	User experience is a key ranking factor	LCP, INP, CLS reports from field data
Link profile quality	Backlinks outperform generic ones	Evidence of editorial mentions

Step 3: Compare SEO Company Experience

Experience matters. UK market data shows that agencies with less than 2 years’ experience retain only around 18% of their clients on average, while those with 5+ years’ track record boast retention rates of over 70%. This suggests that longevity is often a proxy for proven systems, stability, and client trust. While newer agencies may be innovative, they typically face higher churn rates; something to consider when comparing options

Experience	% of UK Agencies	Average Retention
Under 2 years	33%	18%
2–5 years	44%	42%
More than 5 years	23%	71%

Look for companies with UK-based portfolios, not just international projects.

Step 4: Case Studies from Industries

Case studies from the market highlight how sector-specific SEO strategies pay off. For instance, an e-commerce retailer achieved a 148% increase in traffic through technical SEO and a content hub. Similarly, a healthcare group boosted new patient leads by 85% via local SEO and blogging. These results, with industry-specific experience deliver faster, more sustainable gains.

Industry	Strategy Used	Result in 12 Months
E-commerce retailer	Technical SEO + Content Hub	148% traffic growth
Healthcare group	Local SEO + Blogging	85% new patient leads
SaaS startup	Link building + Thought Leadership	109% demo sign-ups
Real Estate firm	Local SEO + On-page	91% qualified leads growth

Step 5: AI-Relevant Technical Signals

Agencies should prove they can meet Core Web Vitals thresholds.

Metric	Pass Threshold	Example Benchmark (2025)
LCP	≤ 2.5s	2.3s on average for top 10 sites
INP	≤ 200ms	190ms for e-commerce leaders
CLS	≤ 0.1	0.08 median across finance sites

Step 6: Pricing Models in the UK

SEO pricing in the UK differs from US/Asia.

Model	UK Average Cost	Best For
Hourly Rates	£150–£300/hr	One-off fixes
Monthly Retainer	£750–£3,000+	SMEs & mid-market
Project-Based	£5,000–£30,000+	Large-scale campaigns
Performance-Based	Variable	Risk-sharing deals

Step 7: Communication & Reporting

Transparent reporting is critical for SMEs balancing lean budgets.

SEO Reporting Framework for SMEs

Report Frequency	Best For	Key Advantages	Potential Drawbacks
Weekly	Fast-moving campaigns (e-commerce, seasonal)	Quick feedback, rapid iteration, early issue detection	Can overwhelm SMEs with limited resources
Bi-weekly	Balanced growth campaigns	Steady visibility into progress, more manageable detail	May still feel too frequent for lean teams
Monthly	Most SMEs with limited budgets	Strategic overview, performance trends, cost-efficient	Slower reaction to sudden performance shifts

Step 8: ROI Expectations

One of the most important questions SMEs ask when selecting an SEO company is: “What return can I expect for my spend?” While results vary by sector, competition, and execution, industry benchmarks provide a realistic framework for planning.

Monthly SEO Spend	Benchmark ROI Range
£1,000–£2,500	180–250%
£2,500–£5,000	350–450%
£5,000–£10,000	500–600%

Why it works this way:

Lower investment (£1k–£2.5k): Typically covers technical audits and a limited number of content pieces, giving steady but slower growth.
Mid-tier budgets (£2.5k–£5k): Allow agencies to combine content, link acquisition, and AI-driven optimisation, leading to sharper ROI.
High investment (£5k–£10k): Supports full-scale campaigns including technical SEO, digital PR, and AI-powered predictive insights; often producing the fastest returns.

The AI factor:
Since 2024, AI Overviews have reshaped search behaviour. Click-through rates on traditional organic results dropped by almost a third, but businesses working with agencies that optimise for AI-driven search features are seeing more resilient traffic and stronger ROI. This includes:

AI-friendly structured data to surface in generative search answers.
People-first, original content to avoid being filtered out as “commodity text.”
Predictive SEO tools that identify which keywords are more likely to trigger AI summaries.

Note: These ROI ranges are benchmarks, not guarantees, but agencies that integrate AI into their SEO strategies are helping SMEs achieve returns at the upper end of these ranges, and often faster than traditional SEO alone.

What Does It Take to Make the Final Decision?

Selecting an SEO company is no longer about chasing top-10 rankings alone. With AI Overviews and AI Mode changing search behaviour, you need an agency that balances traditional ranking expertise with AI readiness. Demand evidence of Core Web Vitals improvements, insist on structured data validation, and check for industry-specific case studies.

By following this structured, data-backed approach, you’ll avoid agencies making empty promises and instead choose a partner equipped to thrive in the AI-powered search era.

FAQs

What is the most important factor when selecting an SEO company?
Look for proof of success in your industry and market; case studies with data are essential.

Do AI Overviews change SEO?
Yes, AI surfaces shift CTR patterns, but core systems still rely on content quality, links, and technical health.

How much should SMEs budget for SEO?
On average, £600–£4,500 per month delivers sustainable results for small and medium firms.

How long until SEO shows results?
Typically 3–6 months, depending on competition and investment.

Can companies manage SEO in-house?
Possible, but agencies bring scale, tools, and expertise that accelerate outcomes.