Key takeaways
- Look for real, checkable work, reporting you can see in your own accounts, and a written scope before anything starts.
- Be wary of guaranteed rankings, cheap link packages and partner badges you can’t verify.
- Check the agency’s own website: if it sells SEO and speed, it should rank and load fast itself.
What should you check first?
| Check | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Proof | Case studies you can verify, with dates and where the numbers come from |
| Reporting | Access to Search Console, analytics and ad accounts, not only PDF reports |
| Scope | A written list of what’s included, by when and for how much |
| People | A named person responsible for your account, and who actually does the work |
| Promises | No guaranteed rankings or AI recommendations |
| Their own site | Fast, clear and visible for the services they sell |
How do you check an agency’s proof?
Ask for two or three examples close to your business: what exactly they did, over what period, and where the numbers come from, because ‘traffic up 300%’ means little without a starting point. If you can, speak to a past client, and look the projects up yourself: still live, still fast, still ranking?
What questions should you ask in the first meeting?
- Who will work on my account day to day, and what’s their experience?
- What would you do in the first month, and why?
- How will I see results, and in which accounts?
- What’s not included in this price?
- What happens if I want to stop?
- Whose name are the domain, ad accounts and analytics in?
What are the warning signs?
Guaranteed first-page rankings or AI mentions, cheap link packages, monthly reports full of activity but no enquiries, long lock-in contracts without a clear scope, and partner badges you cannot find in official directories. Ad accounts set up in the agency’s name are another, because leaving means losing your own data.
Should you choose a specialist or a full-service agency?
A specialist goes deep on one channel, such as paid social or technical SEO. A full-service team connects website, search and ads, which matters when one depends on another: ads sending traffic to slow pages waste money. Either way, one person should be clearly responsible for your results; see how we work.
Does the agency need to be in Dubai?
Not necessarily, but local knowledge helps. An agency that works in the UAE knows how people here search, which platforms they use, how WhatsApp fits into sales, what Ramadan does to campaigns, and which advertising rules apply to property, healthcare and financial services. Being able to meet in person also helps on bigger projects.
How should you compare proposals?
Side by side, line by line: what’s included, who does it, how results are measured, how long the commitment is and what it costs each month. The cheapest proposal often leaves out the work that makes the rest pay off, such as tracking, content or landing pages.
What should the first month look like?
An audit with specific findings, tracking checked or fixed, a plan you agree with, and the first changes live. If the first month is only meetings and a strategy deck, ask what will actually change on your site or accounts.