Ask who owns the website, content and Google accounts, what work happens each month, where links come from, who actually does the work, what the report will measure, what the minimum term and notice period are, and what results are realistic in the first six months. Clear, specific answers are a good sign.
The ownership question matters most. Your Google Business Profile, website, Search Console and Analytics should be in your name, with the agency added as a user. If the agency owns them, leaving gets expensive.
Ask for a 90-day plan and a sample report before you commit. A good agency can show you both. If the report only shows keyword positions and traffic graphs, ask how it connects to phone calls and enquiries.
Ask what happens if you leave: do you keep the pages and links, and how much notice is required? Scalepoint’s answers are that you keep everything and leaving takes 14 days’ notice.
This is one part of a bigger picture. How to choose an SEO agency in Melbourne covers costs, contracts, what good SEO includes and how to spot a bad agency in one place.