Rate the agency you are considering on 11 observable questions, from account ownership to price transparency. A total of 27 or more is a strong fit, 20 to 26 is promising but needs verification, 11 to 19 is caution, and 10 or less means walk away. Two answers override the total: a ranking guarantee and agency-held accounts.[1][5]
The rule
Weakest answer, first question
Your next move is always the question with the lowest points. A high total can hide a single failure that costs the most. Fix or verify the weakest area before you spend time on anything else.
Self-check · about 4 minutes
Agency fit check
Answer each question about the candidate agency, using what they have shown you in writing. Each question is worth 0 to 3 points. Your results list what to verify next, weakest first.
0OF 33
0 of 11 answered
Your result
Strong fit
The agency has shown evidence on most of the checks that can be checked. Unless a guarantee or agency-held accounts applies, move to the contract and a short pilot. Start with the lowest-rated question, even at this level.
The signals are good but the proof has gaps. Take the lowest-rated questions in order and ask for written answers within a week. If the agency closes the gaps, it can move up a band. If it will not, you have learned something useful.
Several areas are weak or unanswered. Do not sign. Send the agency a short written list of questions based on your weakest answers, and compare it with at least one other candidate before you decide.
There is little evidence, or there are serious failures such as a ranking guarantee or agency-held accounts. Stop the process and restart with new candidates. Keep this self-check, because the same questions will sort the next group faster.
Your result, a short reading of it and your weakest areas appear here when you finish.
0 of 11 answered
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Where you stand, weakest first
1. Who will own your domain, analytics, Search Console and ad accounts?
2. Can they name the people who will do your work?
3. Can you see the live reporting and raw data yourself?
4. Did they guarantee a ranking, a position or a traffic figure?
5. Can they show a dated 90-day plan and a sample change log?
6. Does the contract let you leave cleanly?
7. Have they shown relevant experience with proof?
8. Have they agreed how and when they will communicate?
9. Did they tell you what they do not know yet?
10. Is the price clear, itemized and tied to a scope?
11. Did you speak to a past client the agency did not hand-pick?
Fix in this order
Weakest answer first, then up.
1
Move 1 of 6
Confirm account ownership in writing if it got below 3
You are here when: The agency would register your domain, analytics, ad accounts or Search Console in its own name, or has not answered.
Why now
Ownership failures are the hardest to reverse and the most expensive to dispute. ICANN describes the registrant as the party that holds the rights to a domain, and registrar agreements govern transfers.[5] Anything less than your name on every account is a deal breaker until fixed.
Do this
Look up your domain's registrant yourself and note the name shown.
Ask the agency to confirm in writing that all accounts will be under your business.
Ask the agency to join as a user, not as an owner.[7]
2
Move 2 of 6
Remove or replace any agency that guaranteed a ranking
You are here when: Your guarantee question got 0 or 1, or any proposal states a position or deadline for rankings.
Why now
Google states that no one can guarantee a number one ranking, and lists guaranteed rankings as a red flag.[1] If the agency lied here, every other number is suspect. This outranks the other fixes because no process or contract term can repair a dishonest premise.
Do this
Ask the agency to restate the promise in writing.
Ask what evidence supports it, and who measured it.[3]
If they will not withdraw the guarantee, end the process.
3
Move 3 of 6
Name the people and ask for proof of their work
You are here when: Named people or proof of experience got below 2.
Why now
People do the work, and a brand name does not. Google suggests asking for past work and success stories, and contacting past clients about service quality and results.[1] Naming the team also tells you who answers when something breaks.
Do this
Ask for the name, role and location of each person on your account.
Ask for one relevant case with the problem, action and measured result.
Contact one past client you found independently.
4
Move 4 of 6
Get reporting access and a sample report
You are here when: Reporting access or process clarity got below 2.
Why now
Reporting is how you will judge the agency for the next year. Without access to the underlying data, you are reading their summary of their work. Search Console roles show how this can be done safely: you stay the owner, and they get a role that matches their tasks.[7]
Do this
Ask for a sample report with client details removed.
Ask who can log in to the live dashboard, and whether you can.
Ask for a dated 90-day plan and a change log sample.
5
Move 5 of 6
Negotiate the contract terms that trap you
You are here when: Contract terms or price transparency got below 2.
Why now
Contract terms decide your cost of being wrong. A fair agency will accept a short initial term, a notice period and a handover clause. Resistance here is information about how the relationship will end.
Do this
Ask for a three-month initial term and a 30-day notice period.
Ask for a handover clause covering logins, files and data, with a deadline.
Ask for a single written scope with a price for each item.
6
Move 6 of 6
Check communication and honesty about unknowns
You are here when: These got below 2 while everything else was strong.
Why now
These are the softest checks, and they come last for that reason. They still matter, because an agency that cannot say what it does not know will paper over problems in your monthly report. Google also advises asking how the SEO will communicate, and whether they will explain every change.[1]
Do this
Run a 30-minute working session on a real task.
Ask: "What do you not know about our situation?" and rate the answer.
Agree response times and meeting cadence in writing.
Decision finder
What each band means and what to do
Total points
27 to 33
Band
Strong fit
What it tells you
The agency passes the checks that can be checked
Next move
Move to the contract and a short pilot
20 to 26
Band
Promising but verify
What it tells you
Good signals with gaps in proof or process
Next move
Fix the lowest-rated question before anything else
11 to 19
Band
Caution
What it tells you
Several unanswered or weak areas
Next move
Ask for written answers; compare with another candidate
0 to 10
Band
Walk away
What it tells you
Little evidence, or serious failures
Next move
Stop the process and restart with new candidates
Any total, ranking guaranteed
Band
Override: walk away
What it tells you
Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking
Next move
End the conversation
Any total, accounts held by agency
Band
Override: caution at best
What it tells you
You cannot easily leave
Next move
Insist on ownership in your name, or walk
01
Evidence
How the points work and why we built it this way
Each of the 11 questions is worth 0 to 3 points, so the total runs from 0 to 33. A 3 means the agency has shown you evidence in writing. A 2 means it has said the right thing but not shown it. A 1 means a weak or partial answer. A 0 means a refusal, a red flag or no answer at all. We chose points for evidence, not for confidence, because confidence is what every agency has.
The questions are observable. You can check each one with a message, a lookup or a login screen, and every question has a note on how to check it honestly. The self-check is also about the agency, not about you. That is deliberate. Most agency checklists grade the client on readiness, which is useful for the agency's pipeline and less useful for you.
Our rule: two answers override the total. If an agency guarantees a ranking, or insists on holding your core accounts, the total is irrelevant. Google states that no one can guarantee a number one ranking, and an agency that does so has told you how it will report.[1] Account ownership is the one failure you cannot undo later, and ICANN's own materials show that a registration is governed by an agreement you should hold.[5][6]
02
Evidence
The evidence behind the questions
The honesty questions come from Google's guidance on hiring an SEO. It lists guaranteed rankings, claimed special relationships with Google, "priority submit" offers, secrecy, and requests to buy links as warning signs.[1] Google's spam policies explain why link buying matters: paid links that pass ranking credit count as link spam, and violating sites may rank lower or not appear at all.[2]
The evidence questions follow the FTC's standard. The FTC says advertisers and agencies need a reasonable basis for objective claims before they make them, and that the basis is objective evidence.[3][4] You do not need a legal analysis. You need one habit: when an agency quotes a number, ask who measured it and how. A testimonial quoted as proof is not a measurement.[3]
The access and ownership questions follow how accounts actually work. Search Console separates owners, full users and restricted users, and an owner decides who gets in.[7] ICANN says the registrant holds the rights to a domain name, and the registrar agreement governs transfers.[5] Together they give a clean test: your business is the owner, and everyone else is a user.
03
Evidence
Reading the result without fooling yourself
Rate only what the agency has shown you in writing. A promise on a call is a 2 at best. If you filled in the form after a charming meeting, redo it from the proposal and the emails. You will usually find three or four answers that fall by a point.
Run the self-check on two or three agencies, including any incumbent. A single result has no baseline. Three results show you where the market is and which gaps are normal. Our rule of thumb, which is not a study, is that missing proof is common and missing honesty is rare, so weigh honesty failures more heavily.
A strong result does not replace the contract. It earns the right to read it. And a weak result is not always the end: some gaps are fixed by asking. If an agency can close its gaps in writing within a week, that is itself a good sign. If you want to run Webtec through the same list, book a call and bring it.
Scroll through
5 mistakes that cost the most
01
Rating on impressions instead of evidence
Filling the form after a call rewards charisma. Fix it by rating only from written material, and downgrading anything promised but not shown.
02
Ignoring the override rules because the total looks good
A guarantee or agency-held accounts can sit inside a 28. Fix it by checking those two questions first, before you add up the rest.[1][5]
03
Rating one agency in isolation
A single result has no benchmark. Fix it by rating at least two candidates, including your current agency if you have one.
04
Treating the self-check as a negotiation weapon only
Using it to extract discounts misses the point. Fix it by using the lowest-rated questions as your list of things to verify, not as bargaining chips.
05
Skipping the contract after a strong result
A 30 is not a signed handover clause. Fix it by taking the next step in the priorities: confirm exit, notice period and data in writing.
Worked example
The rule applied
Reading a mid-range result
1. The situation
Illustrative: a business rates a candidate agency 23. Points by question: ownership 3, people 3, reporting access 1, guarantees 3, process 2, contract 1, experience 2, communication 3, unknowns 2, price 2, references 1.
2. The decision
The band is promising but verify. The weakest questions are reporting access, contract terms and references, each at 1. The business asks for a sample report and dashboard access first, then asks for a three-month term with a handover clause, then asks for a reference it did not select.
3. What it shows
If the agency agrees in writing within a week, the total rises by about six points and moves into the strong band. If it refuses all three, the total stays flat and the business has a clear reason to compare another candidate. The logic of the decision is what we are showing, not a result we claim to have observed.
Questions people ask
01
What is a good result on the agency fit check?
A total of 27 or more out of 33 is a strong fit, provided neither override applies. A total of 20 to 26 is promising but needs verification, 11 to 19 is caution, and 10 or less means walk away. Treat the bands as our judgment, not a validated instrument. The most useful output is not the total but the list of lowest-rated questions to verify next.
02
Should I rate my current agency too?
Yes, and do it from written evidence. Many owners discover that the agency they already pay fails on ownership or reporting access without ever having asked. You can check domain registration yourself, as ICANN describes the registrant as the holder of the rights to a name.[5] If the result is low, you have a concrete list of fixes to request.
03
Why does a ranking guarantee override a high total?
Because it shows how the agency treats the truth when money is at stake. Google states that no one can guarantee a number one ranking, and it lists guaranteed rankings among the warning signs of a bad actor.[1] An agency that makes this promise to win you has also set up a report that will explain, later, why it did not happen.
04
What if an agency will not give me reporting access?
Ask why, and rate the answer. Some agencies use shared dashboards and are happy to add you as a viewer today, which is the easy case. Others hold the data behind their own logins. Search Console shows that safe sharing is possible, with owner, full and restricted roles.[7] An agency that cannot show you the underlying data is asking you to trust its summary, which is a risk.
05
Does this self-check apply to ads, social and web design agencies too?
Mostly yes. Ownership, named people, reporting access, process, contract terms and price transparency apply to any marketing agency. The guarantee question applies wherever someone promises a result they do not control. The FTC expects a reasonable basis for objective claims, whatever the channel.[3] The Google-specific details apply to search, so swap in your own channel's rules for guarantees, access and reporting when you rate an ads or social candidate.
The evidence behind this page
Sources
Evidence freshness
7 sources, 3 dated in the last 3 years
Each bar counts sources by the date the source itself shows. 3 show no date.
1
1
2
84868890929496980002040608101214161820222426
Cite or share this page
Quote the rule or the order with credit and a link. Suggested citation:
Adnan Gourija (2026). Agency fit check: rate a marketing or SEO agency before you sign. The Marketing Field Manual, Webtec. https://www.trywebtec.com/resources/field-manual/agency-fit-scorecard/
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Betsy RomeriGoogle · client since 2019
“I had a great experience working with Webtec. The team was knowledgeable, responsive, and professional throughout the entire process. They took the time to understand my business needs and created a website that exceeded my expectations. Good job guys!”
BEvelinaBark · client since 2023
“Webtec took the time to listen and understand what my business was truly about and came up with the creative solutions to help me showcase it.”
Rita GubalisGoogle · client since 2021
“Webtec is fantastic and you should hire them. Over the years, we have worked with many companies - and many of them good at what they do. The thing that really separates Webtec from others however is that Webtec really knows how to anticipate the needs of their clients, and then provides the necessary support needed - such that it always looks like magic.”
Daniel DroiletGoogle · client since 2021
“Been a webtec client for a while now and so far they're the best in what they do, they redesigned my website, improved my seo which has skyrocketed traffic to the website...I highly recommend their services.”
Nassim JokoGoogle · client since 2020
“Extremely professional team-- very consultative on how to develop a modern web interface. Excellent support for design and graphics. Met each timeline and was very responsive to edits and updates.”
Pat FlanaganDesignRush
“We are a small non-profit but Webtec design has treated us like a fortune 500 Company. Always responding promptly to any needs that may arise along with top notch customer service and sales.”
BJay SBark · client since 2023
“Great support and experience from these guys. I was apprehensive about using a web developer, but they proved me wrong. They continue to support me with any website requests and they resolve things within 24 hours, which is great for a business like mine.”
Moeed AminGoogle · client since 2019
“Wow, just wow! I am so impressed with WebTec's work on my website redesign. They took my vision and turned it into a stunning reality. The team was communicative, creative, and incredibly professional.”
BWilliam TBark · client since 2022
“We have used Webtec to build and maintain our website. We couldn't be more pleased with the speed and quality that they were able to deliver. We are in the process of refreshing our content on our website and the Webtec team has been very responsive and affordable! We would recommend them highly.”
Betsy RomeriGoogle · client since 2019
“I had a great experience working with Webtec. The team was knowledgeable, responsive, and professional throughout the entire process. They took the time to understand my business needs and created a website that exceeded my expectations. Good job guys!”
BEvelinaBark · client since 2023
“Webtec took the time to listen and understand what my business was truly about and came up with the creative solutions to help me showcase it.”
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