Turn every SEO proposal into a deliverables table
Ask the agency to separate recurring work from one-off setup. Keyword research, technical fixes, content production, link acquisition, Google Business Profile work, reporting and strategy may all be described as “SEO management”, but the labour and value are very different.
| SEO area | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Keyword research | Is this initial only or refreshed as new opportunities appear? |
| On-page SEO | How many priority pages are actually optimised each month? |
| Technical SEO | Does the agency implement fixes or only send recommendations? |
| Content | How many pages/articles are created or improved? |
| Links | What type of off-page work is included and how is quality assessed? |
| Local SEO | Are location pages and Google Business Profile included? |
Do not buy reporting as if it were optimisation
Monthly dashboards are useful, but reporting is not the work itself. Ask what will physically change on the website during an average month. A good answer should name pages, issues, content or experiments rather than only ranking reports.
Use the Kydos SEO tiers as a scope benchmark
Kydos' Basic SEO scope includes keyword research, on-page optimisation and a monthly performance report. Advanced adds off-page optimisation/link building and technical SEO fixes such as site speed and mobile usability. Enterprise adds local SEO, content creation/optimisation for blogs and landing pages, plus a dedicated SEO strategist. All are custom quoted.
That structure makes it easier to ask another agency which level of work its retainer actually resembles.
Ask who implements technical fixes
An audit that identifies 50 issues has limited value if nobody is responsible for implementing them. If the agency does not have development access or technical capability, establish whether your own developer must do the work and whether that cost sits outside the retainer.
Compare SEO around commercial pages, not traffic alone
For a business ready to invest, the objective should be visibility for searches that can create enquiries or sales. Ask which service, location and bottom-of-funnel pages the agency would prioritise first and why. Large traffic projections from broad informational content are not automatically better.
Challenge guarantees before signing
No agency controls Google's rankings. Be cautious with guaranteed position-one promises, especially when the provider cannot explain the query set, competition, current website authority or timeline assumptions.
Choose the retainer that matches your bottleneck
If your site has strong technical foundations but weak commercial content, paying primarily for another audit is unlikely to be the best fit. If the site has indexing and speed problems, a content-heavy retainer may not fix the first constraint. The proposal should reflect your current site, not a generic package.
Compare Kydos before you make the final decision
Kydos publishes Basic, Advanced and Enterprise SEO scopes as custom-quoted options. Use them as one benchmark when comparing retainers.
See Kydos SEO OptionsFrequently asked questions
How much do SEO agencies in Manchester charge?
Pricing varies by competition, website size and scope. Kydos currently custom quotes SEO rather than publishing one universal monthly price.
What should an SEO retainer include?
It should clearly define the work across research, on-page optimisation, technical SEO, content, off-page work, local SEO and reporting as relevant to your goals.
Should an SEO agency create content?
If content is part of the strategy, clarify whether the agency writes, edits and uploads it or only provides briefs.
How long should I sign an SEO contract for?
SEO often needs sustained work, but contract terms are a commercial decision. Ask what the agency expects to complete at 30, 90 and 180 days before agreeing to a long commitment.
What should an SEO report show?
Commercially useful reporting should connect visibility and traffic to priority pages, enquiries or other meaningful conversion actions rather than only showing rankings.
Can I compare Kydos SEO with another Manchester agency?
Yes. Use the published Basic, Advanced and Enterprise scopes to compare which tasks are actually included in each proposal.