Start with the commercial job the provider has to solve
Trades SEO is usually purchased to create more local enquiries for specific services. That makes service-area strategy, Google Business Profile and conversion tracking more important than broad national traffic.
Write that objective into the brief before requesting proposals. It gives every shortlisted provider the same starting point and makes vague feature lists easier to challenge.
Compare the proposal line by line
| Compare | Ask before signing |
|---|---|
| Services | Which high-value services get their own pages? |
| Locations | Which areas genuinely deserve targeted pages? |
| GBP | What profile optimisation and ongoing work is included? |
| Reviews | How will the business request genuine reviews consistently? |
| Technical | Who fixes website issues that block local pages? |
| Calls | How are phone and quote enquiries measured? |
The sector-specific issue your shortlist should understand
The proposal should make clear how a customer searching for a specific job in a real service area reaches a relevant page and can contact the business immediately.
Ask the provider to explain how this changes its recommended scope. A useful answer should affect the actual pages, campaigns, content, tracking or workflow being proposed.
Ask for proof that matches the work you are buying
Ask for a real first-90-day plan covering service pages, GBP, technical fixes and local measurement.
Proof should help you evaluate capability, not pressure you into a decision. Where client data cannot be shared, a provider can still demonstrate its process, live owned properties, sample deliverables or anonymised implementation detail without inventing results.
Agree ownership and access before work begins
Clarify which accounts, domains, platforms, analytics properties, creative files and source data belong to your business. You should also know what remains accessible if you change supplier later. Ownership is easiest to agree before the first invoice is paid.
Make reporting answer a buying question
Ask what the provider will report and which decisions those numbers will change. A useful report should connect activity to the objective in the brief, whether that is qualified enquiries, bookings, quote requests, purchases, visibility for priority commercial pages or another defined outcome.
Watch for this red flag
Choose the provider that can explain what is not needed yet
A strong proposal does not have to be the biggest one. The provider should be able to separate essential first-stage work from items that can wait until there is evidence to justify them. That is often a better sign of commercial judgement than a long feature list.
Put Kydos into your shortlist
Compare the published Kydos scope against the providers you are already speaking to, then request a focused quote if the fit looks right.
See Kydos SEO ScopeFrequently asked questions
What should I compare between SEO providers?
Compare the exact deliverables, responsibility split, approval process, ownership, reporting, support and the commercial outcome the provider is expected to improve.
Should I choose a specialist agency for trades and home services?
Specialist experience can help, but it is not enough on its own. Check whether the provider understands your buying journey, can implement the required work and communicates the scope clearly.
Should I ask for a proposal before hiring?
Yes. Give shortlisted providers the same brief so you can compare assumptions, exclusions, deliverables and commercial terms on a like-for-like basis.
What is a warning sign when comparing agencies?
The agency sells hundreds of location pages with near-identical wording.
What proof should I ask to see?
Ask for a real first-90-day plan covering service pages, GBP, technical fixes and local measurement.
How can I compare Kydos with another provider?
Use Kydos' published service and pricing pages as one benchmark, then compare the other proposal against the same questions on scope, implementation, ownership and support.