Results, not activities
What should count is visibility, clicks and inquiries. A report saying “20 measures implemented” tells you nothing about whether those measures had any effect.
SEO second opinion
Switching SEO agency? Get an independent second opinion
Before you renew or cancel: clear findings on what your agency has actually delivered. It is based on our SEO audit, extended with a review of the work done, the reporting and the timesheets.
25+ years of experience
46+ client projects
Fixed price, same as the SEO audit
How do you know if your SEO agency is doing good work?
Many companies cannot judge their agency's work because they lack the specialist knowledge. Four areas still give you a good first impression.
Transparency on hours and work
You should be able to match every billed hour to a specific task. If you do not know where the hours go, you have no basis for any assessment.
Initiative and strategy, not just reports
An agency that sends numbers every month but never makes its own suggestions is administering your SEO. Good support spots opportunities and problems before you ask.
Subject-matter quality of the content
With products that need explaining, you quickly see whether the texts are right. Shallow or factually wrong content damages trust with customers, Google and AI systems.
Good SEO agency: 10 questions to check
If you answer more than three questions with “no” or “don't know”, a second opinion is worth it.
- Have clicks and inquiries from organic search grown since the engagement started, excluding searches for your company name?
- Do you know which search terms your agency is working on, and why those?
- Can you match every billed hour to a specific task?
- Does the reporting show which task caused which change?
- In the last six months, did you get suggestions you did not ask for yourself?
- Are the texts factually correct, and would your own experts approve them as they are?
- Are Search Console, Analytics and Tag Manager on an account owned by your company?
- Do you know the backlinks built in your name and where they come from?
- Has the agency checked how ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews mention your company?
- Do you know what gets handed over if you cancel, and which notice period applies?
What we review in an SEO second opinion
The technical checkpoints and the report are the same as in the SEO audit. For the second opinion, we add the comparison of work and impact, the reporting and the handover.
| Area | What we review | Where the data comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility and clicks | Development of impressions, clicks and positions since the engagement started, split into searches with and without your company name | Google Search Console (up to 16 months back) |
| Inquiries | Whether visitors from organic search turn into inquiries or orders | Google Analytics, CRM |
| Work vs. impact | Which billed tasks were carried out and what changed afterwards | Reports, invoices, timesheets, changes to the website |
| Technology | Indexing, crawling, loading time, structured data and redirects | SEO audit (crawl of the website) |
| Content | Factual accuracy, fit with search intent, overlaps between pages | Website content, feedback from your experts |
| Backlinks | Origin and quality of the links built | Backlink profile, the agency's link list |
| AI visibility | Whether and how your company is mentioned in AI answers | Spot checks in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews |
How the independent review of your agency's work runs
Your current agency does not need to be involved. We work with read access and the documents you already have.
1
Access
You give us read access to Search Console and Analytics and send us reports, invoices or timesheets.
2
Data analysis
We analyze visibility, clicks and inquiries since the engagement started and run the SEO audit.
3
Work vs. impact
We put the billed work next to the development of the data and check what actually had an effect.
4
Findings
You receive written findings: what works, what is missing and what we recommend.
5
Call
We go through the findings with you. You decide whether to renew, renegotiate or switch.
Switch or stay? Three possible outcomes
A second opinion is not a sales pitch. It can also show that you should stay with your agency.
A
Stay, with clear goals
The work is solid, but goals and reporting are missing. You renew and agree on measurable goals and reporting you can follow.
B
Renegotiate
Some areas work well, others are missing entirely, such as content or AI visibility. You adjust scope and priorities in the contract.
C
Switch
The work and its impact do not match. Then you plan the switch with the handover checklist so that you lose as few rankings as possible.
Switching SEO agency without losing rankings: the handover checklist
Typical pitfalls when switching are accounts that sit with the agency and redirects nobody documented. Clear these points before you cancel.
Access and accounts
- Google Search Console with owner rights for your company
- Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager
- CMS with administrator access
- Hosting and DNS
- Google Business Profile
Documents and deadlines
- Agreed in writing who owns texts, images and accounts
- List of the backlinks built
- All redirects that were set up
- Ongoing tasks and open to-dos
- Notice period according to the contract
If the switch coincides with a new website, a redirect plan and checks after go-live are part of it. More on this under SEO support for website relaunches.
Your agency does not offer GEO?
If your agency only does classic SEO, visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews shows up in none of its reports. That is why the second opinion also checks whether and how your company is mentioned in AI answers.
For a deeper measurement there is the GEO/LLMO audit. How we build visibility in AI answers on an ongoing basis is described on the page GEO agency Switzerland. How to run SEO and GEO in one plan instead of two separate engagements is explained in the guide Combining SEO and GEO.
Guides on choosing an SEO agency
Looking for a new agency after the second opinion? Criteria, warning signs and twelve questions for the first meeting are in the guide How to choose an SEO agency.
Frequently asked questions about the SEO second opinion
How do I know if my SEO agency is doing good work?
Good work shows in results: more clicks, better positions for your important search terms and more inquiries from organic search. Add to that timesheets you can follow, suggestions that come from the agency itself and factually correct content. Reports that only list activities are not proof.
What is an SEO second opinion?
An SEO second opinion is an independent review of whether the work of your current SEO agency has led to measurable results. At SEOX, it is the SEO audit, extended with a comparison of the billed work with the development in Search Console and Analytics. At the end you get written findings with a recommendation.
How does an independent review of past agency work run?
You give us read access to Search Console and Analytics and send us the agency's reports, invoices or timesheets. We analyze the data, compare the work with its impact and review technology, content and backlinks. We go through the findings with you in a call, then you decide.
Which access and data do you need?
We need read access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics, plus the agency's reports, invoices or timesheets and the contract with the agreed scope of services. A list of the backlinks built and access to the CMS also help. Write access is not needed for the review.
How do I switch SEO agency without losing rankings?
First move all access to your own company account, before you cancel. Have the link list, redirects and open tasks handed over, and do not change any URLs or content until the new agency has reviewed the current state. If a relaunch is coming up at the same time, a redirect plan and checks after go-live are part of it.
What must the old agency hand over?
The agency should hand over owner rights to Search Console, Analytics, Tag Manager and Google Business Profile, access to CMS, hosting and DNS, the list of backlinks built, all redirects that were set up and an overview of ongoing tasks. Also agree in writing who owns texts, images and accounts.
What if my agency does not offer GEO?
First check how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews mention your company today. A GEO/LLMO audit shows you this. After that, you can have your current agency add GEO or give it to an agency that handles SEO and GEO together. The second opinion includes AI visibility.
What does transparent SEO reporting look like?
Transparent reporting shows what was done in the month, how much time was billed for it and how clicks, positions and inquiries developed. It names the next tasks and explains why. A list of metrics with no link to the work done is not transparent reporting.
Renewing the contract? Get it reviewed first.
Tell us in a free call what bothers you about your agency's work. We tell you what we would review and what you will have in hand at the end. You can work with us in English.