SEO Pricing
Working With an SEO Agency: Briefs, Contracts and Switching Safely
Clear briefs and contracts prevent most agency problems. Here’s what to cover.
Google’s guidance on hiring an SEO says you’re responsible for what the companies you hire do to your site, and recommends asking how they’ll communicate changes and explain their reasoning.
A good brief and contract make those expectations explicit from day one.
Short answer: Brief an SEO agency with your business goals, priority services or products, markets, current access and known issues. In the contract, check scope and deliverables, who implements changes, access arrangements, ownership of content and accounts, reporting, notice period, and a commitment to Google’s guidelines. When switching agencies, keep ownership of all accounts, remove old access, get a record of work done, and hand over to the new provider with a short audit.
Key Takeaways
- You own your accounts, domain and content; keep it that way.
- Define scope, implementation and reporting in writing.
- Ask for a commitment to Google’s guidelines.
- Add agencies as users; never share passwords.
- When switching, remove old access and get a work log.
What to put in a brief
- Business goals and how you measure them.
- Priority services, products and markets.
- Current site, platform and who can make changes.
- Known problems and past SEO work.
- Budget and timeline expectations.
- How you want to communicate and how often.
Contract checklist
| Topic | What to check |
|---|---|
| Scope | Specific deliverables per month or project |
| Implementation | Who makes changes: agency, your developer or your team |
| Access | Users added to your accounts; read-only where possible |
| Ownership | You own content, data and accounts created for you |
| Guidelines | Commitment to Google Search Essentials and spam policies |
| Reporting | What’s reported and how often (reporting) |
| Notice and exit | Notice period, handover and access removal |
Switching agencies safely
- Confirm you own Search Console, Analytics, Business Profile, domain and hosting accounts.
- Ask for a log of changes made and any links built.
- Remove the old agency’s user access.
- Check for anything only the agency controlled: redirects, plugins, tracking codes.
- Have the new provider run a short audit (what an audit should include).
Frequently asked questions
Who should own my Google Search Console and Analytics?
You should. Add agencies as users.
Can an agency remove work when I leave?
Your contract should state that content and changes made for you remain yours.
What if my old agency bought links?
Review your links and see unnatural links recovery if there’s a manual action.
Want a second opinion before you hire?
Request a free SEO audit. You’ll get a clear view of what your site needs, with no obligation to hire us.
Sources
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.
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- Agency SEO SOPs: Standard Processes for Onboarding, Audits, Content, Reporting and Offboarding
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