How to Choose a Law Firm SEO Agency: Questions to Ask

The short answer: Choose on evidence, not on a promise. Google publishes a list of questions to put to any SEO, and its red flags are blunt: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." A law firm needs three more checks from the SRA Code of Conduct: who approves the wording, whether the agency contacts people directly, and whether it takes a fee for introducing clients. We've put all of them in one place, and we read the sources on 10 November 2026.

What does Google say to ask an SEO?

Google's own page on hiring an SEO lists questions to put to a candidate. We've kept them close to Google's wording, but the third column is our advice on listening, not Google's.

Ask	Google's question	What a good answer sounds like
1	"Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories?"	Real pages you can open, and a reason they worked
2	"Do you follow the Google Search Essentials?"	A yes, and an example of how
3	"What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe?"	A range and a reason, not a promise
4	"How do you measure your success?"	Enquiries and calls by practice area, not traffic alone
5	"What's your experience in my industry?" and "in my country/city?"	An honest answer, including where they've got none
6	"How long have you been in business?"	A date you can check
7	"How can I expect to communicate with you?"	A named person and a rhythm, such as a monthly call
8	"Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site?"	Yes, in writing, with reasons

Google adds three more tests, and they're below. Your SEO "should ask questions about what makes your business unique, who your competitors are, how search results can help, and how your customers find you." Check "your SEO's business references" too. And ask whether they "cite official Google documentation as supporting evidence for their recommendations."

What extra should a law firm ask?

Three questions come from the SRA Code of Conduct, not Google. Paragraphs 8.6 to 8.11 of the Code for Solicitors apply to firms through paragraph 7.1 of the Code of Conduct for Firms, so they cover your website and marketing whoever writes it.

1. Who approves the wording?

Paragraph 8.8 says publicity must be "accurate and not misleading, including that relating to your charges". The Code puts that duty on the firm, not on the agency. The right answer from an agency: "your compliance officer signs off every page before it goes live, and we've built in the time for that." Our SRA website checklist lists the pages that need that sign-off.

2. Will you contact people on our behalf?

Paragraph 8.9 says a solicitor does not "make unsolicited approaches to members of the public, with the exception of current or former clients" to advertise legal services. The firm version is paragraph 7.1(c), and it's the same standard.

The SRA's guidance says advertising isn't banned. You may advertise "on the radio or TV, on billboards, in a local newspaper, online or on a social media platform", because none of those is a targeted approach. The SRA gives one example of a breach: a firm that picks people from online media who've recently been in a major road traffic accident and sends them a letter. If an agency's plan involves messaging named individuals, don't go ahead until you've asked your SRA compliance officer.

3. Do you charge for introducing clients?

Paragraph 5.1 of the Code for Solicitors, which paragraph 7.1(b) of the Code for Firms applies to firms, covers "any third party who introduces business to you or with whom you share your fees". Where it applies, the firm must make sure clients are told of any financial interest or fee sharing arrangement, the fee sharing agreement is in writing, and no client has been acquired "in a way which would breach the SRA's regulatory arrangements if the person acquiring the client were regulated by the SRA". Paragraph 5.2 says that where the SRA thinks a firm has made or received a referral fee, the payment "will be treated as a referral fee unless you show that the payment was not made as such."

An agency that charges per enquiry or takes a share of fees might fall inside these SRA paragraphs, and it isn't for us to say. Because we're not lawyers, take that to your compliance officer before signing, although a flat monthly fee for defined work doesn't raise the question.

What red flags should stop you signing?

Google lists the warning signs, and we've quoted the main ones.

A guaranteed ranking. "If they guarantee you that their changes will give you first place in search results, find someone else."
A special relationship. Google says to beware of anyone who claims one, or advertises a "priority submit" to Google.
Secrecy. "Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do."
Link schemes. "You should never have to link to an SEO." Avoid anyone talking about "link popularity schemes or submitting your site to thousands of search engines."
Unsolicited email. Google says to be wary of agencies that email you out of the blue.
Tools sold as approved. Google says to be wary of tools that claim to be "acceptable" or "approved" by Google Search.
Deception in your name. "If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, your site could be removed entirely from Google's index." And "you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire."

What should you have in writing before you sign?

Some of this is Google's advice and some is ours, and we've marked which is which.

Read-only access first. Google: during an audit, "only grant read access to Search Console", not write access.
A change log. Google: ask for "all the changes you make to my site" and the reasoning. Ours: put that in the contract.
Ownership. Ours: the website, domain, Google profile and analytics should be in the firm's name from day one.
A scope and a total. Ours: see our guide to law firm SEO costs for a way to compare quotes.
A realistic estimate. Google: an audit "should be about giving you realistic estimates of improvement, and an estimate of the work involved."
A way out. Ours: a notice period you can live with. Our Local SEO plan has a three-month minimum, then 30 days' notice.

How can you compare agencies side by side?

Use the same sheet for every call to a Google-savvy agency, so you aren't comparing from memory. Score each answer 0 (evasive), 1 (vague) or 2 (clear and written down). This is our own tool, not a Google or SRA test, and the questions are the ones above.

Question	Agency A	Agency B	Agency C
Examples of previous work you can open
Results and timeframe, as a range
How success is measured
Who does the work, by name
Changes shared in writing
Compliance officer signs off wording
No direct outreach to individuals
No fee for introducing clients, or a written agreement
No guarantees
Total cost, scope and exclusions in writing
Total score

Any 0 in the sixth to ninth rows is a reason to pause, whatever the total says, and it's worth asking why.

How do we answer the same questions?

Ask Renozer all of them, and we'll answer in writing. A few answers up front:

Who does the work? Younus plans and checks every project himself.
Where are you? We're remote, and we work with UK firms by video call from Karachi, Pakistan. We aren't an agency on your high street, so if you need one, we're not it.
Do you guarantee positions? No. Google says nobody can, and we don't.
What do you report on? Enquiries and calls by practice area, rankings query by query and, on our AI plans, whether assistants name your firm.

Our law firm SEO and website service explains what we do for solicitors, and our SEO service covers the wider approach. If you'd like to talk it through, our Renozer free audit ends in a written recommendation.

Questions people ask

What should I ask an SEO agency before hiring them?

Google suggests asking for examples of previous work, whether they follow Google Search Essentials, what results and timeframe to expect, how they measure success, their experience in your industry and country, and how they'll communicate. It also advises checking business references.

Can an SEO agency email me out of the blue?

They can, but Google says to be wary. Its guidance tells you to reserve the same scepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as for diet pills, and it warns against anyone who claims a special relationship with Google.

Can an agency contact people on a firm's behalf?

The SRA's Code of Conduct para 8.9 bars unsolicited approaches to members of the public, except current or former clients. The SRA's guidance says advertising online, on radio, TV or billboards is allowed when it's non-intrusive and non-targeted. Check any outreach with your compliance officer first.

How much access should an agency have before I've signed?

Google advises granting only read access to Search Console while an SEO carries out an audit, and no write access at that stage. A clear explanation of every change they make should be part of the deal.

Do we need an agency that only works with law firms?

Law firm experience helps. What matters most is that the agency knows which SRA rules apply to your website and is happy for your compliance officer to approve the wording. Ask every agency, us included, how they handle that.