Written by Craig Fearn
Founder & Strategic Advisor
📚 Part of Complete Guide
Digital Marketing Cornwall: Complete Guide for Local Businesses
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The wrong SEO agency will waste your money. The right one will change your business. The tricky part? They often sound exactly the same in their sales pitches. Here's how to tell the difference.
This guide explains what Cornwall SEO agencies should offer, questions to ask, and how to evaluate proposals properly.
What Should Cornwall SEO Agencies Offer?
Comprehensive local SEO services combined with transparent communication.
Google Business Profile management forms the foundation of local SEO. Your agency should optimise your profile completely, create regular posts, manage reviews, and track local pack rankings. The local pack often delivers more clicks than organic results.
Technical SEO ensures your website works properly. This includes fixing site speed issues, ensuring mobile functionality, implementing proper URL structures, and resolving any crawl errors. Many Cornwall websites have technical problems preventing good rankings regardless of other SEO work.
Content strategy should focus on topics your customers actually search for. Generic content doesn't help—you need pages and posts addressing specific services, locations, and customer questions. Good agencies conduct proper keyword research before creating content.
What Questions Should You Ask Potential Agencies?
Ask specific questions that reveal their actual approach and experience.
"Can you show me case studies from Cornwall businesses?" Real results from local businesses demonstrate relevant experience. Ask to see traffic graphs, ranking improvements, and ideally, business impact (leads generated, revenue increase). Vague claims about "improving rankings" aren't sufficient.
"What's your approach to link building?" Legitimate agencies explain their link-building methods clearly. They should mention creating valuable content that naturally attracts links, reaching out to relevant Cornwall businesses and organisations, and building relationships. Red flags include mentions of PBNs (private blog networks), buying links, or refusing to explain their methods.
"How do you measure success?" Good agencies track metrics that matter to your business—not just rankings. They should discuss tracking phone calls, form submissions, and ideally revenue attribution. Rankings matter, but only as they contribute to business growth.
How Do You Evaluate SEO Proposals?
Look beyond pricing to evaluate scope, expectations, and communication.
Scope of work should be specific. "SEO services" is too vague. The proposal should detail exactly what work they'll do—technical audits, on-page optimisation, content creation (how many pieces per month), link building (what methods), and ongoing monitoring.
Timeline expectations need to be realistic. According to Google's guidance, SEO typically takes 3-6 months to show noticeable results. Proposals promising first-page rankings within weeks should be rejected immediately.
Communication structure matters. How often will you receive reports? What format do they take? Who's your primary contact? Will you have regular calls or meetings? Clear communication expectations prevent frustration later.
What Red Flags Indicate Poor Agencies?
Several warning signs should make you walk away immediately.
Guaranteed rankings indicate either dishonesty or ignorance. Nobody can guarantee specific rankings because nobody controls Google's algorithm. Legitimate SEO services set realistic expectations.
Suspiciously low pricing usually means corners are being cut. Proper SEO requires time from skilled people. If pricing seems too good to be true, question what's actually being done—or not being done.
Lack of transparency about methods suggests tactics that violate Google's guidelines. If they won't explain their approach, assume they're using risky techniques that could get your site penalised.
Ready to Choose Your SEO Partner?
Choosing the right SEO agency determines whether your investment delivers returns or wastes money on tactics that could harm your website. Take your time, ask detailed questions, and evaluate proposals critically.
At Outcome Digital Marketing, we're transparent about our methods, set realistic expectations, and focus on results that actually matter to Cornwall businesses. Our SEO services follow Google's guidelines and deliver sustainable growth.
Craig Fearn
Founder & Strategic Advisor
Craig brings strategic business advisory experience to digital marketing, having spent over a decade advising C-suite executives and boards on organizational strategy. As a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH) and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), he applies evidence-based thinking to marketing strategy—helping Cornwall businesses make informed decisions backed by research, not hype.

