Free agency audit
Is your SEO agency earning its retainer?
A free, independent second opinion on the agency you already pay: what they promised, what they delivered, what it earned, and whether to keep, fix or replace them.
Get a free agency audit 5 audits a month · scorecard within 5 business days
- Free, no strings
- Read-only access, never passwords
- I never contact your agency
Your business / Your agency · 9 months reviewed
- Scope vs. delivery
- B
- Results vs. spend
- C
- Work quality
- C
- Reporting
- D
- Ownership and risk
- A
Verdict: Fix
Illustrative example, not a real client.
What you get
A straight answer in a week
A one-page scorecard
A letter grade for each of five areas, with one line of evidence behind every grade. Short enough to read in two minutes and forward to your boss.
A 30-minute walkthrough
I take you through the verdict first, then the evidence, and answer whatever you want to ask before your next agency meeting.
Three things to raise
Specific changes to ask your agency for, so the audit turns into a better next quarter, not just a grade.
What the audit covers
Five areas, graded on evidence
The same rubric I use to review agencies for our Top SEO Firms directory, pointed at yours.
| Area | The question | What I check |
|---|---|---|
| Scope vs. delivery | Did they do what the contract says? | Contracted deliverables against what reports and your site show shipped: pages published, links built, fixes made, meetings held. |
| Results vs. spend | Is the retainer paying for itself? | Search Console clicks, impressions and money-page rankings since they started; leads or revenue from organic; total spend to date. |
| Work quality | Is the work any good? | New and lost backlinks, content depth and accuracy, and technical health before and after. |
| Reporting | Can you tell what's happening? | Whether reports tie to leads and revenue or only rankings; a named contact; how often your account lead changed. |
| Ownership and risk | Could you leave cleanly? | Who owns your Google Business Profile, analytics, site and content; lock-in terms; anything against Google's guidelines. |
How it works
Three minutes from you, the rest from me
- Tell me about your agencyA three-minute form below. Contract and reports can follow by email.
- Share read-only accessSearch Console (restricted user) and Google Analytics (viewer). I send step-by-step instructions.
- I grade the workTraffic, rankings, links, content and your contract, checked against what you were promised.
- Scorecard and callWithin 5 business days of access: the scorecard, then a 30-minute walkthrough.
The verdict
Keep, fix or replace
Keep
Good work at a fair price. You get the scorecard and three things to raise, and I check in at 90 days.
Fix
A good partner with specific gaps. I show you exactly what to ask for, and check in at 60 days.
Replace
The gaps are structural. I help you plan a clean exit, and show you what fractional SEO would cover for the same budget.
"Keep" is a real answer and I give it when it's earned. An audit only ends with a pitch if the verdict is Replace or you ask for one.
Ground rules
How I keep it fair
- About the work, never the people I grade deliverables and outcomes, not your agency's staff.
- Confidential Your data, reports and contract stay private. Nothing from your audit appears anywhere without your written permission.
- Conflicts disclosed If your agency is listed in our directory, or one I've worked with, I tell you before starting and you can decline.
- No access you can't take back Read-only access only. I never ask for passwords or admin rights, and I remove my access when we're done.
- Not legal advice I'll note plain facts like notice periods and ownership. For anything contractual, ask your attorney.
Request your audit
Start your free audit
About three minutes. I reply within one business day with the access steps.
I take 5 audits a month. Once they're gone, you'll join the waitlist for next month and I'll give you an honest start date.
After you send this
- Read-only Search Console access
- Read-only Google Analytics access
- Your contract and last 3 reports, if not attached here
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is it really free?
Yes. The scorecard and the walkthrough call cost nothing, and there's nothing to sign. I limit it to 5 a month so each one gets proper attention.
Will my agency know?
Only if you tell them. I never contact your agency, and I only use read-only access you can remove at any time.
What access do you need?
Read-only Search Console and Google Analytics, plus your contract and recent reports. Never passwords, admin rights or access to your website.
What if my agency is one of your listed picks?
I'll tell you before we start, and you can choose to go ahead or not. The same goes for any agency I've worked with.
Are you going to try to sell me something?
No. If the verdict is Keep or Fix, you get the scorecard and the three things to raise. I only talk about fractional SEO if the verdict is Replace or you ask.
Choosing an agency, not reviewing one?
Send me the proposals and I'll tell you which one I'd sign, and why.