What are the red flags when hiring an AEO agency?

Why is a promised ranking or citation a red flag?

An agency can work toward better visibility, but it does not control an answer engine. Google says no one can promise a first-place Google ranking. Ask what the agency can control, what it hopes to improve, and how it will show you the result. A citation is when an AI answer links to your page or names you as its source. A promise that your firm will be cited treats a result outside the agency's control as if it were a deliverable.

Ask for the exact search, date, place and source behind each example of past work. The agency should explain what changed and show the source behind its claim. A screenshot is a useful starting point for checking a claim, especially when the example names a search your own clients might use. Look for the actual result and the work the agency says it delivered.

Example: A law firm hears that it will be named for a key practice area. The partner asks to see the promise in writing and what happens if the answer changes. The agency should be able to explain the limits instead of asking the firm to trust a sales slide.

Also ask what happens when an answer gets a fact wrong. Your firm needs a way to flag a wrong office, practice area or claim. The agency should say who receives the issue and what response it can offer. It should not imply it can force the outside system to change its answer. Ask whether examples reflect searches that matter to your clients, not just searches picked because they look good.

Past proof needs a clear scope. Look for the starting point, the period covered and the result measured. Check what work the agency says it did and what else changed during that period. A sales slide without those details leaves you unable to check the claim. Ask for a written example that identifies the result, the source and the limits of what it shows.

Distinguish a commitment to deliver work from a claim about an outside system. A proposal can specify pages, reviews and reports. It should also tell you how the agency will respond if an answer changes or an example can no longer be found. Ask to see the words that will appear in the agreement, including any conditions attached to a claimed result. A useful proof sheet gives the search, place, date and source for each example.

What should a useful report show?

A vague report is a red flag because you cannot tell what changed or what to do next. Before you sign, ask to see a sample report with the labels and notes a client would receive. It should name the questions and pages being reviewed, the period covered, and the source of each result. Ask who will explain it and how you can raise a concern.

Separate a mention from a visit and a visit from a new client. A mention tells you that a name appeared in an answer. It does not by itself tell you that someone visited your site or hired your firm. A lead is an inquiry, not a signed matter. Agree on those terms with the agency so a report does not blend unlike events into one score.

Google says traffic from its AI search features is included in its overall Search Console Web search traffic. Do not assume a general search traffic number proves how many people came from AI answers. Ask the agency to label what it can observe, what it estimates, and what it cannot tell. If a source or method changes, ask for that change to be noted alongside the result.

Example: A managing attorney sees a report that says the firm has more visibility. She asks which searches were checked, when they were checked and what the earlier report showed. She also asks how the firm can review any new inquiries without treating every inquiry as an AI referral.

A useful sample has sources next to the results and explains the terms in plain English. Keep copies of reports and any records you are entitled to use. Give your team a clear way to raise questions about a change or a missing source. Ask for an example showing how a missing result or uncertain source would appear, so you can see whether the report makes gaps visible.

For a large firm, a single total can hide a gap in a key market or make a local gain look like a firm-wide change. Look for separate views of offices and practice areas when they have different goals. Ask the agency to show what sits behind a summary and how your team can check an entry. The sample report should list the search questions, markets, pages and dates checked.

A report can support a decision even when a result is unclear. Ask how the agency will mark an entry it cannot verify and how it will record a correction. Compare the sample with the questions your team would bring to a review: which page is involved, what was observed, and what needs a decision? A useful record leaves room for a source and a note about its limits. It should let the next person reviewing the account follow the same trail without relying on a sales summary.

Who will do and review the work?

If the sales lead cannot say who will do the work, ask for names or clear roles before you sign. You need to know who leads the account, who writes or edits, and who checks facts. Ask which work goes to outside parties and who is your point of contact. A named role gives you a place to take a question when a page needs a change.

For a law firm, the review path matters as much as the draft. Ask how your firm will review claims about practice areas, offices, lawyers and past matters before anything goes live. Agree on who can approve a page and how corrections will be handled. Do not send private client facts just to make a draft sound more specific. Set the limits for access and information sharing in writing.

Example: A partner is shown a draft that describes a service the firm does not offer in one office. She needs to know who can correct it and who has authority to publish the revised page. A clear review path makes that decision easier to track.

A named account lead and a clear reviewer give your firm a route from a question to a person who can answer it. Check what happens if that person leaves or the work moves to another team. An agency that cannot name the people or roles responsible for the work leaves your firm guessing about who can resolve a problem.

Ask what the agency expects from your staff as well. A plan that needs review from lawyers, office leads and a web team should say so. Ask how much material the firm must supply and how delays or disputed facts will be handled. That lets you judge the work against the time your own people can give it.

A sample of the work should contain clear claims and sources your team can check. If the proposal relies on reviews or testimonials, look for evidence that they are truthful. An agency that brushes off the issue gives you less reason to trust its other claims. The FTC rule addresses fake reviews and testimonials.

Put the review path beside the scope. The document should say who prepares a page, who checks its claims, who can request a change and who has authority to approve publication. It should also explain where a question goes when the usual contact is away. That gives both teams a shared record to consult when a deadline or disputed claim needs attention. Ask to see a sample approval record with the responsible roles and the decision noted.

What should you check before you agree to the terms?

An exit that is hard to find or explain is a red flag. Read the full agreement, not just the proposal. Ask when the term starts, how it renews, how to give notice and what fees apply if you end it. Ask what happens if either side misses a duty. Get the answers in the signed terms, where your firm can find them later.

A fixed term is not proof of a bad deal. The question is whether the work, cost and exit fit your needs. Ask what you receive during the term and what must happen before the next phase begins. If the agency asks for a long commitment, ask why that term is needed and what choices you have if your goals change.

Example: A firm plans to merge two offices and may need to change its scope. The managing partner asks how a change request affects fees and the end date. A useful answer points to the clause and explains the next step in plain words.

A good answer sounds like this: 'Here is the notice clause, here is the renewal date, and here is the cost of each exit the contract allows.' Ask for any sales promise that matters to your decision to appear in the agreement. If a term is unclear, have your own counsel review it before the firm signs. A spoken assurance is hard to use as a shared reference when people leave or memories differ.

Plan for the end while the relationship is still going well. Ask who will provide the final files, who will remove agency access, and how long a handoff will take. List any accounts or services that must stay active for the site to work. Ask whether there are fees for a handoff and what help is included. Keep the answer with the contract so the next person in charge can find it.

A cover price that leaves out review, revisions or handoff can make an offer hard to judge. The written scope should identify what is included, what needs separate approval and how changes will be recorded. A missing notice clause or renewal date is a warning that the firm may not know how to leave. For a fuller review of engagement terms, see How long does an AEO agency engagement usually last?

Check the handoff against the actual accounts used for the work. A list of names alone may not tell your team whether it can sign in, update a page or retrieve a file. Ask the agency to identify the account holder, the person who can grant access and the records that will be delivered. If a third party controls an item, ask what permission your firm needs. The handoff list should sit with the notice and renewal clauses so the next account owner can find the full set of terms.

Compare the agreement with the proposal before signing. Mark any service that appears in a sales description but has no clear place in the scope. Ask how a change is requested, who can approve a charge and where the final decision is recorded. If the agreement points to another document, ask for that document too. Your counsel can review the complete set, including the notice clause, renewal terms and any handoff fees.

What should you own or be able to use when you leave?

Ask for a written list of the pages, drafts, images, data, reports and accounts involved in the work. For each item, ask who owns it, who can use it, and what access your firm keeps after the contract ends. Ownership and access are different: a firm may have a right to use a file but still need the agency to hand it over.

Do not assume that paying for a page means your firm owns its copyright. U.S. law sets conditions for commissioned work to count as work made for hire. A transfer of copyright ownership generally requires a signed writing. Ask your counsel to review the terms for the work you are buying, including any rights the agency retains or licenses to you.

Example: A firm wants to keep its published pages after changing providers. The partner asks for the source files, the right to edit them, and the terms for any third-party images. The answer should cover each item rather than say only that the firm owns its website.

Ask about AI-assisted material too. The U.S. Copyright Office says protection for AI output depends on enough human authorship, and prompts alone are not enough. A contract cannot settle every question about whether a particular output is protected. It can still state what each party is expected to provide and what rights it promises to grant. Ask who checks the source and accuracy of claims before your firm approves a page.

A good answer sounds like this: 'The agreement lists the work you can keep, the rights you receive, and the files we will hand over.' Ask for copies in a format your team can use. Check whether the firm has its own admin access to its site and accounts. Have your own team confirm access, rather than relying only on a line in a proposal.

For a group with several brands or offices, a shared account may hold records for more than one team. The agreement should identify who can grant access, who receives the files and which third-party licenses apply after the engagement. A vague promise that you own your website leaves those details open. U.S. law generally requires a signed writing to transfer copyright ownership.

A rights list should cover material in progress as well as published pages. Ask whether your team will receive editable files and whether it can revise the work after the relationship ends. Check the terms for images, outside research and other material supplied by a third party. If an item is licensed rather than owned, ask what the license permits and whether it continues after exit. The written list should connect each item to its rights and the file your team will receive.

Access deserves its own check. Ask who holds the main account, who can add or remove users and how your firm will retrieve records when the work ends. A contract can identify the handoff duties, but your team also needs usable files and access to the accounts named in it. Ask counsel to compare those practical steps with the rights described in the agreement. Under 17 U.S.C. 204, a transfer of copyright ownership generally requires a signed writing.

What should you ask before you sign?

• Show the proof behind each result and explain its limits
• Share a sample report with sources and clear terms
• Name the people who will do and review the work
• Put the scope, renewal and exit terms in writing
• List the files, rights and account access your firm keeps
• Agree on who approves claims before a page goes live