Costs
Part of Ecommerce SEO: Fix a Stale Shipping Promise
Ecommerce SEO agencies: screening a proposal before you sign
How to screen an ecommerce SEO agency proposal: the promises that disqualify, what a first audit must contain, and the exit terms to put in writing.
What to take away
- Sort every promise in a proposal into what you can check against your own data and what you cannot.
- Rank guarantees, undisclosed link buying and mass AI page publishing are disqualifiers, not negotiation points.
- Ask for a sample audit of your own catalog before signing, not a slide deck of past wins.
- Keep the Google Search Console, analytics and ad accounts in your name, or walk.
- Score every finalist on the same anonymized problem, and price the exit in writing.
Sort the promises before you read the price
A proposal is a list of promises, and some of them cannot be checked. Rank or traffic guarantees fall in that group, because search systems, competition, demand and inventory are not fully under an agency's control. A guarantee is a screening signal, not a promise.
| Proposal line | Acceptable form | Screening signal |
|---|---|---|
| Rankings or traffic | A stated method and its limits | A guarantee |
| Links | A disclosed method | Undisclosed link buying |
| Content | Reviewed pages tied to product data | Mass AI page publishing |
| Accounts | Search Console, analytics and ads in your name | Access held by the agency |
| Exit | Exports, revoked access and transition hours priced | A hidden exit cost |
Screen risky agencies out
- Client owns Search Console and CMS
- Named staff and hours per role
- Sample audit of your URLs
- Method written down, limits included
- Reporting defines metric and limits
- Exit terms cover exports and transition
- No ranking or revenue guarantee
Check the methods against Google's spam policies
Google's spam policies name cloaking, doorway pages, link spam, scaled content abuse and misleading functionality as practices that can affect search eligibility. Ask how each proposed piece of work gets reviewed against those policies, and who signs that review off.
Ownership belongs in the same conversation. Search Console and analytics access in the agency's name leaves you with nothing to show when the retainer ends, so the ownership rules for URLs belong in the contract itself.
Demand a first audit built on your URLs
Ask for a sample audit of your own catalog before signing. It should carry five parts, in this order.
- Scopewhat was examined and what was left out.
- Evidence, with URL samples taken from your catalog.
- Business effectwhat each finding is worth to the store.
- Priorities, dependencies and risks.
- Tests and stated limits.
If it arrives without your URLs in it, it is a sales document. Compare its findings with a pre-release checklist, and ask the agency to explain every gap.
Read the limits section first. An audit that states what it could not test is more useful than one claiming full coverage, because the gaps tell you what to price and what to ask about before the retainer starts.
Match each agency's stated strengths to your store
These firms publish ecommerce-specific service pages and verifiable case work. The table records what each says it does, not a ranking. Verify current pricing directly, since retainers move.
Ecommerce SEO agency shortlist
Inflow
- Known for
- Ecommerce SEO, paid media
- Fits
- Mid-market stores
Absolute Digital
- Known for
- Technical SEO, paid search
- Fits
- UK and EU catalogs
OuterBox
- Known for
- Shopify, BigCommerce SEO
- Fits
- Stores needing site work
Netpeak
- Known for
- Audits, link building
- Fits
- Larger catalogs
| Agency | Known for | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Inflow | Ecommerce SEO and paid media | Mid-market stores wanting both from one firm |
| Absolute Digital Media | Technical SEO plus paid search for retail | UK and EU catalogs |
| OuterBox | Shopify and BigCommerce SEO, design and CRO under one roof | Stores that also need site work |
| Netpeak | Technical audits and link building at scale | Larger catalogs with engineering support |
| Siege Media | Content-led SEO with original research | Brands that can supply subject experts |
Smaller specialists exist for platform migrations and product-feed defects. A two-person migration specialist can beat a large firm when the defect is in product data. Ask any finalist for two references at your catalog size, then call them.
Treat references and results as claims
The FTC advertising substantiation policy requires a reasonable basis before objective advertising claims go out. That applies to an agency's own published results. Reproduce one material claim with your own data before you recommend a provider or copy a case.
If the method is unavailable, treat the claim as a lead to test, not a result. The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials rule addresses deceptive and unfair conduct involving reviews and testimonials, so a glowing quote in a proposal is also a claim to check.
Score finalists on one problem and price the exit
Give every finalist the same anonymized problem and score the answers side by side.
A large firm and a specialist answer the same brief, and the differences show in how each handles your URLs, product data and limits, not in the pitch. Price implementation, paid tools, content and transition separately. A retainer that hides the exit cost is the expensive one.
Ask which hours are billed to hand over exports, tracking setup and content files, and have the answer written into the contract.
Common questions
Can agencies pay to join this list?
No. Inclusion here rests on published ecommerce work and checkable references. Any sponsored placement elsewhere must be disclosed and should not replace a scoring method.
Who should own Search Console and analytics?
You should. Keep them in your own name and give the agency delegated access, so revoking it at the end of the retainer takes one step.
Should an agency guarantee rankings or traffic?
No. Search systems, competition, demand and inventory are not fully under an agency's control. A guarantee is a screening signal, not a promise.
