Start with transparency. A legitimate SEO company will walk you through their process in the first conversation—technical site audit, keyword research approach, content strategy, link acquisition methods. If they can't explain what they'll actually do in plain language, that's a red flag. Ask to see sample reports from current clients (anonymized is fine). You want to see metrics beyond just rankings: organic traffic trends, conversion data, technical issue tracking. Check verifiable results. Request 2-3 client references and actually call them. Ask how long until they saw meaningful traffic increases (typically 4-8 months for competitive markets like Toronto or Vancouver), whether the agency meets deadlines, and if reporting is clear. Browse the agency's own site—if their blog hasn't been updated in two years or their site loads slowly, they're not practicing what they preach. Watch for these warning signs: - Guaranteed first-page rankings (Google's algorithm has 200+ factors; no one controls it) - Dirt-cheap monthly retainers under $1,500 CAD (quality SEO requires serious hours) - Vague talk about "proprietary systems" without explaining the actual work - Pressure to sign long contracts before they've audited your site Ask about their link building approach specifically. Ethical agencies focus on digital PR, content partnerships, and earning links through quality resources. If they mention bulk directory submissions or PBNs (private blog networks), walk away. CRA and other Canadian directories matter for local SEO, but links should come from real editorial placement. At Ottawa SEO, we typically spend the first week just auditing—technical crawl, competitor gap analysis, content inventory—before proposing strategy. A good agency invests time understanding your business model and margin structure, because SEO priorities shift dramatically whether you're e-commerce, lead-gen, or SaaS. If someone proposes a strategy in the first 30-minute call, they're guessing. Look for agencies that ask more questions than they answer initially.