What is an SEO company and how to choose the right one

Hiring an SEO company is a big move for any business trying to grow online. But it can feel like you're wading through a swamp of jargon and promises that are hard to pin down.

And in 2026, SEO isn't just about cramming keywords into a blog post. It’s a complex mix of technical skill, smart content strategy, and now, a whole new world of optimizing for generative AI engines like ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews.

Honestly, I’ve been doing SEO for over 25 years now and still don’t know it all. It’s always changing, and I can tell you that there are some basic SEO tasks you could learn quickly. But, even a lot of seos are still using keyword SEO techniques, which is not working as well these days in this AI world we are in now. It’s not about keywords, backlinks, and stuff like that. It’s more about entity SEO, AI, and how the search engines understand natural language.

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This guide is here to cut through the confusion. We'll break down what a modern SEO company actually does, how you can vet potential partners with real-world criteria, and what you should expect to pay. We’ll also touch on how AI tools are changing the content creation game, which is the heart of good SEO. At eesel, we saw this firsthand when we used our own eesel AI blog writer to scale our daily impressions from just 700 to over 750,000 in only three months.

What is an SEO company?

What exactly is an SEO company? Think of them as a partner whose whole job is to get your website seen on search engines like Google and Bing. Their main goal is to bring more qualified organic (meaning, non-paid) traffic to your site. This is the kind of traffic from people who are actively looking for what you offer and are more likely to become leads and customers. As the team at SEO.com puts it, it's the process that gets you to the top of the search results.

It's less of a one-time fix and more of a continuous cycle of analysis, optimization, and building authority. Unlike paid ads (PPC), which disappear the moment you stop paying, SEO focuses on earning traffic through credibility and relevance. It’s a long-term play, but it builds a much more sustainable and trustworthy foundation for growth.

What does an SEO company do? A breakdown of core services

While every agency has its own approach, most reputable SEO companies offer a core set of services. These are designed to cover every angle of search engine visibility, from the technical guts of your website to the new frontier of AI optimization. Here's a visual overview of what that typically includes.

Technical SEO services

This is the foundation everything else is built on. If a search engine can't properly crawl, understand, or index your site, all the amazing content in the world won't matter. It’s like having a beautiful store with a locked front door.

Key activities here usually include:

• Site Audits: Using tools like Screaming Frog or Semrush to crawl your entire site and find issues like broken links, crawl errors, or messy redirect chains that confuse search engines.
• Page Speed Optimization: Making sure your website loads fast. Nobody has patience for a slow website, and Google’s Core Web Vitals have made speed a major ranking factor.
• Mobile-Friendliness: Ensuring your site looks and works perfectly on smartphones and tablets. Since more than half of all web traffic comes from mobile, this is a must.
• Site Architecture & Indexability: Organizing your site in a logical way and using files like robots.txt and sitemaps to give search engine crawlers a clear map of your content.

On-page SEO and content strategy

On-page SEO is all about optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and attract more relevant traffic. It's about making sure your content perfectly matches what users are searching for. The engine that drives all of this is high-quality content. It’s how you answer user questions, build trust, and establish what Google calls Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

Key activities include:

• Keyword Research: Digging deep to find the exact terms and phrases your target audience is typing into Google.
• Content Creation: Developing the blog posts, articles, landing pages, and guides that target those keywords and provide real value to readers.
• Content Optimization: Weaving keywords into titles, headings, and body copy in a way that feels natural and helpful, not robotic.

Content creation is often the most time-consuming and resource-intensive part of an SEO plan. To manage this, many teams use AI writers to increase efficiency. The eesel AI blog writer is designed to address this by learning a brand’s context and voice from a website link to generate complete, publish-ready blog posts. It includes automatic assets, citations, and social proof from Reddit discussions to create more in-depth content.

Off-page SEO (link building)

Off-page SEO covers everything you do off your website to boost its rankings. The most important part of this is link building. When other reputable websites link to yours, it acts like a "vote of confidence." It tells search engines that your site is a credible and authoritative source of information.

According to SEO.co, link building can account for roughly 90% of the ongoing cost of an SEO campaign. That’s a huge chunk, and it shows just how important and resource-intensive this work is. Common methods for earning these links include digital PR, guest blogging on other industry sites, and strategic outreach to build a strong, natural backlink profile over time.

AI SEO: The future for any modern SEO company

SEO never sits still, and the latest big shift is optimizing for AI-driven search experiences. We’re talking about Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other platforms that generate direct answers to user queries. Top agencies like Coalition Technologies and Thrive Agency are now specializing in this field, often called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) or AI Engine Optimization (AIEO).

The goal here is no longer just to rank #1, but to have your content cited and surfaced directly within these AI-generated answers. This requires a sharp focus on structured data, entity-based optimization, and creating content that is packed with facts and easily sourceable.

Local SEO and reporting

If you have a physical storefront, think plumbers, dentists, restaurants, or retail shops, local SEO is a must. This is what helps you show up in the local map packs and for "near me" searches.

Key activities include optimizing your Google Business Profile with up-to-date info, building local citations in online directories, and actively managing customer reviews. Finally, any good SEO strategy is driven by data. Agencies use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track key metrics like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions. They should provide you with regular, easy-to-understand reports to show you exactly what kind of return you're getting on your investment.

How to choose the right SEO company for your business

Finding the right partner can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Not all SEO companies are created equal. To help you filter out the noise, here are four key criteria to focus on during your search.

Look for proven results and case studies

A reputable agency should be happy to show off their wins. For example, an agency like Coalition Technologies has over 800 case studies on their site, showcasing real results for real clients. Don't be afraid to ask for examples that are relevant to your industry or business size. Look for measurable outcomes, like "we increased their organic traffic by 150%" or "we generated 30% more organic leads in six months." Also, check for testimonials and verified reviews on third-party platforms like Clutch.co, which gather unbiased client feedback.

Understand the process and communication

Ask them to walk you through their process from start to finish. It should be transparent, logical, and backed by data. A great partner will feel like an extension of your own team, not a mysterious black box. You’ll also want to set clear communication expectations from day one. Will you have a dedicated point of contact? How often will you have meetings and receive reports? Most importantly, make sure they follow ethical, "white hat" SEO practices that align with Google's guidelines. Shady tactics can lead to short-term gains but often result in long-term penalties that can be devastating.

Be wary of unrealistic guarantees

This is one of the biggest red flags in the industry. As experts on Clutch.co warn, no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. It's just not possible. Search algorithms are always changing, and your rankings are influenced by what your competitors are doing. Instead of flashy promises, look for an agency that guarantees a transparent process and a focus on steady, sustainable growth. Real SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.

The issue is with a lot of agencies is that they usually take on everything, even if they don't know they can get results, PLUS they charge a large fee on top of it. They have a lot of staff to pay so focus their attention on larger clients and spend a couple hours every month on the smaller guys when really that's not enough to see results. I'm a small agency owner and I turn down work all the time. I get a lot of emails from people looking at SEO when they are better off spending their budget on something else, so that's what I tell them to do. Most agencies just say 'yes' (usually a sales guy on the phone) and get the client signed into a 6-12 month retainer.

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Check pricing and contract terms

Make sure you have a clear understanding of their pricing model. It could be a monthly retainer, a project-based fee, or an hourly rate. Many of the most respected agencies, including Coalition Technologies and Thrive Agency, offer flexible month-to-month contracts. This is a huge sign of confidence. It means they believe in their ability to deliver results and aren't trying to lock you into a long, restrictive contract. Be cautious of any agency that pushes for a 12-month commitment right out of the gate.

How the eesel AI blog writer complements your SEO company

Even when you have a fantastic agency in your corner, content creation often remains a major bottleneck and expense. An SEO company might charge for content as part of your retainer or on a per-article basis, and those costs can add up fast.

The eesel AI blog writer is a powerful tool that can work alongside your agency to boost your results. You can use it to scale your content production affordably, creating dozens of high-quality, SEO-optimized articles for a fraction of what manual writing would cost.

This frees up your SEO company to focus on high-level strategy, technical fixes, and link building, while you ensure your site is constantly being updated with the fresh, relevant content that search engines love. It’s a smart way to maximize your overall SEO investment and get more bang for your buck. For just $99, you can generate 50 complete blog posts, and it's entirely free to try.

A look at top SEO company pricing

SEO costs can be all over the map, ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands per month. The price depends heavily on the scope of work, how competitive your industry is, and the agency's reputation. Here’s a quick look at what you can generally expect from some well-known agencies to give you a ballpark idea.

Realistically $80/mo just isn't going to get you there. We found a pretty good firm that specializes in small businesses that we're pretty happy with, but they start at $1,000/mo.

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Comparing SEO company pricing models

Pricing structures can vary, but most established agencies work on a monthly retainer model. This means you pay a fixed fee each month for an agreed-upon set of services. Here are some typical price ranges based on publicly available data.

As you continue your research, it can be helpful to hear directly from experts about what to look for and what to avoid. The video below offers nine critical questions you should ask any potential SEO partner before signing a contract.

This video offers nine critical questions to ask any potential SEO partner before signing a contract.

Making the right investment in your growth

Picking an SEO company is a major step, but it’s also one of the most important investments you can make in your business’s long-term growth. A great SEO partner does more than just tweak keywords; they dig into technical foundations, build your online authority, and even help you navigate the new world of AI-powered search.

When you’re ready to choose, remember to look past the flashy guarantees. Focus on finding a partner with proven results, a transparent process, and realistic expectations. And no matter who you work with, remember that a successful SEO strategy is always built on a solid foundation of high-quality content that genuinely helps your audience.

Whether you decide to hire an agency or tackle SEO in-house, creating great content is non-negotiable. See for yourself how easy it can be to generate a complete, SEO-optimized blog post in just a few minutes. Try the eesel AI blog writer for free and start scaling your content today.