Shelley is a well-known digital marketer and SEO expert. Her SSM blog covers SEO, PPC, SEM, digital marketing, social media, and analytics. Get important updates and tips that improve your business.
Before you sign an SEO contract, make sure you know what you’re agreeing to. Ask who owns the content, what happens if you cancel early, how deliverables are explained, and whether monthly accountability is included. Too many small businesses get stuck paying for pretty reports with no real strategy. Protect yourself, ask the right questions, and know exactly what’s in the contract before you commit.
Most SEO reports are smoke and mirrors — stuffed with buzzwords, charts, and fluff that don’t actually tell you what’s working. A real SEO report should explain traffic, rankings, conversions, and action steps in plain English, not bury you in jargon. This checklist helps small business owners spot the difference between a fake, box-checking PDF and a report that drives results.
