South Africa, Oct. 12 -- The basics of the decision have not changed, though. A good SEO company still earns its fee by bringing in qualified enquiries, and a poor one still hides behind ranking reports. These seven questions separate the two before you sign anything.

"A ranking report is not a result," says Michelle Venter, co-founder of Bold Online Marketing. "Ask what those rankings produced in enquiries and sales. If the agency cannot tell you, it is measuring the wrong thing."

1. What did your work produce in leads and revenue?

Rankings and traffic are steps on the way, not the outcome. Ask for a case study that ties organic growth to enquiries, sales or revenue, and ask how those conversions were tracked. An agency that cannot sh...