Questions to ask before you sign

The person on the sales call is rarely the person who will do the work. Treat the agency interview like hiring a key employee: the goal is to find out what working together will actually look like after the contract is signed.

Who does the work

• Who will be my day-to-day contact, and how many other practices do they look after?
• Who actually writes the content, builds the site and manages the ads? Is any of it subcontracted to another company?
• What is built for my practice, and what is a template shared with other clients?
• If my contact leaves, how is the account handed over?

How they report

• Can I see a real monthly report for a current client, with identifying details removed?
• Does the report show calls, booked new patients and cost per new patient, or mainly impressions, clicks and rankings?
• How do you count a new patient? Can I check your numbers against my own accounts and practice software?
• How often will we meet, and who attends?

A sample report tells you more than the proposal does. If it’s all charts of impressions and none of them mention patients, that is what you’ll get every month.

References you can actually call

Ask for two or three current clients of a similar size and type, and call them. Testimonials on the agency’s website are chosen by the agency. On the call, ask:

• What did they promise, and what did they deliver?
• How quickly do they respond when something breaks?
• Do their reports match what you see in your own practice?
• Would you hire them again?

It’s also fair to ask the agency how its last client departure went, and what the client took with them.

What they need from you

Good agencies ask for things, and the answers tell you how the relationship will work. Expect them to need admin or manager access to your accounts, real photos of the team and office, someone who can approve content quickly, and information about which services and patients you want more of. Ask how many hours a month they expect from your team, and name a single point person at the practice. An agency that needs nothing from you is probably running the same program for everyone.

Compliance and ownership

• How do you handle patient privacy in review replies, call recordings and form submissions?
• How do you make sure ads and website claims follow my state dental board’s advertising rules?
• Will the practice own every account, and will you work as a user or manager?

Ownership and contract questions are covered in detail in the contracts and ownership chapter. For SEO-specific questions about links and location pages, see the local SEO guide.