Fabgen AI
Choosing an agency

How to choose an SEO agency for your trade

By Alec Drury-Singh · 6 min read · May 29, 2026
The short answer

Pick an SEO agency that lives in your trade, reports to booked jobs, and does the whole funnel. Rankings you cannot bank are a trophy, not a paycheck. Hire the closer, not the cheerleader.

Specialists beat generalists

An agency that eats, sleeps, and breathes HVAC or roofing knows your seasons, your margins, and your buyer. A generalist is learning on your dime.

Ask about the whole funnel

Rankings are useless if the phone rings out. The good ones handle conversion too, with reviews, a fast site, and call handling. Otherwise they are filling a bucket with holes and billing you for the water.

Demand real reporting

Cost per booked job, revenue, and AI-search visibility. If the report is a rainbow of vanity metrics, run.

Frequently asked questions

Should they guarantee rankings?
Be suspicious of ranking guarantees. Look for delivery commitments and honest reporting.
Do they handle AI search?
The good ones now include AEO. Same signals, same fight.
How long before results?
Local in weeks, competitive rankings over months. Overnight is a fairy tale.

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