Short answer: Pick the agency that answers plainly on four things: you own your accounts and data, you get clear monthly reports, you can leave without being trapped, and you know who actually does the work. Walk away from anyone who guarantees rankings or results, or offers to boost your reviews.
Written October 2026 by our presales team. Yes, we're an agency too. Ask us these same questions.
Why these questions matter
Many bad agency experiences come down to surprises: an ad account you can't access, a contract you can't exit, or a report full of numbers that don't connect to sales. These 12 questions are designed to bring those surprises out before you sign.
Ownership and access
1. Who owns the ad accounts, analytics and website? You should. Your Google Ads account, Google Analytics, Search Console, Meta business portfolio, domain name and website hosting should be in your company's name, with the agency given access. On Google Ads, Admin is the access level with full control, including adding users and managing account links. Keep Admin yourself and give the agency Standard or Admin access as needed. On Meta, your business portfolio should own the Page and ad account, and the agency gets partner access that you can remove later.
2. If we stop working together, what do we keep? The answer should be "everything": the accounts, the data, the campaigns, the website files, the content we paid for, and the logins. Get it in writing.
3. Who registers the domain and pays for hosting? Ideally your company, on your card or account. If the agency holds them, ask how and when they'll transfer them to you.
Reporting and results
4. What will the monthly report show? Look for numbers that link to your business: leads, calls, WhatsApp chats, sales and cost per lead. Impressions and clicks are useful context, but they don't pay the bills.
5. How will you track leads and sales? A good answer mentions conversion tracking in Google Ads, the Meta Pixel and Conversions API if you run Meta ads, and Google Analytics 4. If they can't explain how a lead gets counted, the report won't mean much.
6. What do you expect to happen, and by when? Google's own advice on hiring an SEO suggests asking "What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe?" An honest agency gives you a range and says what it depends on. Google also notes that SEO changes can take anywhere from a few hours to several months to show up.
Contracts and lock-in
7. How long is the contract, and how do I exit? Minimum terms are normal for some work, like SEO, because results take time. What matters is that the exit terms are clear: notice period, what you pay if you leave early, and what you get handed back.
8. What exactly is included in the monthly fee? Ask for a list: how many ads, posts, articles, reports or calls per month. Also ask what costs extra. Ad spend is usually separate from the management fee and is paid to Google or Meta.
9. Who owns the creative and content? Photos, videos, ad designs and blog posts you paid for should be yours to keep and reuse.
Who does the work
10. Who will actually run my account? Some agencies have senior people pitch and junior people deliver. Some use freelancers or offshore teams. Some, like us, use AI specialists with a human checking everything. None of these is wrong on its own. You just deserve to know, and to have one named person you can call.
11. Can you show me relevant work? Google suggests asking an SEO to "show me examples of your previous work." Ask for examples close to your industry, and ask if you can speak to a current client. A new agency (like us) won't have case studies yet, so judge them on their audit, their plan and how clearly they explain it.
Grants
12. Can I use a government grant? Possibly. Since 30 September 2026, Enterprise Singapore's EDGE grant has replaced PSG, EDG and MRA for new applications. Enterprise Singapore says that if an activity has pre-approved vendors, you should choose from that list, and if it doesn't, you can pick a vendor of your choice. Kopi Pixel is not a pre-approved vendor. Check the latest on Enterprise Singapore's website, and be careful of any agency that says a grant is "guaranteed" before you've applied.
Red flags to watch for
- Guaranteed rankings. Google says plainly: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." If an SEO promises first place, Google's advice is to "find someone else."
- Guaranteed ROAS, cost per lead or follower numbers. Results depend on your offer, prices, competitors and how fast you reply to leads. A promise is a sales line.
- Offers to post reviews for you. Google's policy bans fake engagement and reviews "paid for, directly or in kind." In Singapore, the Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCS) has said that a business posting fake reviews engages in an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.
- "Special relationship with Google." Google warns about SEOs who claim this. Google doesn't sell rankings.
- Secrecy. Google suggests being careful if a company "is secretive or won't clearly explain" what it plans to do.
- They own everything. If the agency keeps your accounts, leaving becomes painful. See question 1.
- Cold emails promising page one. Google compares unsolicited SEO emails to spam.
A simple way to compare agencies
Ask the same 12 questions to each agency you're considering, then put the answers in a table side by side. Price matters, but the cheapest quote is often the one that leaves out tracking, reporting or ownership. Ask every agency for an itemised quote, so you can compare like for like. We do the same: tell us what you need and we'll send you one.
Quick answers
Should I hire a big agency or a small one? Either can work. Big agencies have more people and process. Small ones often give you more senior attention. Ask question 10 to both.
Is a long contract a bad sign? Not always. SEO takes months, so a minimum term can be fair. Unclear exit terms and no handover are the real warning signs.
Can an agency guarantee my business will be mentioned by ChatGPT? No. AI assistants decide their own answers, and nobody outside those companies controls them.
What should I prepare before talking to agencies? Your goals, your rough monthly budget, access to your current accounts, and a list of your best customers and what they bought. It makes every quote more accurate.
Sources
- Do you need an SEO?, Google Search Central (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- SEO Starter Guide, Google Search Central (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- About access levels in your Google Ads account, Google Ads Help (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- How to give and request access to a Meta business portfolio, Leadsie (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- EDGE grant FAQs, Enterprise Singapore (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps user contributed content policy (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- CCCS media release on fake customer reviews, 21 June 2024 (checked 26 Oct 2026)