Give providers the same brief, ask for evidence in eight decision areas and resolve important unknowns. The example comparison demonstrates the method; it is not research on real vendors.
Choosing a med spa SEO agency becomes easier when you compare a defined work package, the evidence behind its recommendations and the terms under which your team will use it. Two proposals can both promise “local visibility” while leaving very different responsibilities with the business.
This checklist is for US med spa owners, practice managers and marketing leads evaluating a provider. It helps you ask better questions and record the answers. It is not a ranked list of agencies or a promise that one package will produce a particular number of consultations.
Forge sells the service discussed here. Use the same checklist to assess Forge’s proposal as any other provider’s. A relevant case or clear explanation can inform the decision; neither removes the need to confirm scope and terms.
Give each provider the same starting context: actual locations, verified treatment menu, website platform, current marketing support and the problem you want investigated. Name the people who can approve public clinical wording and implement technical changes. If you do not yet know whether the main constraint is discovery, page quality or the inquiry route, say so.
A useful brief might read: “We want to understand why our priority service pages are difficult to find and whether visitors reach the appropriate consultation route. Please distinguish the diagnostic, proposed content changes, implementation and measurement responsibilities.” That invites an investigation without preselecting a quota of articles or promising a result.
Google’s guidance on hiring an SEO recommends discussing experience, communication, proposed work and realistic expectations. It also warns against guaranteed first-place rankings. Ask for an explanation you can verify, not just a score from an unfamiliar tool.
Copy the matrix into your procurement notes. For each row, record the provider’s answer, supporting document and the person who will resolve any unknown. Use “supported,” “needs clarification” or “not acceptable.” There is no universal numeric score that can turn missing evidence into a safe decision.
| Decision area | Question to ask | Useful evidence | Unresolved risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting diagnosis | Which problem will you test first? | Dated observations, source settings and proposed checks | A standard package is recommended without inspecting the site |
| Content scope | Which existing URLs change, and why? | Page map with reader tasks and owners | Several near-identical pages are created without a purpose |
| Clinical wording | Who supplies and approves treatment facts? | Named reviewer and source trail | A writer is expected to invent credentials or outcomes |
| Local information | What profile and location work is included? | Field-level audit and access plan | Unexplained profiles, categories or review practices |
| Implementation | Who saves, tests and publishes changes? | Change list, backup and acceptance procedure | Writing is included but publishing and QA are unassigned |
| Measurement | Which sources support each reported result? | Sample report with definitions and limitations | Search clicks are described as booked treatments |
| Access and ownership | Which accounts and files remain available to us? | Access register and handover list | The business cannot retrieve its own work or accounts |
| Commercial terms | What is included, excluded and payable? | Written scope, fees, ongoing terms and exit process | A headline monthly price is the only concrete term |
Resolve important unknowns before ranking the proposals. A lower quoted fee with unassigned implementation may not describe the same purchase as a fee that includes the work. That is a scope comparison, not a reason to assume that a more expensive provider is better.
Ask what changed, when it changed and which source supports the stated outcome. A screenshot should identify its period and relevant market. A report about a dental practice or another country may demonstrate a process, but it is not a measured med spa result for your city.
Keep the units separate. An impression is not a click; a contact action is not necessarily a qualified inquiry; an inquiry is not an attended appointment. If a case claims revenue, ask which business records support that claim and what attribution method was used. A privacy-conscious provider can explain its measurement method without exposing patient records.
Original examples can still be useful when they are labeled honestly. A sample page brief demonstrates how the provider thinks. An invented projection demonstrates assumptions. Neither should be presented as an achieved client result. Do not demand private information as a condition of assessing competence.
The following is an illustrative comparison exercise. These are not offers from real agencies and they have no assigned price.
| Question | Proposal A says | Proposal B says | Follow-up needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes? | Monthly SEO content | Review named existing service pages before new drafts | Ask A for owners and acceptance criteria; ask B for the exact scope |
| Who approves facts? | Our writers handle everything | The business designates a clinical reviewer | Confirm evidence and review responsibilities in both proposals |
| How are results reported? | A growth dashboard | A report separating source metrics and inquiry records | Request definitions, sample periods and treatment of missing attribution |
| What happens on exit? | To be agreed | Account access and delivered files listed | Set notice, outstanding work and handover terms before signing |
Proposal B is more specific on these rows, but the table does not prove that the provider can deliver. Review a real work sample, clarify omissions and check the people responsible. The objective is to make the decision inspectable, not to produce a predetermined winner.
Forge’s ongoing services start from €1,200 per month, with a free diagnostic and no minimum-term commitment. The fee is in euros. Scope, fees and terms are confirmed in a written proposal; the checklist above is not a fixed-price bundle.
Practitioner exclusivity is based on one practitioner per city, with specialty and territory confirmed in writing. A wider territory may be considered for selected specialties. Availability and any exception must be agreed in the proposal. Do not assume a city or national territory is reserved before that agreement.
Ask any provider to clarify taxes, outside costs, notice, cancellation and handover where they are not stated. “No minimum-term commitment” does not answer every operational question about ending an engagement. Confirm the practical process in the proposal rather than infer it from the headline.
You can assess the broader scope on Forge’s med spa marketing page and request a free diagnostic. Bring the website, actual services and the decision you want help making. There is no need to send patient information.
