INDEPENDENT SEO ADVISORY & consultancy
Compare SEO Proposals, Agencies and Investment
Independent advice for businesses investing in SEO. Compare agencies, understand pricing, review proposals and avoid costly hiring mistakes before you commit.
OUR SERVICES
Invest in SEO with full peace of mind
SEO investment is often a source of much deliberation for marketing teams and the wider business. The time it takes to see results, measure ROI and stakeholder buy-in are common pain points. This leaves teams facing difficulty is making a confident choice on the best way forward. Our SEO investment review service aims to help bring clarity to decision making, analysing your options thoroughly to deliver a clear, completely independent verdict on your best way forward. Years of experience in pitching, researching and strategising SEO campaigns across a wide range of B2B and B2C sectors help provide a confident recommendation in plain english. Get started below with our no-obligation review process.
AVAILABLE NOW
SEO Investment Review
An independent review of up to two agency proposals, delivering a BYI Confidence Score, risk assessment and plain-English verdict before you sign.
COMING SOON
Agency Retainer Review
An independent health-check on an agency you’re already paying, including what’s working, what isn’t, and what fair value looks like.
COMING SOON
In-house SEO Review
An objective read on an in-house team’s strategy and output, benchmarked against what a good agency delivers.
WHO IT’S FOR
Built for Businesses at Any Stage of Buying SEO
First-time SEO buyers
About to sign your first SEO agency contract, and want an independent second opinion before you commit.
Growing businesses
Scaling fast and need a quick, consistent way to vet every new agency or proposal before committing budget.
In-house decision-makers
Weighing up an agency against building an in-house team, and want independent evidence to back the call.
AI & GEO
SEO Now Includes AI Search — We Understand Both
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is quickly becoming part of every serious SEO conversation, but a lot of what’s pitched as ‘AI visibility’ is unproven and poorly defined. Every review looks at how a proposal handles AI search alongside traditional SEO, so you know whether you’re paying for a genuine capability or a rebranded add-on.
What GEO Actually Means
A plain-English guide to GEO, AEO and AIO — the new labels agencies are using for AI search visibility.
Can Your Agency Prove It?
Most ‘AI visibility’ pitches can’t be measured the way traditional rankings can. Here’s what to ask before you believe the claim.
Every Investment Review checks how AI search is handled — not just traditional SEO.
FREE RESOURCES
Learn Before You Buy
Not ready to submit a proposal? Start with the fundamentals: how to choose an agency, what things should cost, and what the data actually shows.
Guides
Practical, independent advice on hiring, comparing and managing SEO agencies.
Research
Original data and analysis you won’t find on a typical agency blog.
Resources
Checklists and comparison tools to use before you sign anything.
Also worth reading: SEO Pricing Guide · Agency vs Freelancer vs In-house · Browse all Insights →
WHY BEFORE YOU INVEST
Built Around Your Decision, Not a Sales Pitch
- Avoid expensive hiring mistakes — catch weak proposals before they cost you.
- Compare agencies objectively — on evidence, not on whoever pitched best.
- Understand SEO pricing — know what a fair quote actually looks like.
- Get an independent expert opinion — from inside the industry, not selling into it.
- Buy with confidence — move forward, renegotiate, or walk away, backed by evidence.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Research You Won’t Find on a Typical SEO Blog
We go beyond opinion. Original data and analysis on how SEO is actually bought and sold — not just how it’s pitched.
FEATURED REPORT
£232,562
UK Council SEO Spending: The Full Data Report
We searched 1.5 million UK council payment records across ten councils for SEO and digital marketing spend — and were explicit about what it actually bought.
SEO Proposal Red Flags: The Checklist to Run Before You Sign
How to Compare SEO Agency Proposals Side-by-Side
WHO’S BEHIND THIS
Independent, Because I’ve Sat on the Other Side of the Table
I’m Andy McLoughlin, Head of Digital Strategy at a UK digital agency. I’ve written the proposals and worked inside the agencies you’re evaluating — which is exactly why Before You Invest doesn’t sell SEO services. Nothing here is shaped by what we’d like to sell you next.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START
Common Questions
No. Every service gives you independent analysis — a score, the risks, and our read on them — to inform your own decision. We don’t sell SEO services ourselves, which is what keeps it independent.
Never. We’re paid by you, the client, only. That’s what keeps every verdict independent.
No. AI helps us move faster on formatting and process, not on the judgement calls. Every score, risk read and verdict comes from Andy reviewing your situation against what he sees running SEO strategy inside a UK agency.
Start with our free guides and research. Investment Review is there when you have something specific to check — there’s no need to wait until then to start learning.
Still unsure?
Get an independent Investment Review before signing.