Should you hire an SEO agency that also works for your competitors?
It is not always a problem, but ask before you sign. Agencies often serve several businesses in one field, and an agency working for two rivals can have divided loyalties. Ask whether it has competing clients in your service and area, whether the contract limits that, who sees your lead data, and what happens if a competitor signs later. Get the answers in writing.
Why it matters
When one agency works for two businesses that want the same customers, their interests can pull in different directions. The agency may have to decide which of you gets a new idea first, a place in its schedule or its most experienced people. That does not make it dishonest, but you should know the arrangement exists, and who at the agency can see your inquiries and results.
Questions to ask about competing clients
- Do you work for any business in my field that serves my area? An agency may not be able to name its other clients, so ask whether it has any, not who they are.
- If you do, how do you decide whose work comes first?
- Who would work on my account, and do they also work on a competitor’s?
- If a competitor approaches you after I sign, will you tell me before you accept?
- If you will not take on rivals, will you put that in the contract?
Exclusivity: by service and by area
Exclusivity does not have to be all or nothing. It can be set by service, by area or by both, and a spoken promise is hard to rely on, so it belongs in the written agreement. An agency that grants exclusivity may ask for something in return, such as a longer term, so read what you give up as well as what you get.
| What it could mean | What to check | |
|---|---|---|
| By service | The agency takes no other business that offers the same service as yours | How the service is defined: a narrow line or your whole trade |
| By area | The agency takes no other business that serves the same towns | How the area is drawn: town, county or distance from your address |
| By both | No rival offering your service in your area | Whether it covers only new clients or also those the agency already has |
| Neither | The agency may take anyone | Ask the other questions here and keep your lead data separate |
Keeping your lead data confidential
Your lead data should stay yours and stay private. The related answer on questions to ask before hiring an SEO agency already asks who owns it; these questions add the competitor angle.
- Where is my lead data stored, and in whose account?
- Who at the agency can see it, and does that include anyone who works for a rival of mine?
- Are my numbers ever combined with other clients’ in shared reports or tools?
- Will anything you learn from my account be used to help another client, and is your answer in the contract?
If the answer is yes
A yes is not automatically a reason to walk away. An agency that already knows your trade can be a strength. What counts is that you were told, that the limits are written down, and that you can leave with your data and accounts if the arrangement stops working. The related answers on what an SEO proposal should include and on how to switch marketing agencies cover term, exit and handover.
Related answers
- What should you ask before hiring an SEO or GEO agency?
- What should a good SEO proposal include?
- How do you switch marketing agencies without losing your website or leads?
SEO for service businesses
Get found on Google by the people already looking for what you sell, in the places you serve, and see which searches turned into inquiries.