What's the ROI of SEO for small businesses?

Look for specificity. Any agency can say "data-driven" or "results-oriented." Ask for the mechanism: how do they build content strategy? What happens after a website launches? How do they track ROI on ad spend? Agencies that explain their process in concrete terms — not promises and adjectives — are the ones that actually have a process.

Shared Slack channel, direct access to the people doing the work, and a standing meeting cadence you choose. No account managers relaying messages. The person you talk to is the person building the thing.

Yes. Every site ships with a content management system and training documentation. You can update text, images, blog posts, and basic page content without touching code. For structural changes or new features, that's what the ongoing relationship is for.