Questions to Ask an LA Marketing Agency
Hiring a marketing partner is a big decision for a local business owner. You hand over part of how customers find you. A short list of good questions can save you months of frustration. This guide gives you the questions and tells you what a solid answer sounds like.
We wrote it from the point of view of Bottarini Marketing Group is an owner-operated agency in Los Angeles, so you will see how we would answer too. Use the list with any firm you talk to.
Who will actually do the work?
Start here. Many firms sell you with a senior person and then pass the work to someone you never meet. Ask for the name of the person who plans your campaigns and the person who runs them. Ask if they are the same.
A clear answer names real people and says how often you will talk to them. A vague answer about "our team" tells you little. If you want to see how one founder-led firm handles this, read about the founder behind this owner-operated shop.
What exactly will you do each month?
Ask for a written list of tasks, not a list of buzzwords. For local search, that might include Google Business Profile updates, on-page changes, service-area pages and tracking. You should know what gets done and what does not.
Be careful with any firm that guarantees rankings or lead counts. Nobody controls Google. A fair agency explains the work it controls and how it will measure the results. For a sense of what clear scope looks like, review local SEO work an agency should explain clearly.
How do you handle AI search?
More people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews for local recommendations. Ask what the firm does to help your business get cited in those answers. Good answers mention clear business facts, consistent listings, structured data on the site and helpful FAQ content.
If the reply is a shrug, the firm may be behind. See how an agency should handle AEO and AI citations for the kind of detail you should hear.
What does it cost, and what is not included?
Price is the question most owners ask first, and it should be answered plainly. Ask for the monthly fee, any setup fee, and what falls outside the fee. Ad spend, for example, is usually paid separately to Google or Meta.
Our site lists starting prices: local SEO and AEO each start at $500 per month, website design starts at $1,000, and Meta ads management starts at $1,500 per month with ad spend not included. Final pricing depends on scope and is given before work begins. You can see how an agency lists its starting prices and use that as a model for what to demand from anyone else.
What does the contract say?
Ask to read the agreement before you commit. Look at the length of the term, how you cancel, and who owns the accounts and website when you leave. You can find more detail in our piece on red flags in marketing contracts. If a firm will not show you terms until you are ready to sign, that is worth noting.
How and when will I hear about results?
Ask how often you get reports and what is in them. Calls, leads, rankings and campaign performance should all be tracked. A monthly report plus ongoing communication is a reasonable standard. Ask to see a sample so you know the numbers are easy to read.
Ask about timing as well. Paid ads usually produce activity sooner. SEO and Map Pack work take longer to build. An honest firm tells you that up front instead of promising overnight changes.
Can I see proof of past work?
Ask for case studies and a public place where clients have reviewed the firm. Then read them with care. Look for specifics about what was done, not just glowing adjectives. A firm should be willing to share case studies an agency should be willing to share and point you to public reviews. Our own public reviews and the agency's 5.0 rating sit on one page you can read without asking us for anything.
Ask what the firm does when a campaign does not work. Every firm has misses. What you want to hear is how it found the problem, what it changed and how it told the client. That tells you more than a polished success story.
Never expect client names or private numbers from a firm that protects its clients. Do expect a real description of the work.
Do you understand my market?
Los Angeles is not one market. A plumber in Van Nuys, a med spa in Santa Monica and a roofer in Pasadena face different searchers and different competition. Ask the firm how it would approach your service areas and your industry.
If you run a medical practice, ask about compliance too. Advertising rules vary by state medical board, and HIPAA governs patient data. A careful firm knows where those lines sit. For local context, see a Los Angeles marketing agency overview of services.
What does the first month look like?
Finish by asking what the first steps look like. A clear process might begin with a Bottarini Marketing web design discovery call, move to a strategy and growth plan, then onboarding, build and launch, and finally reporting and refinement. You should know what you need to provide and when.
If you want to ask these questions of us directly, book an intro call and ask your agency questions. You can also call (818) 299-3505. We are available Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Take notes during each call and compare answers side by side. Patterns show up fast. One firm will be specific about people, scope and cost, while another stays general. Trust the specific one, and keep asking until the picture is clear. Do not feel rushed into a decision, because a good partner will still be there after you have asked every question.
Bring your list. A firm worth hiring will be glad to answer every item on it.