Tools and providers
Part of How UK shops should choose ecommerce SEO tools and buying routes
When to run ecommerce SEO vendor due diligence on a shortlist
A practical checklist for running ecommerce SEO vendor due diligence, covering scope, evidence, data protection and contract terms for English store owners.
What to take away
- Due diligence is a short, evidence-based stage, not a second sales meeting. Ask for proof of method, not a pitch deck.
- Google's own [SEO Starter GuideThe Basics](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide) sets the baseline any vendor should already know, so use it to test their answers on crawling, indexing and helpful content.
- Data protection sits with you as the store owner. Check how a vendor handles customer data before granting trial access. The ICO's step-by-step guide to direct marketing for your small business explains the duties that follow your customer list.
- Plan procurement before you compare quotes. The IAB UK SME toolkit for digital marketing planning and procurement covers budgeting and supplier selection for smaller firms.
- Agree exit terms at the start, including who keeps the analytics accounts and historical data.
Start before the shortlist
Due diligence begins when you write the brief, not when quotes arrive. Decide which metrics matter: organic revenue per session, non-brand visibility, or recovery of lost product pages. Write these down before you speak to anyone.
Metrics to define before vendor talks
- Organic revenue per session
- Non-brand visibility
- Recovery of lost product pages
- Write targets before speaking to vendors
- Stop shortlist drifting to best presenter
A vendor cannot be judged against targets you never set. This step also stops the shortlist drifting towards whoever presents best on the day.
Evidence you should request
Ask for two anonymised examples of comparable stores. Look for the starting position, the intervention and the measured result. If a vendor shows only rankings, ask what happened to revenue and returns.
Evidence to request from vendors
- Two anonymised comparable store examples
- Starting position, intervention, measured result
- Revenue and returns, not just rankings
- Read-only access to live reporting
- See data labelling and refresh frequency
Request read-only access to their reporting rather than a slide. A live dashboard tells you more than a case study PDF, because you can see how data is labelled and how often it refreshes.
If your own reporting is thin, read ecommerce SEO tool implementation in England before you judge a vendor's dashboards against it.
The before and after table
Use a simple table to compare what you have now against what the vendor proposes, so gaps are visible before signing.
Before (your store)
- Technical crawl
- Quarterly, manual
- Content plan
- Ad hoc product copy
- Reporting
- Platform dashboards only
- Access
- Shared logins
- Exit
- Undefined
After (vendor proposal)
- Technical crawl
- Monthly, automated with logs
- Content plan
- Category and buying-guide calendar
- Reporting
- Organic revenue and non-brand visibility
- Access
- Named accounts, two-factor
- Exit
- Data export and handover in contract
Fill the middle column honestly. Most disputes trace back to a vague starting position, not to poor delivery.
Data protection checks
If a vendor will touch customer email lists, order data or review platforms, they need a lawful basis and a written processor agreement. Ask who is the controller for each activity.
Check whether they use customer data to train internal models or share it with subprocessors, and get that list in writing.
Commercial terms to test
Fixed fees suit defined technical work. Retainers suit ongoing content and reporting. Mixed models are common, so ask what triggers a fee increase and how much notice applies.
Watch minimum terms beyond 12 months, exclusivity clauses, and ownership of anything built during the contract. Confirm that accounts, redirect maps and content remain yours if you leave.
Red flags on the call
Be cautious if a vendor guarantees rankings, refuses a trial period, or cannot explain how they measure incrementality. Vague answers on link acquisition are a particular warning sign.
Pressure to sign before you have seen reporting access is another signal. Genuine suppliers expect scrutiny. A broader comparison of suppliers sits in the ecommerce SEO tools and supplier guide for 2027.
Running the trial
Give a paid trial of four to six weeks with one defined outcome, such as a technical audit or a category content brief. Judge the working relationship, not just the output.
For example, a team paying £1,500 for a trial month should expect a named contact, a written plan and a clear handover at the end.
Common questions
How long should due diligence take?
Two to four weeks is usually enough for a shortlist of three vendors. Longer delays tend to mean the brief is unclear rather than the suppliers slow.
Do I need a lawyer to review the contract?
For standard retainers, a commercial review is often sufficient. Escalate to a solicitor if the contract includes exclusivity, long minimum terms or unusual data clauses.
What if the vendor owns the analytics account?
That is a risk. Insist on accounts registered to your business domain, with the vendor added as a user, so access can be removed cleanly.
Can I run due diligence on a single vendor?
Yes, but compare their proposal against your own baseline figures. Without a second quote you have no market reference for fees or scope.
