Many SEO companies will create a detailed report and offer numerous suggestions before you ever sign the contract. Some of these companies charge for the proposal, and others don't. Still others will charge only if you decide not to use their services.

Taking it from the side of the optimizer, it's very time consuming coming up with a strategy for a particular company. Not only do you have to visit the site and spend some time, but you also have to run various reports and do considerable research. Plus, many SEO's are hesitant to give away too much information in the initial proposal, so they won't do detailed reports or offer focused suggestions until an official agreement has been reached.

In any event, make sure that you understand the process that's involved. For example:

* Do you have to pay for a formal proposal?

* If you hire the company, how often will you be sent verifiable results?

* What types of reports can you expect to receive?

* How long will the process take?

* When can you expect to see results?