By Restoration Advertising · 10/06/2026
Hiring a Marketing Company as a Restoration Business
What to ask, what to refuse and how to judge results when a restoration company hires someone for SEO, ads or reviews, using Google's and the FTC's own advice.
What should you be wary of?
Marketing companies for restoration firms are easy to find, and their promises are easy to make. Three warnings come straight from Google and the FTC.
Guaranteed rankings. Google's guidance on hiring an SEO says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, and to beware of anyone who claims to guarantee rankings, alleges a "special relationship" with Google, or advertises a "priority submit" (Google Search Central: Do You Need an SEO?, last updated June 5, 2026).
Secrecy. The same page says to be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do, and that an SEO should be willing to explain all the changes they are making to your site (same page).
Fake or bought reviews. The FTC's final rule on reviews and testimonials prohibits fake or false consumer reviews, including AI-generated ones, and compensation or incentives conditioned on reviews expressing a particular sentiment. It also bars using unfounded legal threats or intimidation to suppress negative reviews, and it is enforceable with civil penalties (FTC: final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, August 14, 2024). If a company offers to "get you reviews", ask exactly how.
Questions to ask before you sign
Who will do the work, and what will they do first?
Ask for a plain-language plan with an order of work. Google says to be careful if a company won't explain what it intends to do.
Can I talk to past clients?
Google advises checking an SEO's business references and asking past clients whether the service was useful and the results were positive.
How do you get reviews?
The answer should be asking real customers. Anything involving incentives for a certain rating, or reviews not from real jobs, breaks the FTC's rule.
Who owns the profile, the website and the ad account?
This is our view, not Google's: they should be in your name, with you holding the logins, so you can leave without losing them.
How will you report results?
Ask for calls and booked jobs by source, not only impressions and clicks.
How do I end the contract?
Get the notice period, any fees and what you keep, in writing, before you start.
How should you judge the results?
Google says an audit should give you realistic estimates of improvement and an estimate of the work involved (Google Search Central: Do You Need an SEO?). Apply the same standard to any proposal: realistic, specific and measurable.
Judge by booked jobs, not activity. Every month, ask how many calls came from each source, how many became jobs, and what each job cost to win. If a company cannot or will not give you those numbers, treat that as a finding.
Your own basics matter too. An accurate, verified profile (your Google Business Profile), a site that makes it easy to call (what to put on a restoration website) and a way to answer every lead (reviews and response time) all come before paying for more. If you are weighing paid formats, see Google Ads, Local Services Ads or SEO.
None of this guarantees a result, and nobody can promise one. It is a way to hire carefully and keep control of your own assets.
Want a second opinion on a proposal you have received? See for restoration companies.
FAQ
Can a marketing company guarantee my restoration company a top ranking?
No. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and to beware of anyone who claims to.
Is it legal for a marketing company to buy reviews for me?
The FTC's final rule prohibits fake or false reviews and incentives conditioned on reviews expressing a particular sentiment, and it carries civil penalties. Ask how any company gets reviews and keep the answer in writing.
What should I ask a marketing company before hiring?
Ask for a plain plan, references from past clients, how reviews are earned, who owns the accounts, how results are reported by booked jobs, and how to end the contract.
Researched and drafted with AI, then reviewed and edited by the site's editors.