How agency rankings are put together
A numbered list looks like an objective verdict, yet behind it sits a method, or no method at all. These are the approaches you will meet most often, each with a weak spot.
- Agencies submit their own figures for headcount, projects and revenue, which is hard to verify.
- Client reviews are collected, but the agency often chooses whom to invite.
- A jury or editorial team scores agencies, and the result depends on how open the criteria are.
- Search visibility of client sites is measured, though only the clients the agency chose to show are counted.
- Several criteria are blended with weights that are not always disclosed.
Paid placement and how to spot it
Many directories earn money from the agencies they list. Participants pay for an extended profile, a higher position or a badge. That does not make the page useless, but the position then reflects more than the quality of the work.
Look for a methodology page, labels such as sponsored or partner content, the date of the last update and the name of the publisher. If the publisher is tied to one of the listed agencies, or no method is described, treat the page as an advertising catalogue. An old list also tells little, because teams and specialists change quickly.
What a high position does and does not tell you
A top spot usually means the agency is large, visible and has been around for a while. It does not mean the agency fits your task.
Picture a building-materials shop in Tashkent or a private clinic in Samarkand. A large studio may find such a project too small and hand it to a junior specialist. A small team that appears in no list may understand local demand better, including how people search for services in Uzbek and in Russian.
How to check an agency yourself
Use the ranking for the first step only: to pick three or four names. After that, a few simple checks do the real work.
- Open the agency’s own site. Does it show up in Google and Yandex for its own services, load quickly and read clearly?
- Ask for cases in your niche or at a similar scale: the starting point, the work done, what changed.
- Open the sites from those cases. Do they work, appear in search results and have listings on maps and 2GIS?
- Look for feedback outside the ranking platform: maps, social networks, entrepreneurs you know.
- Ask for a sample report. Does it show only positions, or also traffic, enquiries and completed work?
Questions for the meeting and red flags
Ask every candidate the same questions. Who exactly will run the project, and with what experience? How will the first months be organised? Which metrics go into the report? Where do links and mentions come from? What do you need to provide: access, texts, photos, site edits? The answers say more than any position in a list.
A good sign is a contractor who asks about your business first, explains methods without secret technology, says plainly what cannot be guaranteed and is happy to start with an audit. Be careful when you hear any of the following.
- A promised exact position or a deadline for reaching the top.
- A refusal to explain what the work consists of.
- A demand to keep your access rights inside the agency’s accounts.
- A long contract with no exit terms.
- A ranking position offered as the only argument.
What is different about the Uzbek market
Local rankings of SEO companies are few, and international lists rarely reflect conditions in the country. So ask about experience with bilingual sites, with Google and Yandex together, and with maps and 2GIS. Also ask how enquiries are counted: orders often arrive by phone, through Telegram or after a Click or Payme payment, and the report should reflect that.
Recommendations from entrepreneurs you know are often more useful than a position in a list. You can ask them directly what worked and what did not.
Bottom line
A ranking is a filter, not a decision. Choose by experience in similar projects, by how clearly the agency explains its work and by the result of a small trial stage.
If you want to discuss SEO optimisation in Uzbekistan, the markdev team can begin with an audit and show which steps your site needs. Describe your task and we will suggest where to start.
FAQ
Can I trust SEO agency rankings?
As a starting point, yes; as a final choice, no. Check whether a methodology is published, who compiled the list, whether paid placement is labelled and when it was last updated.
How can I tell that a position was paid for?
Missing advertising labels, unstated criteria and a publisher linked to listed agencies are warning signs. If there is no methodology, treat the page as an advertising catalogue.
How many agencies should I compare?
Three or four is enough. Ask them the same questions, review cases and a sample report, then compare the answers.
What is the best way to start working with a contractor?
With a small stage such as a site audit or a one-month plan. It shows the contractor’s thinking, documentation and communication before you sign a long contract.
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