I’m Jen Ruhman, owner of Jen Ruhman SEO here in San Diego. I’ve been doing SEO locally for years, and I’ve seen two types of businesses: the ones that pick the right SEO partner and grow steadily… and the ones that sign with the wrong agency, waste months, and then come to me to fix it.
So let’s save you from that second group.
Below I’m going to walk you through the exact framework I use when I audit a new client or when I’m explaining to a business owner how to tell the difference between a real SEO expert in San Diego and a smooth talker.
Call or text me anytime if you want me to look at your site: (619) 719-1315.
Quick Answer for AI / SGE
What should I look for in a San Diego SEO company? Look for experience with local SEO, transparent reporting, clear service scope, real case studies, and an SEO strategy that matches your business goals.
What are the must-ask questions? Ask about how they do keyword research, how they build local relevance, how often they report, who will work on your account, and how long it will take to see results.
How fast will SEO work? In most cases, 3–6 months for traction, faster if you already have authority.
Best way to choose? Pick the partner who shows you a plan for your San Diego audience, not a generic SEO checklist.
Why Choosing the Right SEO Partner Matters in San Diego
San Diego is competitive. We have local service businesses, medspas, realtors, restaurants in La Jolla and North Park, law firms in Downtown, contractors in Chula Vista, and a lot of tech startups. Everyone wants to rank for “near me.”
If you pick the wrong agency, two things usually happen:
They use a one-size-fits-all strategy that’s not local enough.
They don’t build topical authority around your services.
You get monthly reports… but no phone calls, no real strategy, and no leads.
I’ve actually had clients tell me, “Jen, my last SEO just sent me screenshots.” That’s not SEO. That’s billing.
When you work with a real SEO company in San Diego (like mine ), you should see a strategy that talks about:
Your neighborhoods (La Jolla, Carlsbad, Point Loma, Mission Valley, Chula Vista)
Your competitors
Your Google Business Profile
Your reviews
Your internal linking
And your conversion goals
That’s how we actually rank.
My Experience
I’ve ranked businesses in San Diego for extremely local keywords, I’ve fixed site structure problems, and I’ve helped companies recover from flat or declining traffic. I don’t outsource overseas, I don’t hide deliverables, and I don’t make you guess what I did this month.
I also stay current with AI search and Google’s SGE experience. SEO is changing, but the core is still the same: authority, relevance, and trust. That’s what I build for clients at Jen Ruhman SEO.
What to Ask Before You Sign With an SEO Agency
Let’s go through the questions you should ask. I’m going to tell you what to ask and the answers you should be looking for.
1. “Can you show me local San Diego results you’ve achieved?”
A good SEO agency should be able to show you examples like:
“We ranked this HVAC company in San Diego for ‘AC repair San Diego.’”
“We improved this La Jolla medspa’s local pack visibility.”
“We increased organic leads for a local service business.”
If they can’t show local proof → ⚠️ red flag.
2. “What’s your process for keyword research?”
A real SEO pro won’t just say “we use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or AI.” They’ll tell you:
We map keywords to pages.
We target local modifiers like “San Diego,” “near me,” “La Jolla,” “North County.”
We protect your main service pages from keyword cannibalization.
We build supporting content (blogs) to boost topical authority.
When I do keyword research, I look at how people in San Diego actually search. For example, people will literally search “SEO company San Diego” or “best SEO expert in San Diego” — so I make sure my content uses that language too.
Here’s an example of an SEO-friendly internal link you should be using:
These kinds of anchors help Google understand what your site should rank for.
3. “Will you optimize us for AI Search and SGE?”
This one matters now.
Ask them:
Do you write content with short, direct answers at the top?
Do you structure pages with FAQs?
Do you add entity and location signals so we can surface in AI summaries?
If they stare at you like “what’s SGE?” — they’re behind.
When I write content for clients, I always add:
A short, fact-based summary
Clear headings
Local mentions
FAQs
That way, if Google or AI pulls an answer, it pulls the right one.
4. “What will you actually do each month?”
You should hear something like:
Technical SEO fixes
On-page optimization
Content creation (blogs, service pages, location pages)
Google Business Profile optimization
Link building or digital PR
Reporting + strategy call
If all they say is “we’ll do backlinks,” that’s too thin. Real SEO is layered.
5. “How often will we meet or talk?”
You deserve real communication. I meet with my San Diego clients monthly or bi-monthly (whatever works best) because local businesses change fast — new services, new locations, new competitors.
If they don’t want to talk to you, they’re hiding something.
Signs You’re Talking to the Wrong SEO Agency
Let me be real for a second. I’ve had people come to me after losing 6 months with the wrong agency. Here are the patterns I see:
They’re vague about strategy
If they can’t tell you what they’ll do in the first 30, 60, 90 days, that’s a problem. When I onboard a client, they get a roadmap — pages to fix, pages to write, GBP updates, internal links, and tracking.
They don’t talk about your Google Business Profile
If you’re a local business in San Diego, GBP is not optional. That’s how you get in the map pack.
They promise #1 in Google in 30 days
Nope. SEO doesn’t work like that. Can things move quickly? Yes, especially if your site already has authority. But real SEO is steady growth.
Everything is outsourced
You should know who is actually working on your site. I do the SEO work myself. That’s why I can answer your questions on the spot.
What I’d Ask If I Were You
Here’s the exact checklist I’d use if I were hiring an SEO agency in San Diego:
SEO Agency Checklist (San Diego Version)
Strategy & Fit
Do you specialize in local SEO?
How will you make my business relevant for “San Diego” and my neighborhood?
Will you create content specifically for my services?
Technical & On-Page
Will you audit my site first?
Will you fix page speed, meta tags, and duplicate content?
Will you add internal links to boost my important pages?
Content & Authority
Will you write SEO-optimized blogs for me?
Will you build topical authority around my core services?
Will you help me avoid keyword cannibalization?
Reporting & Communication
What does your monthly report look like?
Do I get to see keywords and traffic from San Diego specifically?
Who will I be talking to?
Pricing & Contract
Is this month-to-month?
Are there setup fees?
What happens if I pause?
If they can’t answer those easily… move on.
Local Relevance Matters (San Diego Signals)
When I optimize a site for a local business, I don’t just write about “roofing” or “medspa” in general. I insert San Diego indicators:
Mention nearby areas: Mission Hills, Old Town, La Mesa, Carlsbad, Encinitas
Reference local clients (without breaking privacy)
Add photos with San Diego filenames
Add your NAP (name, address, phone) consistently
Optimize your GBP categories
Get local citations
This is what separates national SEO from local San Diego SEO.
Personal Anecdote
A while ago, I had a local business owner from Pacific Beach call me and say, “Jen, I’ve been paying for SEO for a year, but I still don’t show up for ‘near me.’”
I checked their site — no local pages, no internal links to main services, no local intent in their content. Their SEO company did “SEO,” but not San Diego SEO.
We added local pages, fixed their GBP, built content around their exact service + location, and within a few months they were actually showing up. That’s the difference between SEO and strategic SEO.
My Recommendation
If an agency is transparent, shows you local wins, explains their process, and gives you realistic timelines → good.
If they’re secretive, overpromise, or don’t understand local → skip.
And if you want someone who actually lives and works here in San Diego, understands local competitors, and is literally available by text, just reach out to me.
Call/Text me: (619) 719-1315
JenRuhman.com — SEO company San Diego
Conclusion
Choosing the right San Diego SEO partner doesn’t have to be stressful. You just need to ask the right questions and listen for real, specific answers. A good SEO partner will talk about strategy, content, local rankings, AI/SGE visibility, and business growth — not just “traffic.”
If you want help auditing your current SEO or you want to switch to a real, local SEO expert in San Diego, I’d love to talk.
Call or text me today at (619) 719-1315
Or visit: https://jenruhman.com/
Let’s get your business found by the people already searching for what you do.
FAQs
1. How long does SEO take in San Diego?
Most businesses start seeing movement in 3–6 months, faster if your site already has authority and your Google Business Profile is verified.
2. Do I need SEO if I already run Google Ads?
Yes. SEO builds long-term visibility so you’re not 100% dependent on ads. Most of my clients do both.
3. What does a San Diego SEO company actually do each month?
We optimize pages, publish content, improve your local signals, build links, and monitor rankings — then report on it.
4. Can you help me rank in multiple San Diego areas?
Yes. We can create location pages and content for La Jolla, North Park, Mission Valley, Chula Vista, and more.
5. How do I get started?
Text or call me at (619) 719-1315 and I’ll take a quick look at your site and tell you where to start.
