Google shared a three-step guide on hiring an SEO for businesses who may be doing so for the first time.

This advice was provided in the latest episode of Google’s Search for Beginners series on YouTube, which is an extended version of the advice provided in the previous episode.

The benefit of hiring an SEO, Google explains, is the potential to improve a site while saving time compared to doing in on your own.

Google warns businesses, however, that hiring an SEO also comes with the risk of damaging a site as well as its reputation.

With that said, Google provides a three-step process to vetting an SEO before hiring them which consists of: