Start with the person
A qualified meeting is with someone who can say yes. For an SEO agency, that usually means a VP of Marketing, CMO, Head of Growth, or a Founder/CEO.
Then check the company
The company should fit the kind of client you serve well: B2B SaaS, AI tech, or corporate B2B, with a team of 10+ people or outside funding.
Fit protects your close rate. A great conversation with the wrong type of company still goes nowhere.
Attendance and real need
Require that the prospect attends and stays on the call for a meaningful amount of time, such as 15 minutes or more. A two-minute no-show-in-disguise is not a meeting.
Finally, confirm a real need. Interest in organic search pipeline, GEO, or traffic growth means the conversation is about something you actually sell.
