An insurance broker earns a living by reading the small print. You spot the exclusions buried on page nine, the deductibles nobody explained, the cover that collapses the moment a claim is made. You know a policy is judged on its schedule and conditions, not its brochure. And yet, when it comes to their own visibility, plenty of brokers sign quickly on the strength of a confident sales pitch.
In Abuja the stakes are real. A contractor in Wuse who needs cover for equipment on a federal project, an SME in Garki setting up group life and health cover for its staff, a fleet owner reviewing motor insurance, an expatriate family comparing home and health options: more and more of these buyers start by searching online or asking an AI assistant which broker to call. The brokerage they find first usually gets the conversation. A 12-month visibility contract is therefore a real commitment, and it deserves the same scrutiny you give a policy wording.
Questions about what is promised
"What exactly do you guarantee?"
This question sorts providers faster than any other. A reassuring answer separates what the provider controls (what gets published, by when, and how it is measured) from what it does not control (what Google or an AI assistant decides). A worrying answer promises a position, a ranking or a number of clients. You already know the principle: cover against a risk the insurer cannot influence is either worthless or misleading. Our general guide to the questions to ask before signing a visibility contract goes into more detail.
"What happens if you do not deliver?"
A serious provider puts a remedy in writing. With Traffic Engine, for instance, everything your plan includes goes live on schedule, or the next month is free. Be wary of anyone who says "that never happens" and declines to write it down.
Questions about measurement
"How will I know it is working?"
Ask for dated, regular reports and, above all, results you can verify yourself. The strongest signal is access to your own Google measurement tool, Search Console, registered to your brokerage rather than to the agency. A closed dashboard run by the provider proves little, and if you ever switch partners, the data should stay with you.
"What will I see at three months, and at twelve?"
A good answer describes a trajectory without inventing figures: early signals, then progress that speeds up with consistency, and a measured review to judge it. A bad answer names a precise number of leads or policies by a given date.
Questions about the commitment
"Why twelve months?"
You sell annual policies, so you understand the logic: a full year smooths out the noise and lets you judge properly. Visibility works the same way, because results compound month after month. The point is not to refuse the commitment but to check what comes with it: a three-month review, regular reporting, a delivery guarantee. Our guide on why visibility work runs on a 12-month commitment lists what to ask for in return.
"What does year one cost, all in?"
Ask for a single total that includes setup. With Traffic Engine, year one comes to $16,050 on Presence, $26,850 on Momentum and $47,850 on Flood. If a provider cannot give you the full figure, or adds charges along the way, take note.
Questions about competition
"Do you work for other brokers in Abuja?"
Many owners forget this one. For a search such as "insurance broker Abuja", only a few positions really count. A provider working for every brokerage in the city cannot honestly push all of them. A reassuring answer sets a hard limit. At Kolonell, each sector is capped at 3 standard seats per area, each with its own positioning, and an exclusive option locks the vertical while no standard seat has been signed.
"How will you talk about my business?"
Broking is a regulated activity in Nigeria, overseen by NAICOM. Whatever is published in your firm's name must be accurate, with no promises on premiums or claims that you cannot keep. Ask how the provider checks what goes live and what control you retain.
Answers that should worry you
A few warning signs are worth keeping in mind:
- a promise of a top position or a number of new clients;
- results visible only inside the provider's own tool;
- vague pricing, or extras that appear after signing;
- no written remedy for late delivery;
- no limit on how many competitors they serve in your city.
If you are comparing several providers, our guide on how an insurance broker should choose a visibility partner gives you a full decision grid.
How Traffic Engine answers these questions
Traffic Engine is Kolonell's service for making your brokerage appear when buyers search for a broker, on Google and in AI assistant answers, so that it receives qualified enquiries. The answers are in writing: a Visibility Audit at $750 with a report within 48 business hours, deducted from the $1,650 setup if you start within 30 days; plans from $1,200 to $3,850 a month; a 12-month commitment with a measured review at three months; a dated report every week; results in your own Search Console; a free month if delivery slips. Kolonell applied the approach to its own website first, and the curves are published on the offer page. Read the full offer and check seat availability.
Before your next provider meeting
Print these questions and put them to every provider you meet, Kolonell included. Compare the answers in writing, the way you would compare two underwriters' quotes. For a first benchmark of your website, use the free website score. For a specific question, the team replies within one business day on WhatsApp.