How I Work, Step by Step

Here is how a search job runs, step by step, and what stays in your hands.

The first conversation

I start with what is already there: your site, your search results, your business and the problem you want solved. If there is a useful next step, I'll make it specific.

A free SEO audit, before anything else

Every prospect gets a full SEO audit of their site, free. It includes keyword research from real search data. It shows what is holding the site back and what to fix first.

Taxero is a real example of the audit. It scored 49 out of 100: the content was strong, but the technical plumbing was broken. I sent a fix list in dependency order, and Taxero's team shipped the first fixes within a day. Read the Taxero case study

Access, and how involved I am

If you want to go ahead, you and I agree how involved I'll be. I need reporting access to your Google Search Console and Google Analytics. With Search Console, I can see the searches and pages behind your traffic and go deeper than the first audit.

Site access is your call. If you give it to me, I can make site changes myself. If not, I work through you or your developer.

Technical fixes first

The work starts with the audit's fix list, in order. I start with the technical fixes, then move on to the content plan. I aim to pass Core Web Vitals and get Lighthouse scores as close to 100 as the site allows.

The content plan

Next comes the content plan. You can fill in a short questionnaire, or I can research it and build the plan myself, whichever you prefer. The home-service plan includes 2 articles a week.

Articles go out with a real byline, real sources and original visuals. How I research and write

How the work is checked

Ongoing work includes a full SEO audit every month, or every two weeks if you want closer tracking. Nothing goes live without your approval, unless you give me full control of your site.

What it costs

For home-service contractors, SEO is $900 a month. The first 3 months are the minimum. After that it's month to month, with 30 days' notice to cancel. It starts with a free SEO audit before you sign. It includes technical fixes and Google Business Profile work, a content plan with 2 articles a week, and a monthly SEO audit. Other businesses get a quote after the free audit.

What I won't do

• Promise rankings, or misreport them.
• Buy links or reviews, or ask only happy customers for reviews.
• Fake reviews, credentials or results to look better to AI tools.
• Lock you in past the 3-month minimum.
• Put anything live without your approval, unless you give me full control of your site.

What stays yours

Your analytics and Search Console remain yours, in your own Google account. I work through my own access. If you leave, I write a handoff document and remove my access. You also get a final SEO audit with notes on what to keep doing.