The four stages in brief
Each stage ends with something you can read, question and keep. The table shows the shape of it before we go through each stage.
| Stage | Main question | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | What is holding the site back? | Written findings and a ranked list of priorities |
| Strategy | What should we do first, and why? | Target phrases, a page plan and a sequence of work |
| Build | Is the work done correctly? | Changes to pages, profile and site, with a record of each |
| Report | What happened, and what next? | Regular reports and an updated plan |
Stage one: audit
We start by reading your site the way a search engine and a customer would. Google finds pages by following links from pages it already knows, so we check that your important pages are linked, indexed and described by clear titles. We also review how pages load, what they say and what your Google Business Profile shows, then look at who else appears for the searches that matter to you.
The result is a written audit with problems sorted by how much they matter. It is plain English, with technical detail kept in an appendix for your developer. The free audit is a shorter version of this stage, and our SEO audit service goes much deeper.
What to prepare before the audit
Preparation takes minutes, and it makes the findings more specific to your business.
- Your website address: The free audit starts from this alone, so you do not need to share any logins.
- Your most valuable jobs: Tell us which services earn the most, so we judge pages by what matters to the business and not by traffic alone.
- The places you serve: List the Canberra districts or nearby towns that bring customers, since each behaves like a separate market.
- Past SEO work: Mention any earlier agency, developer changes or redesigns, because they often explain odd problems.
Stage two: strategy
Findings are not a plan. In this stage we decide which problems to solve first and which to leave. Keyword research shows the phrases your customers use, and we map each worthwhile phrase to a page that already exists or one that needs writing.
The deliverable is a strategy document: target phrases, a list of pages to create or improve, technical fixes in order, and a view on whether links or content should lead. It also says what we will not do yet, with reasons. Google's guidance says helpful, well-organised content written for people influences search presence more than other tips, so page quality ranks high in the plan.
Stage three: build
This is where the work happens. The order follows the strategy, and the pieces below appear in most engagements.
- Fix the foundationsCrawl and indexing faults, slow templates and broken links come first, through technical SEO.
- Improve existing pagesEach page is revised, from its titles and headings to its copy and internal links, so that it answers one clear need.
- Add what is missingNew service, location or question pages are drafted with you, and you approve them before they go live.
- Strengthen the profile and off-site signalsThe Google Business Profile is completed and, where the strategy calls for it, we pursue links worth having.
What we will not do during the build
The build stage is where shortcuts tempt agencies, so we set the limits in advance.
What stays in the plan
- Pages written for a real customer need
- Titles that are unique, clear and accurate
- Internal links with descriptive wording
- Changes you approve before they go live
What stays out
- Links bought mainly to push rankings
- Mass-produced pages that differ only by suburb
- Keyword lists stuffed into page copy
- Edits to regulated claims you have not confirmed
Stage four: report
Reports arrive on a regular schedule that we agree at the start. Each one lists the work completed, what changed in visibility and enquiries, what we learned and what comes next. We include the unwelcome news, such as pages that did not move.
Reporting then feeds back into stage two. If a page type performs well we do more of it, and if a tactic is not working we drop it. Results in SEO are gradual, so the early reports will concentrate on actions and indicators, not on large jumps.
How long each stage takes
Audits and strategies are measured in days to a few weeks, depending on the size of the site. The build stage runs for as long as the strategy needs, and for most businesses it is a continuing arrangement rather than a project with an end date. We explain the factors in more detail on the pricing page.
We do not give a date by which you will rank. Google's starter guide says changes can take effect within hours or take months, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging. We can tell you which changes usually land sooner, such as fixing a broken page, and which take longer, such as earning trust through links and content.
Your part in the process
SEO works best when the business takes part. We keep your workload small, but a few things only you can provide.
- Access: We need to see your website, and sometimes your analytics and Google Business Profile.
- Knowledge: You know your customers, your best jobs and your limits, and that shapes the pages we write.
- Approval: You sign off new pages and claims, particularly in regulated industries.
- Patience: Search results take time, and changes made in a hurry can undo the gains.
Sources and further reading
- SEO starter guide, Google Search Central: Google finds pages through links, wants unique and accurate titles, rates helpful content highly, says changes can take hours to months and that no particular site is guaranteed indexing.
- Spam policies for Google web search, Google Search Central: Link spam, scaled content abuse and keyword stuffing are defined as manipulation.