
Identify clients with an ongoing need
A monthly service is not automatically suitable for every audit client. Look for a clear need: multiple locations, changing hours, reviews requiring attention, regular content or an internal team short of time. Confirm that the client wants to delegate and can provide approvals.
A quieter profile may need a one-off correction and an internal procedure instead. Qualification avoids selling an artificial publication calendar. Record the observed need, who owns it today and the operational consequence of leaving it unmanaged. This becomes the basis of the proposal.
Start from the completed project's review
When presenting an audit, separate completed corrections, outstanding issues and recurring tasks. Show available evidence: verified information, work performed, access obtained and open incidents. Do not convert an estimated visibility improvement into promised revenue.
A useful conversation is: “Here is what we corrected. Here is what needs attention after the project. Who will own that work, and with which resources?” The recurring proposal then answers a specific responsibility. It does not depend on claiming that a profile automatically loses rankings after an arbitrary deadline.
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Write a short, bounded proposal
Specify the profiles, included tasks, response targets, approval process, deliverables and commercial terms. Identify work requiring a separate quote. Keep setup fees distinct from the monthly service so a substantial onboarding process does not consume the first month's production budget.
Price from your scope and actual agency costs. The profitability calculation guide provides a method, not a universal resale price. Do not guarantee a fixed Google position or a specific number of new customers. Make the client's responsibilities visible alongside your own.
Set a pilot and decision criteria
A pilot can cover a limited scope and an agreed period. Three months, for example, is an organisational assumption rather than a guaranteed SEO results timeline. Define tasks, owners, reference data and the review meeting before starting.
Measure collaboration as well as delivery: information quality, availability of visuals, approval delays and exception handling. These show whether the service is workable for both parties. Mark incomplete performance data as incomplete; it should not become a success claim in the pilot review.
Decide on renewal and handover
At the review, compare delivered work with the accepted scope. Explain observations in context and propose the next priorities. The client may renew, adjust scope or return work to an internal team. In the latter case, prepare document handover and an access review.
Once agreed, use the onboarding checklist followed by the monthly delivery workflow. Separating sales, preparation and ongoing delivery makes the handover from the salesperson to the account owner easier to manage.
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