Why We Audit Prospective Clients

It’s no secret the amount of work that goes into both SEO and PPC campaigns, and the significant level of expertise that is required.

From SEO tasks like audits, keyword research, content optimisations and technical website fixes, to PPC activities such as bidding strategies, audience creations and landing page optimisations. 

However, what’s less well-known is the preparation and work required for prospective clients.

Here at The SEO Works, before we begin working with any client, we spend some time looking at the industry landscape, as well as either auditing their website or reviewing the Google Ads or social media ads performance.

Areas covered in our initial audits

Our initial audits are collaborative pieces of work, to bring in expertise from across the company and ensure this comprehensive evaluation mirrors the approach we take with any live client project.

Our in-house Digital Solutions Coordinator carries out every audit, and depending on what is found, they can draw in knowledge and resources from the SEO, PPC and Digital PR teams.

The audits at this stage provide a rounded view of the overall account performance, however are concise compared to the audit conducted during a full campaign.

The SEO audits cover:

• Current keyword performance – looking at the number of rankings held in key target locations of the past 6, 12 or 24 months. 
• Sample keyword research – a sample keyword research to identify strengths and weaknesses and explore organic competitors. 
• Top technical issues/opportunities – a review of key technical factors to identify strengths and weaknesses of the website. 
• Top content issues – a review of the current website content to highlight strengths and weaknesses. 
• Sample content creation opportunities – to provide examples of useful content for the website, such as commercial and informational-based blog content. 
• Backlink profile analysis – diving into the number and qualities of referring domains to consider how much resource in this area is required. 
• Competitor analysis – identifying organic competitors and how their performance compares to the prospects.

The PPC audits cover:

• Review of past performance – an audit of the current account performance to highlight where improvements are required.
• Overview of campaign and ad group structures – reviewing and making recommendations to improve the overall account structure.
• Review of keywords & negative keywords – considering current keyword performance, and making recommendations on both keywords and negative keywords. 
• Audience analysis – auditing audience performance and identifying potential new or amended audiences. 
• Review of landing page performance – auditing current landing page performance and making recommendations on improvements. 
• Quality and relevancy score review & recommendations – where quality and relevancy scores are low we review how this can be improved.
• Research into keywords, bidding prices, competitiveness, and budgets.

Why auditing prospective SEO & PPC clients is important

Understanding the current SEO & PPC performance

The primary reason for auditing prospective client websites and accounts is to gain a strong understanding of the client’s current SEO & PPC performance.

By understanding the content, technical and backlink positioning of the site we gain an understanding of the time and resources that will be required for an ongoing SEO campaign, as well as building an initial benchmark of performance.

Similarly, by understanding how a paid campaign is currently performing we can begin to build a strategy for improving performance.

Understanding the competitive landscape

Whilst exploring a prospect’s current performance, we will also audit competitor performance. This will allow us to understand how aggressive our strategy needs to be, allow us to understand priority areas, and also identify new areas for growth.

Through this competitor research, we also explore how direct business competitors perform and if these differ from their organic competitors.

Gain an understanding of the work required

One of the benefits of carrying out audits is to give us an insight into the priority work likely to be needed in the campaign. It can also help us assign the most appropriate account manager and team to the client when they are onboard with us. 

For example, if our SEO audits identify some complex technical issues with multi-language targeting, we would assign an account manager with expertise in this area.

Accurately pitch for the campaign

Ultimately, by gaining the understanding outlined in the points above, these audits allow us to accurately pitch and quote for a campaign.

By taking into account the level of work required, competition in the industry, and the client’s internal resources, we can successfully provide a range of packages for SEO & PPC that we’re confident would provide positive results.

Set client expectations

For prospective clients that are looking to market using SEO or Ads for the first time, it’s likely that they’re looking to us for advice and guidance on everything from the campaign set up and running, to the actual amount they should be spending to hit their goals.

By doing this initial research, we can use the data to provide clients with accurate budgets, so they can make informed decisions as to whether this is the right avenue for them.

Ensure we are a good fit

Finally, one of the most important reasons for our audits to be carried out is to ensure there’s a good match between client requirements and our services.

Occasionally, our initial research identifies that a new website or significant redesign would be required to obtain meaningful results. In these circumstances, we can present the prospective client with the data and advise on their options.

Conclusion

Auditing prospective clients is a vital step in ensuring that we’re equipped to deliver the results they require and can assign an appropriate strategy, allocate the right team, and set clear expectations.

For prospective clients, these audits offer valuable insights into whether SEO or paid ads are suitable for meeting their objectives.

If you want to find out more about an audit and proposal, get in touch with our business development team.