The SEO Proposal: What Was Presented:

The SEO consultant provided a structured proposal, aiming to show progress over time and to build visibility through a mix of technical, on-page, and content-focused work. Below is a more detailed breakdown of what was included in the plan.

Phase 1: Technical SEO Foundation (0–1 Month):
The first stage focused on getting the technical basics in place:

• Analytics & Search Console Setup
  Connected the site to Google Search Console and Google Analytics to start tracking traffic, indexing, and performance.
• Sitemap & robots.txt Submission
  Submitted the site’s XML sitemap and provided a robots.txt file to direct how search engines should crawl the site.
• Page Speed Improvements
  Compressed images and introduced lazy loading to reduce load times and improve Core Web Vitals.
• Mobile Responsiveness Check
  Ensured the site displayed correctly across mobile devices — a baseline requirement for modern SEO.

These actions are standard practice for any SEO engagement. However, they represent foundational setup, not a comprehensive strategy.

Phase 2: On-Page SEO Enhancements (1–3 Months):
This phase was geared toward optimising visible elements on individual pages:

• Basic Keyword Research
  Identified a small set of target keywords related to the industry or product focus — without detailed explanation of search volumes, user intent, or competition.
• Meta Tags & Descriptions
  Wrote new meta titles and descriptions for core pages, aiming to improve click-through rates from search engine results.
• Header Tag Structure
  Organised content using structured headings (H1, H2, H3) to clarify page hierarchy for both users and search engines.
• Image Alt Text
  Added descriptions to images to improve accessibility and give search engines more context.

While these are all positive changes, the work lacked contextual strategy. There was no mapping of keywords to specific buyer journeys, no page-level prioritisation, and no UX integration — all of which are key in modern SEO.

Phase 3: Content Development (3–6 Months)
The consultant proposed expanding the site’s content offering through a simple blog strategy:

• Blog Creation
  Suggested repurposing an unused page on the website to act as a blog hub, potentially integrating existing video content into written articles.
• General Topic Suggestions
  Content ideas were broad and informational, lacking keyword depth or topical clustering to build domain authority.
• Internal Linking Strategy
  Recommended linking blog posts to product or service pages to improve navigation and distribute page authority internally.
  
  

• This content approach was not rooted in search intent, competitor analysis, or engagement metrics. It also lacked structure — no editorial calendar, no topical focus, and no content performance measurement.

What a Modern SEO Strategy Looks Like

An effective SEO plan in 2025 should include:

• User intent analysis: Know why your audience is searching, not just what they’re typing.
• Topical authority: Create content clusters to build expertise in your niche.
• Schema markup: Improve visibility with rich snippets and structured data.
• E-E-A-T principles: Show that your brand is trustworthy, experienced, and knowledgeable.
• AI search readiness: Adapt your content for new formats like Google SGE and Bing Copilot.

Regular optimisation: SEO isn’t “set and forget”—it’s test, track, improve, repeat.

Projected Timeline of Results

The consultant outlined a staged forecast of progress:

• 0–3 Months: Technical setup complete, site indexed, small keyword movements
• 3–6 Months: Content and backlink work begins to take effect; minor improvements in rankings and traffic
• 6+ Months: Higher authority, potential to rank for broader and more competitive terms

This kind of forecast is overly optimistic when not backed by a strong technical audit, content strategy, or measurable KPIs.

Key Omissions in the Proposal

• Search Intent Matching
  No evidence that user behaviour or journey mapping informed keyword selection or content structure.
• Topical Authority Development
  No content clustering or long-term editorial strategy to establish the site as an expert source.
• E-E-A-T Principles
  No integration of Google’s Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust standards — critical for content trustworthiness and rankings in 2025.
• Structured Data (Schema Markup)
  No mention of schema or rich snippet opportunities, which can dramatically improve visibility in modern search results.
• No Conversion Focus
  The entire plan focused on visibility, with no connection to conversion rate optimisation, lead generation, or sales performance.
• No Use of Industry Tools
  The plan lacked any reference to data-led tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Screaming Frog, or Google Trends — suggesting a reactive, rather than analytical, approach.
  Conclusion: A Plan Without Strategy
  The proposal relied on basic tasks that should already be in place — or that platforms like Shopify, Wix, or WordPress already handle to some extent. It offered no insight into how to compete, rank, or convert. There was no mention of how to:
• Build long-term authority
• Adjust for evolving algorithms (including AI search)
• Measure, adapt, and iterate based on results
• Drive meaningful business outcomes

It’s a reminder that basic setup is not strategy — and SEO today demands far more than a checklist.

Contact me today for a chat about how I could help your business.