[ SEO audit · Full playbook ]
// 16 / 20The buyer's playbook.
The working reference behind SEO Audit Cost & Buyer Guide 2026: what to ask, what to watch and how to run the first 90 days.
← Back to the guide[ RFP questions ]// 01
Questions that reveal real capability.
Ask for a relevant example, the decision made, the result or learning, and the person who would own the work.
- 01Which hypotheses and business risks shape the audit?
- 02What data sources, crawls and samples will be used?
- 03How are severity, impact, confidence and effort separated?
- 04Will findings include reproducible evidence?
- 05How are JavaScript rendering and indexation tested?
- 06Who converts findings into tickets and acceptance criteria?
- 07What implementation support and validation are included?
- 08Which common checks are deliberately excluded and why?
[ Risk ]// 02
Make failure visible before signature.
| Risk | Early warning | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Tool-export report | No interpretation | Evidence and decision narrative |
| Unprioritized issues | Hundreds of equal tasks | Impact-confidence-effort model |
| No business context | Traffic only | Conversion and revenue linkage |
| No implementation | PDF sits unused | Ticketing and owners |
| False certainty | Forecast presented as guarantee | Assumptions and ranges |
[ Value case ]// 03
Measure outcomes—not activity.
01Critical findings resolvedBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
02Valid indexed pagesBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
03Organic errors and exclusionsBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
04Commercial visibilityBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
05Qualified organic conversionsBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
06Implementation cycle timeBaseline ________
90-day target ________
90-day target ________
[ First 90 days ]// 04
Move from evidence to operating rhythm.
01
Days 1–30
Access, baseline, hypotheses and crawl design
Exit evidenceBaseline, owners, approved requirements and risks
02
Days 31–60
Analysis, evidence review and priority calibration
Exit evidenceWorking outputs, evidence and decision record
03
Days 61–90
Implementation tickets, validation and monitoring plan
Exit evidenceMeasured result, operating owner and next backlog
[ Reference desk ]// 05
Speak the same language.
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Crawl | Automated discovery and retrieval of URLs. |
| Rendering | Processing needed to display and understand a page. |
| Indexation | Eligibility and inclusion in a search index. |
| Canonical | Preferred URL for substantially similar content. |
| Log analysis | Review of server requests from crawlers. |
| Severity | Consequence if a finding remains unresolved. |
[ Playbook in hand? ]