Over the years, we’ve had a lot of questions people ask regarding our audit process. Here, we present those questions most frequently asked, and Alan’s answers to each.
Jump to:
• Audit Process & Access
• Results & Recovery
• Competitors & Competitive Advantage
• Pricing & Scope
• Implementation & Follow-Up
• Other Questions
Audit Process & Access
Q: Do you need login access to our content management system?
A: No. I never require login access to your CMS to perform a forensic SEO audit. My work is based on public-facing, technical, & strategic signals, no credentials needed.
Q: How long does a typical forensic audit take?
A: Most audits take 2–4 weeks, depending on your site’s size, complexity, & how quickly I get needed information from your team.
Q: What do you need from me to start the audit?
A: A discovery email or call, answers to my intake questionnaire, & access to basic analytics data (Google Search Console, Google Analytics, etc.), but never your CMS login.
Q: Will my site be disrupted during the audit?
A: I do not make any changes to your site during the audit itself. You and your team are free to make minor updates if needed. However, I recommend avoiding any major changes, such as redesigns, URL changes, or large-scale content overhauls, until the audit is complete. Significant alterations during the audit can disrupt data collection and make it harder to accurately diagnose issues or track improvements. For the best results, please hold off on major changes until after you’ve received and reviewed my recommendations.
Results & Recovery
Q: Can you help us recover from the losses we’ve gotten?
A: It depends on what I find during your audit, and on how much work will be involved, as well as your own budgetary and resource limitations. My approach is to identify all root causes and build a plan, but your results depend on follow-through and commitment.
Q: Will you guarantee ranking or traffic improvements?
A: No legitimate expert can guarantee rankings or traffic. Google doc explicitly state this.
What I guarantee is clarity, full transparency, & the best possible strategy based on real evidence.
Q: How quickly can I expect to see results after implementing your recommendations?
A: Timing depends on the issues found and how quickly changes are made. Some improvements can be seen in weeks; others may take longer, especially for deeply-rooted problems. A lot also depends on the size of your site, whether you can deploy all changes all at once, or you need to roll them out incrementally.
That then goes against the multi-step sequence Google & Bing process your site. Not every page is crawled every day. Algorithms can run with only partial understanding of new work. For complex situations, that can result in needing months to unfold before we can begin assessing impact of changes made.
Competitors & Competitive Advantage
Q: Why do our competitors with lousy content keep outranking us?
A: I consider competitor signals, but my focus isn’t on trying to reverse-engineer their shortcuts. My job is to help you outperform them sustainably, by building your authority, relevance, and trust.
Q: Our competitors are much bigger than us. They have many more pages. How can we compete?
A: The key isn’t volume, it’s about doing things better. That’s why I use the QUART approach: Quality, Uniqueness, Authority, Relevance, & Trust. We focus on being more helpful, relevant, and trustworthy to humans and search engines.
Q: Do you analyze our competitors directly as part of the audit?
A: I don’t do a deep audit type analysis of competitor sites in these audits. I review competitor presence & signals, but the core audit is always about maximizing your unique strengths.
Other audit work I do sometimes includes more granular competitor evaluations when appropriate.
Pricing & Scope
Q: How much does a full-site forensic audit cost?
A: Pricing depends on your site’s size, complexity, & needs. After our discovery call and intake, I provide a clear, upfront quote, no hidden fees.
Q: Is there a payment plan available?
A: I typically require 50% up front, remainder on delivery of the prioritized action plan. Alternately, I offer a 10% discount for clients who pay in-full, up front. If you need other arrangements, we can discuss during the intake process.
Q: What’s included in the audit scope?
A: All audits include technical, on-page, content, off-site, entity, & AI/answer engine readiness assessments, plus prioritized recommendations & a live Q&A session once you’ve read through my recommendations.
Q: Are follow-up questions or support included after the audit?
A: Yes, all audits include support for clarifying findings & initial implementation guidance. Ongoing support beyond that covered in the audit contract, is available separately.
Implementation & Follow-Up
Q: Do you implement your recommendations?
A: For most clients, I don’t make site changes directly. I provide detailed, actionable instructions and can work with your team or vendors for implementation as needed.
If your site is smaller, & if I have availability, I do offer implementation services if desired.
Q: Can you recommend trusted implementation partners?
A: Yes, I maintain a shortlist of reputable consultants & agencies, & can make introductions if you don’t have in-house resources.
Other Audit Questions
Q: Do you offer audits for e‑commerce, B2B, or international sites?
A: Yes. My process adapts to all major business models and industries, including complex and international sites.
Q: What makes your forensic audits different from automated or “free” SEO audits?
A: My audits are 100% manual, hands-on, and tailored. I go beyond checklists and automation, delivering insights no tool can replicate. I don’t include wasteful minor issues often included in “free” or “tool generated” audits.
Q: Is this service confidential?
A: Absolutely. All work is covered by mutual confidentiality. Your audit and findings are never shared without your permission.
Didn’t see your question?
Contact me directly, I’m happy to answer anything you need to know.