Monthly Deliverables and Best Practices
After Phase 1 onboarding completes, the service moves into Phase 2 — recurring monthly work that compounds rankings over time. This is where the bulk of the long-term value comes from.
What gets done every month
Content creation
- Homepage content — 500-word refresh per month if the homepage is underperforming, otherwise rotated to other pages
- Service / product topics:
- 5-keyword tier: 2 topics per month
- 7-keyword tier: 3 topics per month
- 10-keyword tier: 4 topics per month
- Each topic is keyword-targeted, structured for featured snippet eligibility, and matches the client's tone of voice
Stock images
- 2, 3, or 4 optimized stock images per month (matching the topic count)
- Properly compressed and alt-text labeled with target keywords
Content installation & optimization
The team installs the new content directly on the client's site, applying internal linking to other ranked pages and ensuring the new pages are crawlable, indexed, and linked from navigation where appropriate.
Backlinks
- DA 20 backlink: 1 per month
- DA 30 backlink: 1–2 per month
Higher-DA links are added as opportunities arise; the focus is steady, natural growth — not a quick spike that triggers algorithmic penalties.
What clients receive each month
- Email notification when monthly content is published
- Mid-month progress check-in (where rankings are improving, where they're stuck)
- End-of-month report with:
- Keyword position changes
- Organic traffic month-over-month
- New backlinks acquired
- Content published
- Recommendations for next month
Realistic timelines for results
- Month 1–2: Site is technically optimized; rankings start to wobble (some up, some down — Google is recalibrating)
- Month 3–4: First-page rankings start appearing for low-competition keywords; organic traffic up 20–50%
- Month 6: Sustained ranking improvements across most target keywords; traffic typically up 50–150%
- Month 12+: Compounding effect kicks in — content from earlier months continues earning links and rankings naturally
Tell clients 3 months minimum before they'll see meaningful traffic changes. Setting that expectation prevents premature cancellations.
Best practices for resellers
- Provide accurate details up front — login credentials, content URLs, brand voice notes. Wrong details slow Phase 1 by days or weeks.
- Track progress with the client — share the monthly report yourself. Don't leave them wondering what they're paying for.
- Approve content drafts within 48 hours — clients who approve quickly get faster compounding. Silent clients get deprioritized.
- Be consistent — SEO is a 12-month commitment. Cancellations in months 2–4 are the most common reason a campaign "fails." Push annual billing or month-to-month with explicit 6-month commitment language.
- Cross-sell related services — clients on SEO retainers convert well to Web Design (refresh their site), Content (more aggressive content production), or Social Media Automation (amplify the content with social posts).
Common questions
What if my client wants to add more keywords?
Upgrade them to the next tier. The platform doesn't support partial-tier upgrades within a billing period — wait until next month's renewal.
What if a client wants to switch from Local to National (or vice versa)?
Cancel the current service and activate the new one. The team carries over the existing audit and keyword research; you don't lose Phase 1 work.
What if rankings drop?
Algorithm updates happen. The team monitors and adjusts. If a major drop persists past 30 days, open a ticket — there may be a technical issue (manual penalty, hacked site, etc.) needing investigation.
Can I see what the team is doing?
Yes — Search Console and Analytics access stays with you/the client. You can see published content, indexed pages, and traffic in real time. Open a ticket if you want a mid-month walkthrough of in-progress work.