SEO Intake Script - Rough Draft

Opening the Call

Introduce yourself, if this is your first meeting with the client, and welcome them to the platform. Explain the structure of the Search Engine Optimization intake call; a breakdown of what SEO is, the services that will be provided, in their SEO package, and questions about their business to aid our ability to create a comprehensive campaign that is specific to their inventory and services.

Introduction to SEO

Explaining the value of SEO will help the client’s understanding of the process and the work ahead:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving a website’s visibility in search results by means of content optimization, keyword research, data analysis, and much more. The strategies that are used aim to drive more organic (non-paid) traffic to a website, which can help generate greater sales and leads opportunities.

SEO can boost website search exposure by aiming to reach higher search rankings. This process is done through regionalized keyword research and by use of website analytics, leading to increased organic traffic and fostering brand recognition—all while cultivating credibility and trust, as high search rankings are associated with reliability and also give a competitive edge for reaching local target audiences. Furthermore, SEO encompasses aspects that enhance user experience that lead to prolonged site visits and reduced bounce rates. Lastly, it helps the ongoing maintenance of the website—regular SEO updates in response to algorithm changes keep a website’s content and strategies current, ultimately enhancing performance.

Another important note is that SEO is a gradual process that doesn't yield immediate results. The rate at which search engines crawl and index webpages can take weeks to months for optimizations to fully impact rankings.

The purpose of the intake is to collect dealership-specific information and priorities, like inventory and geography, which helps identify valuable keywords and inform SEO strategies. The intake process aims to also set expectations and understanding with the client so we can collaborate as a team.

More Information about what SEO provides

Increased Organic Traffic

SEO helps websites appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords and phrases. This visibility increase leads to higher click-through rates, driving more organic traffic to the website.

Improved Visibility and Brand Awareness

Higher rankings on search engines mean more people see a website’s listing when searching for related topics. This boosts brand awareness as users become familiar with the dealership through repeated exposure in search results.

Credibility and Trust

Websites that rank higher on search engines are often perceived as more credible and trustworthy by users. Users tend to trust search engines to provide them with reliable results, so a high ranking can positively impact the perception of the website.

Better User Experience

Many aspects of SEO, such as optimizing content, analyzing page performance factors, and conducting quality research into relevant high-impact keywords, contribute to a better overall user experience. This can lead to longer time spent on site, lower bounce rates, and more engagement.

Targeted Traffic

SEO allows us to target specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to the business/industry. This means that the traffic we attract through SEO is more likely to be interested in the products and services of the dealership.

Local Search Visibility

Local SEO helps businesses appear in local search results when users search for products or services in their vicinity. This is crucial for attracting a business’ target audience.

Competitive Advantage

Outranking competitors on search results can give a website a competitive edge, especially in industries where online visibility is crucial.

Measurable Results

SEO efforts can be tracked and measured using various tools and analytics, allowing us to assess the effectiveness of our strategies and make data-driven improvements.

Adaptations to Search Engine Updates

Regular SEO efforts necessitate staying updated with search engine algorithm changes. While this might seem like a challenge, it also keeps a website’s content and strategies up to date, ultimately benefiting the site’s performance.

Package Expectations

Clients will sign up for 1 of 3 available SEO packages. The following information outlines the deliverables for each package from the first month onward in order to set expectations for monthly work.

Local Pages

Before discussing deliverables for each SEO package, it is important to clarify and differentiate what Local pages are from other web pages.

A Local page is a location-based webpage that highlights an area OUTSIDE of the dealership’s hometown/physical location. The information on this page talks about the dealership’s inventory and services, as it relates to the location of focus. The About Us page already serves to establish relevance in the dealership’s hometown, so the purpose of the additional Local pages is to help establish relevance in a target area that the client wishes to drive traffic from. Each SEO package offers a different number of Local pages, so the client will need to specify the same amount of additional target locations as there are Local pages, per their package.

Example: If a dealership has a Gold SEO package and is located in Los Angeles, CA, the client can list Anaheim and San Bernardino as the locations of focus for the two Local pages, per the Gold package’s content deliverables.

Package Breakdown Script

Silver 2022:

1st Month:
- The client gets tracking tools set up to record traffic data:
  - Google Analytics Accounts, Google Search Console to track clicks and impressions, etc., an account within our keyword tracking and monitoring tool in order to assess targeted keywords on-site.
- The Account Manager conducts an intake to provide target locations for SEO reps to perform a site audit and create a keyword list in the first month.
- New Silver clients get one piece of content a month starting in the first month, following the content type order of the About Us page, Service Department page, and Parts Department page (where applicable - not all websites have service/parts departments) in the first 3 months. Afterward, page footers or blog articles will be assigned.
- These clients do NOT get local pages or reputation management services. (But they can add them on as A La Carte services).
In the second month, the SEO representative constructs the link structure for the inventory, including buttons that navigate between pages, and creates one piece of content.
3rd Month+: The client gets one piece of content requested per month. This is generally the optimization of an inventory page.

Gold 2022:

1st Month:
- The client gets tracking tools set up to record traffic data:
  - Google Analytics Accounts, Google Search Console to track clicks and impressions, etc., an account within our keyword tracking and monitoring tool in order to assess targeted keywords on-site.
- The Account Manager conducts an intake to provide target locations for SEO reps to perform a site audit and create a keyword list in the first month.
- New Silver clients get one piece of content a month starting in the first month, following the content type order of the About Us page, Service Department page, and Parts Department page (where applicable - not all websites have service/parts departments) in the first 3 months. Afterward, page footers or blog articles will be assigned.
- These clients do NOT get local pages or reputation management services. (But they can add them on as A La Carte services).
2 pieces of content a month, following the content type order of (where applicable) the About Us page, Service Department page, Parts Department page, and 2 Local pages starting from the first month.
Gold does NOT get reputation management services (but they can add it on as an A La Carte service).
2nd Month: Link structure is built just like Silver packages and gets another 2 pieces of content.
3rd Month+: The client gets two pieces of content requested per month, generally an inventory page and a blog article.

Platinum 2022:

1st month:
- The client gets tracking tools set up to record traffic data:
  - Google Analytics Accounts, Google Search Console to track clicks and impressions, etc., an account within our keyword tracking and monitoring tool in order to assess targeted keywords on-site.
- The Account Manager conducts an intake to provide target locations for SEO reps to perform a site audit and create a keyword list in the first month.
- New Silver clients get one piece of content a month starting in the first month, following the content type order of the About Us page, Service Department page, and Parts Department page (where applicable - not all websites have service/parts departments) in the first 3 months. Afterward, page footers or blog articles will be assigned.
- These clients do NOT get local pages or reputation management services. (But they can add them on as A La Carte services).
2 pieces of content a month, following the content type order of (where applicable) the About Us page, Service Department page, Parts Department page, and 4 Local pages starting from the first month.
They DO receive reputation management services. - ALL REP MAN FEATURES ARE INCLUDED
2nd month: Link structure is built just like Silver and Gold packages and gets another 2 pieces of content.
3rd month+: The client gets two pieces of content requested per month, generally an inventory page and a blog article.

Package Breakdown Quick Reference

See the full table

Deliverables	Packages
	Silver V2022	Gold V2022	Platinum V2022
Homepage	x	x	x
Top Pages Optimization	x	x	x
About Page Optimization	x	x	x
Parts Page Optimization	x	x	x
Service Page Optimization	x	x	x
Region/Local Page Creation & Optimization		2 (one-time)	4 (one-time)
Internal Link Structure	x	x	x
Spam Link Monitoring & Clean-up	x	x	x
Monthly Site Optimization	x	x	x
Content Creation
Inventory Page OR Blog	1/mo/either	2/mo/either	2/mo/either
About Page Custom Content Writing	x	x	x
Parts Page Custom Content Writing	x	x	x
Service Page Custom Content Writing	x	x	x
Region/Local Page Content Writing		2 (one-time)	4 (one-time)
Local Business Listing Optimization
Basic Listing Optimization		x	x
Nap Citations Management		x	x
Google Business Profile Page Optimization		x	x
GBP Posts (Manual Posting)			1/(mo)
Reputation Management
On-site Review Capture & Feed			x
Review Request (Email & Text - dms integration)			x
Reviews Management Dashboard & Reporting			x
Managed Review Response			x
Tracking & Reporting
Monthly & Quarterly Reporting w/GBP Insights	x	x	x
Keyword Research & Planning	x	x	x
Google Search Console	x	x	x
Google Analytics	x	x	x

Essential Questions to Ask

During the intake call, these questions are crucial to ask the new client in order to obtain valuable information to aid the SEO team. These questions will provide answers that will allow us to set goals, establish direction, and focus on the priorities of the business. For these questions, please fully capture the answers and be certain of the spelling for any locations.

Please provide the exact spelling of how you would like your dealership name written on the site.
1. Why: Having the exact spelling of the dealership name (what they are known as) ensures consistency across the site and prevents any errors. The legal business name tends to work best.
2. Example Response: The dealership name is Sunrise RV Adventures, LLC but we’re more commonly known as just "Sunrise RV Adventures." and would prefer that name to be used throughout our campaign and on-site.
Who is the primary point of contact and what is the best method of communication for them?
1. Why: Knowing who the primary contact person is and their preferred communication method ensures smooth collaboration and timely updates throughout the campaign.
2. Example Response: The main person to contact for SEO reports and campaign details is Jane Doe. She prefers emails for updates and monthly phone calls to cover report information.
What additional people will receive the monthly SEO report? Please provide their email address(es) as well.
1. Why: Identifying the recipient(s) for our monthly SEO reports ensures that our efforts and results are transparently communicated to the relevant stakeholders.
2. Example Response: Please send the monthly SEO reports to both Jane Doe at jane.doe@gmail.com and our CEO, John Smith at john.smith@gmail.com.
What other types of digital marketing are you currently doing outside of Dealer Spike/ARI?
1. Why: Understanding the client's existing digital marketing initiatives outside of our services provides insights into their overall online presence. This enables us to coordinate our efforts for a more cohesive and effective strategy.
2. Example Response: Currently, we're running Google Ads campaigns and have an active presence on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
What Products, Brands, and Vehicle Types are most important for you to promote? What are the least?
1. Why: We need to identify the core offerings that the client wishes to rank prominently for in search engine results. This knowledge forms the basis for our keyword research and content optimization efforts, allowing us to focus on the most relevant terms that attract potential customers.
2. Example Response: We're primarily focused on ranking for our lineup of luxury Class A motorhomes, family-friendly travel trailers, and off-road Forest River RVs.
Do you have any highly seasonal products or services? What are they? What time of year is the peak?
1. Why: Recognizing highly seasonal offerings and their peak periods helps us optimize content and campaigns to capitalize on seasonal traffic spikes.
2. Example Response: Our luxury models tend to see a spike in interest during the summer months when families are planning their vacations.
Are there any specific geographical locations you want to target for your SEO efforts? A primary location? Secondary locations?
1. Why: Defining the geographical locations the client wants to target is essential for local SEO efforts. This ensures that our content and optimization strategies are aligned with their target audience's locations.
  1. Primary Location: Identifying the primary location helps us tailor our content to match the geographical context. This is especially important when dealing with low-population areas or considering nearby high-population centers. A lower population means lower search volume, which makes ranking highly in search results more difficult.
  2. Secondary Location(s): Secondary locations offer additional areas to potentially drive traffic from that are OUTSIDE the primary location. It can increase the search radius of the website to capture a wider audience.
2. Example Response: Our primary target is Los Angeles, CA, which is where we’re located and have the most significant customer base. Other areas we want to target are San Diego and Las Vegas due to their proximity to our main dealership and how often we receive traffic from them.
Are there specific keywords you would like tracked for your SEO campaign?
1. Why: If the client has specific keywords in mind, this information guides our keyword research process. It's important to align our efforts with their goals and expectations.
2. Example Response: We'd like to see how we can rank for "luxury Class A motorhomes," "off-road travel trailers," and "best RV dealer in Southern California."
Any terms or phrases you would like us to use or NOT use?
1. Why: Learning about any terms or phrases the client wants to include or exclude ensures our content aligns with their brand voice and messaging.
2. Example Response: Please avoid using the term "used RVs" and focus on phrases like "pre-owned RVs" instead.
Who are your known competitors in your area 3-5 examples?
1. Why: The question about known competitors in the area is important because it helps us analyze their strategies, identify opportunities and challenges, refine keyword targeting, create unique content, build authority, and differentiate the client's business for effective SEO success.
2. Example Response: We're aware of two main competitors in our area: 'Adventure RV World' and 'Camping Haven RVs.' They both have a strong online presence and seem to attract a significant portion of our target audience.
We need additional details about your services to create content that is specific to your business' offerings (indicate all that apply):
1. About Us page:
  1. How many years in business?
  2. Family-owned and operated?
  3. Authorized dealer with any brands?
  4. Involvement in the community?
2. Parts Department page:
  1. OEM parts and accessories (list 5-10 most important brands)?
  2. Aftermarket parts and accessories?
  3. Gear and apparel?
  4. Parts and accessory installation?
  5. Special ordering of parts?
3. Service Department page:
  1. Factory certifications (list 5-10 most important brands)?
  2. Routine maintenance?
  3. Seasonal maintenance?
  4. Engine repairs?
  5. Electrical repairs?
  6. Tire repairs?
  7. On-site storage?
  8. Pickup and delivery?
Anything else that is special, unique, or sets your business apart that you would like us to know before getting started on your site?
1. Why: Understanding what sets the client's business apart helps us highlight their unique selling points and craft content that resonates with their target audience.
2. Example Response: What sets us apart is our personalized customer service, custom RV modification options, and our commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly RVing experiences.

Please copy and use this template to write the answers down next to their associated number from the question:

1. Primary Location:
2. Secondary Location(s):
1. About Us page
  1. How many years in business?
  2. Family-owned and operated?
  3. Authorized dealer with any brands?
  4. Involvement in the community?
2. Parts Department page:
  1. OEM parts and accessories (list brands)?
  2. Aftermarket parts and accessories?
  3. Gear and apparel?
  4. Parts and accessory installation?
  5. Special ordering of parts?
3. Service Department page:
  1. Factory certifications (list brands)?
  2. Routine maintenance?
  3. Seasonal maintenance?
  4. Engine repairs?
  5. Electrical repairs?
  6. Tire repairs?
  7. On-site storage?
  8. Pickup and delivery?

Outro

The ultimate goal of SEO is to increase the quality and quantity of organic traffic to the client’s website. The more traffic the website receives, the more sales and leads opportunities we generate. This means we’re going to optimize the website with keywords related to the inventory, geography, and services. Be sure to explain to the client the following:

Contact Expectations

Inform the client that you will be their main point of contact and will help facilitate SEO-related requests, questions, or concerns they have to the assigned SEO rep. The client should also expect a 48-hour turnaround time for most responses (unless completion of the request takes longer than that time frame, which Account Managers will be notified of by the SEO rep).

Reporting

Inform the client that the SEO report that is sent on the 5th of every month details the previous month’s SEO performance. The report contains valuable information regarding the work that was completed (with URLs to the pages that were worked on) and the campaign plan, which outlines the next 3 month’s worth of focuses. The report is important to review, in case the client has questions or requests about these specific aspects.

If the client wishes to modify the campaign plan, requests need to be made a month in advance or else the update will be made the following month.

Post-Call Procedure

Before the call ends, inform the client that if they need to update any details to the answers they provided during the call, they need to do so as soon as possible. This gives the SEO team sufficient time to set up their SEO campaign with up-to-date information.

Based on the notes that you collected, fill out the Client Sheet and ensure all appropriate fields are gathered. Send the completed client sheet URL and any further intake notes to the SEO team via an SEO Fulfillment case or ticket to the SEO Support Queue.