SEO Consulting Services: Expert advice and a plan your team can follow
Find out what is holding your website back in Google, get a clear plan your team can follow and have an expert guide every fix.
We'll reply with a written proposal: the work, what we need from you and an estimated timeline.
Why your SEO isn't moving, and what an SEO consultant checks first
Flat traffic is a symptom, not a cause. Before we suggest anything, we look for the real reason. These are the six problems we find most often.
Traffic is flat or falling and nobody knows why
Visits from Google drop after a site change, a Google update or a competitor's push, and nobody on the team can say which pages lost out or what to do first.
Agency reports you can't judge
You get monthly reports full of rankings and charts, but you can't tell whether the work is right, whether it is working or what you are paying for.
Technical problems nobody fixes
Slow pages, broken links, pages Google can't find or duplicate pages sit on a list for months because nobody explains them clearly enough for a developer to act.
Content without a plan
Blog posts get written, but they target the wrong searches, compete with each other or never link to the pages that bring in customers.
Losing to competitors on Google Maps
Local rivals show up in the map results for your main services while your Google Business Profile, reviews and local pages fall behind.
Missing from AI answers
Customers ask ChatGPT or see Google's AI answers, and your business isn't mentioned, even for topics you know better than anyone.
What our SEO consulting services include
SEO consulting services give you expert advice on how to get found on Google (SEO means search engine optimization). Instead of handing all the work to an agency, you get an SEO consultant who audits your website, finds what is really holding it back, ranks every fix by impact and effort, and guides your team or developer while they make the changes. It suits businesses with a team but no SEO lead, businesses that want a second opinion on their agency, and anyone about to redesign or move their website. If you would rather have the work done for you, our SEO services team can take it on.
Eight areas of work take you from a full audit to a ranked fix list, a 90-day roadmap, clear briefs for the people doing the work and regular check-ins. Your proposal states which areas, how many hours or calls, and who carries out the changes.
Full SEO audit
We review how Google finds and reads your site, your page content, speed, mobile use, links, local listings and tracking, and write down what is working and what isn't.
Competitor and keyword review
We look at which searches bring customers in your market, who wins them today and why, and where you have a realistic chance to compete.
Prioritized fix list
Every issue we find is ranked by expected impact and effort, so your team works on the fixes that matter most first instead of a long, flat list.
90-day SEO roadmap
A short written plan that puts the fixes, new pages and content in order, with owners and dates, and the measures we will use to judge progress.
Developer and writer briefs
Clear, step-by-step instructions your developer or writers can follow, with examples, so changes are made right the first time.
Monthly strategy calls and on-call advice
Regular calls to review progress, answer questions and adjust the plan, plus advice before big changes like a redesign, a new section or a website move.
Team training
Practical sessions that teach your marketing staff, writers or developers how to keep SEO right in their daily work, so you rely on us less over time.
Reporting and tracking setup
We set up Google Search Console and analytics correctly, decide what counts as a good lead and build a simple report that shows progress toward real customers.
How we consult: plain-English SEO advice you can act on
Advice is only useful if your team can act on it. Every recommendation comes with the reason, the expected effect, the effort and a way to check it worked.
Every fix ranked by impact and effort
You always know what to do first and why. Small, high-impact fixes come before big projects with uncertain returns.
We explain the why, not just the what
Your team learns the reason behind each change, so they can make good SEO decisions on their own between our calls.
We check changes once they are live
After your team makes a fix, we check the live site to confirm it works as intended, and flag anything that needs another pass.
We follow search visitors through to customers
Rankings and visits only matter if they bring calls, forms and sales. We check pages, forms, call tracking and CRM records, not just Google.
No ranking guarantees
Google decides rankings, and anyone who promises a set position is guessing or using risky tactics. We explain what we expect and why, then report what happened.
You own everything
Your website, Google Search Console, analytics, content and reports stay in your name. Our audits and roadmaps are yours to keep.
Our SEO consulting process: what we review, how we work and how to choose
Open each tab to see when consulting is the right choice, what our SEO audit covers, how we handle local and AI search, how pricing works and how to judge any SEO consultant.
Is SEO consulting right for you?
SEO consulting works best when someone on your side can make the changes. If nobody can, full SEO management is usually the better choice.
If you want the work done for you, our SEO services team can run it. You can also start with a consulting audit and move to managed SEO later.
Technical and on-page SEO review
We check whether Google can find, read and understand your pages, and whether each page clearly answers what searchers want.
Not every warning from an SEO tool matters. We only put issues on your fix list when they affect how Google or customers use your site.
Content, keywords and links
We look at which searches your pages target, how useful and trustworthy they are, and which other websites link to you.
We only recommend earned links: digital PR, outreach, useful content and fixing broken or unlinked mentions, within Google's spam policies. We never recommend paid or hidden link schemes.
Local SEO and AI search consulting
Local businesses need advice on Google Maps, reviews and local pages. More and more businesses also want to know how they appear in AI answers. We cover both.
No one can promise a top spot on Google Maps or a mention in ChatGPT or Google's AI answers. We improve what you control and record what those tools actually show.
After the click: turning search visitors into calls and customers
More visitors only help if they get in touch and get a fast reply. We check what happens after someone lands from Google.
This is where most SEO consultants stop looking. We don't, because it is often the quickest way to get more customers from the traffic you already have.
Ways to work with an SEO consultant, and how pricing works
Pick the format that matches your team and budget. Each one is priced on the work involved, and we explain it in your proposal.
We don't publish a fixed price, because sites differ so much. Your scoped proposal gives a clear fee and states what is and isn't included.
How to choose an SEO consultant, and the red flags
Good SEO consultants ask about your business first, explain their reasoning and want access to your real data. These checks help you test that.
Be careful of anyone who guarantees page-one rankings, uses secret methods, sells link packages or keeps your accounts in their own name.
What changes after your first SEO consulting cycle
Most sites we review have plenty of SEO activity but no clear priorities, no trusted measures and fixes that never get finished.
- Long, flat issue listsTool reports with hundreds of warnings and no sense of which ones matter, so nothing important gets fixed.
- Unclear measuresRankings and traffic are reported, but nobody knows which searches and pages bring real leads.
- No one steeringYour team, developer and agency each work on their own ideas, with no shared plan or order.
We deliver the audit, the ranked fix list and the roadmap, then guide your team through the first round of changes.
- Ranked fix listIssues sorted by impact and effort, with clear briefs your developer and writers can follow.
- Tracking that worksSearch Console, analytics and lead tracking set up so progress can be measured.
- First fixes liveThe highest-impact changes made by your team and checked by us on the live site.
By the end of the first cycle your team knows what to do next, why it matters and how to tell if it worked.
- Progress you can seeFixes done, pages improved and changes in Google results shown side by side with leads from search.
- A more confident teamYour staff understand the reasons behind the work and handle routine SEO decisions themselves.
- Next roadmap readyA new 90-day plan based on what moved, including whether to keep consulting or switch to managed SEO.
SEO consulting for your type of business
A law firm, a clinic, an online store and a software company each win search traffic in different ways. We start with what usually matters in your market, then check it against your real data.
Law firms and lawyers
Practice-area pages, local search and trust signals matter most. Content must follow lawyer advertising rules, such as the ABA Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3 and your state bar's rules.
Clinics and healthcare practices
Medical content needs real expertise and accuracy, and HIPAA (the US patient privacy law) limits tracking. We work with your compliance team.
Dental practices
Treatment pages, local search and reviews drive most new patients. Each dentist and location needs clear, non-duplicate pages.
Home and on-site services
Most customers search locally and call right away, so map results, service pages and call tracking matter most.
HVAC and plumbing companies
Emergency and seasonal searches spike fast. Pages for each service and area need to be ready before the busy season.
Roofing contractors
Competitive local searches and high-value jobs. Strong project proof and local pages help stand out.
Real estate agents and brokerages
Big portals dominate many searches, so neighborhood and niche content is where smaller firms can compete.
Insurance agencies
Local and product searches compete with national carriers. Claims follow state rules and carrier approval, and we work with your compliance team.
B2B and professional services
Few searches but high-value buyers. Content must answer the questions decision makers ask at each stage.
Online stores
Category and product pages, site structure and duplicate pages decide how much of the catalog Google shows.
Software and SaaS companies
Comparison, feature and how-to searches bring buyers at different stages. Docs and help pages need to work with the marketing site.
Small and local businesses
Limited time and budget mean a short fix list and a few strong pages beat a big content plan.
Who does what: your team, your developer and your SEO consultant
Your proposal lists what we deliver, what your team or developer carries out, and the decisions that stay with you.
Your SEO consultant.
- Run the SEO audit and competitor and keyword review
- Write the ranked fix list and 90-day roadmap
- Write clear briefs for your developer and writers
- Check fixes once they are live
- Run monthly calls, training and plan updates
- Report progress in plain English
Or our team, if you choose.
- Your developer makes technical and template changes
- Your writers create and update content from our briefs
- Your marketer updates titles, pages and Google Business Profile
- Your sales team shares feedback on leads from search
- Our SEO team can take on any of this work if you choose
- We work with your agency if you already have one
Your business stays in charge.
- Give access to your website, Search Console and analytics
- Share your services, customers and business goals
- Approve the roadmap and the order of work
- Approve claims and content before it goes live
- Make time for calls and quick decisions
- Keep ownership of every account, file and report
Your first 12 weeks of SEO consulting
The audit usually takes two to three weeks once we have access to your website, Google Search Console and analytics. The roadmap follows in week four. Fixes then go live as fast as your team or developer can make them. Google decides when it re-reads your pages and how it ranks them, so we can't promise ranking dates.
SEO consulting, first 12 weeks
Access and audit
Once we have access to your website, Google Search Console and analytics, we start the full audit and the competitor and keyword review.
KPI Access confirmedFindings and roadmap
We present the audit in a working session, then deliver the ranked fix list and 90-day roadmap with owners and dates.
KPI Roadmap approvedBriefs and first fixes
Your developer and writers get clear briefs and start the highest-impact fixes. We answer questions as they work.
KPI First fixes startedLive checks and training
We check the first fixes on the live site and run training for your team on keeping SEO right day to day.
KPI Fixes checkedFirst progress review
We compare Google results, visits and leads from search with your starting point, and note what Google hasn't processed yet.
KPI Progress reviewedNext roadmap
We update the plan from what moved and agree the next 90 days, including whether to keep consulting or move to managed SEO.
KPI Next plan readyOur full growth plan (all services together), month by month
Foundation and review
We review your whole website, where you rank and your competitors, agree how the site should be organized, and set up hosting, analytics (visitor tracking) and your GoHighLevel lead system. The first agreed pages start going live.
KPI pages liveBuild and launch
The site is built or rebuilt. Main, service and industry pages go live with on-page SEO, website labels and technical fixes. Your Google Business Profile is improved and lead follow-up automations are switched on.
KPI pages in GoogleEarly rankings, paid ads start
More pages built from templates (programmatic pages) start going live, paid ads and email follow-ups are switched on for early leads, and Google adds your pages to its results as the first rankings usually appear.
KPI search terms rankingMomentum builds
Rankings often start climbing, visits from free search begin to rise, ad spending is tuned to the return it brings (ROAS, return on ad spend), and groups of related articles and links from other sites build your reputation with Google.
KPI visits from searchResults start to show
Main search terms can move closer to page one, the first leads from free search often arrive, AI tools may begin to mention you, and testing improvements to your pages (CRO, conversion rate optimization) helps more visitors get in touch.
KPI leads from searchGrowth builds on itself
Pages that are working are protected and improved, template pages bring in visitors searching for very specific terms, and SEO, ads, email and automation work together to bring steadier leads and sales. Timing varies by market and competition, and no ranking is guaranteed.
KPI leads and salesSEO consultant vs a typical SEO agency or freelancer
An agency is usually paid to deliver a fixed package each month. A freelancer usually covers one skill. An SEO consultant is paid to find what matters most, explain it and check that it gets done right.
- Sells a fixed monthly package whatever your site needs
- Hands over a long tool report with no priorities
- Gives instructions developers can't follow
- Reports rankings and traffic, not leads
- Ignores what happens after the click
- Guarantees rankings or page-one positions
- Sells link packages or uses hidden link schemes
- Keeps accounts and reports in the agency's name
- No way to build or control pages at scale
- Hands you a fix list and reports rankings, never revenue
- Scopes the work to what your site actually needs
- Ranks every fix by impact and effort
- Writes clear briefs and answers your team's questions
- Reports fixes done, Google changes and leads from search
- Checks forms, calls, reply speed and CRM tracking
- Explains what we expect, without guarantees
- Recommends earned links only, within Google's rules
- Keeps every account and report in your name
- Category and use-case pages built programmatically, with thin-content guards
- Every change shipped into your CMS and measured on clicks and revenue
Results from Softscotch client work.
These totals come from work for Softscotch clients across search, paid ads, websites and lead generation, as published on softscotch.com. Past results don't guarantee future results.
All six Softscotch client stories.
Every Quick Story currently published on Softscotch.com, covering education, ecommerce, healthcare and SaaS. Stock photography represents each client industry; the figures are reported historical results and do not guarantee future performance.
Education Ads + local SEO
183% more leads for an education consultancy
An education consulting business in India needed to build its digital presence and lead flow from scratch.
- Built a new WordPress website
- Used Quora ads to grow daily lead volume
- Added Local SEO and community engagement
Home solutions Shopify + SEO
Home-solutions ecommerce growth
A home-solutions business was dependent on business-to-business (B2B) marketplaces, losing sales and recovering from a Google penalty.
- Resolved the Google penalty
- Revamped the website and online store
- Improved organic visibility and Amazon campaign performance
Health consultant $20/day
Five booked calls a day for a health consultant
A Houston lactation consultant needed to recover a malware-damaged website and rebuild local patient acquisition.
- Rebuilt the hacked site and migrated it to secure hosting
- Ran targeted Facebook and Google campaigns
- Reached top-three local Google positions
Ecommerce 10 months
315% organic growth for an ecommerce site
Softscotch reports a 315% increase in ecommerce organic traffic over 10 months through focused on-page SEO.
- Optimized product and collection pages
- Improved the links between pages and the page addresses (URLs)
- Made the site easier for Google to explore and better matched to what people search for
SaaS platform Cold outreach
9% close rate for a transcription SaaS
A transcription platform needed a qualified prospect list and a reliable email-sending setup for outreach we managed.
- Built a comprehensive prospecting list
- Managed the cold outreach campaigns
- Set up reliable email-sending servers (SMTP)
Healthcare 6 months
182% organic growth for a healthcare clinic
A clinic in a competitive location needed to build organic search visibility from the ground up.
- Built the clinic's foundation for unpaid (organic) Google search
- Combined on-page and off-page SEO
- Reached top-five positions in Google Search
Teams that stopped leaving clicks on the table.
"The Softscotch team has been a solid partner as our business evolved over the last five years. Unlike most agencies, they have never charged us for work that falls outside the agreement. That is what sets them apart."
"Without their knowledge, we would be in a very different place than we are now. Whenever they find something that can be improved, they implement it quickly. I could not be happier with their performance and response time."
"Softscotch goes above and beyond the scope. The time, effort and dedication they put in is like having your own in-house marketing team. They are not just another marketing company."
"We are extremely happy with Softscotch, such an attentive team. No project is too small, and they give their 100%. We are extremely satisfied with their work."
"Softscotch is a great team to work with: transparent, reliable and genuinely invested in the growth of your company. They are good partners to have by your side."
"The Softscotch team has been a solid partner as our business evolved over the last five years. Unlike most agencies, they have never charged us for work that falls outside the agreement. That is what sets them apart."
"Without their knowledge, we would be in a very different place than we are now. Whenever they find something that can be improved, they implement it quickly. I could not be happier with their performance and response time."
"Softscotch goes above and beyond the scope. The time, effort and dedication they put in is like having your own in-house marketing team. They are not just another marketing company."
"We are extremely happy with Softscotch, such an attentive team. No project is too small, and they give their 100%. We are extremely satisfied with their work."
You'll always know exactly what we changed.
Plenty of agencies go quiet after the audit and you never quite know what you're paying for. We do the opposite. You get a live view of every change and what it moved, in plain language you can act on.
Live client dashboard
Every change, score and ranking in one place you can open any time, not a monthly PDF you wait around for.
Ready for your review
Weekly video summary
A short screen-recorded video (Loom) each week walking you through exactly what shipped and what it moved, so nothing is a mystery.
Before
After
Before/after score per page
See the exact lift on every page we touch, not a vague "it's improving" you have to take on faith.
Approved page updates are live.
Product details need a review.
Confirm the next priority pages.
Plain-English reporting
Clicks, rankings and revenue, explained in words you can act on, instead of a wall of charts about how often you were seen (impression charts.
Reports on demand
Ask for any cut of the data whenever you need it and get it, no waiting for the end of the month.
- ✓Proposed
Softscotch prepares the change.
- ✓Approved
Your team gives the go-ahead.
- ✓Published
Checked live and recorded.
Ethical, transparent, always on
One accountable team, strictly white-hat (only methods search engines and platforms allow), no shortcuts and no surprises. Support whenever you need it.
One Softscotch plan gives you access to the full service stack, coordinated around your priorities.
You do not need a separate agency or retainer for every channel. Your plan can draw from search, paid media, web, ecommerce, outreach, automation, lead generation, messaging, content, creative and operations. The agreed scope sets what is active, in what order and at what capacity.
SEO consulting services FAQs
Straight answers on what an SEO consultant does, what you receive, cost, timing, local and AI search, red flags and who owns the work.
What does an SEO consultant do?
An SEO consultant reviews your website, finds what is holding it back in Google, ranks the fixes by impact and effort, and guides your team or developer while they make the changes. Unlike a typical agency, the main product is expert advice and a plan, not a fixed monthly package of tasks.
What exactly will I receive from your SEO consulting services?
Usually a full SEO audit, a competitor and keyword review, a ranked fix list, a 90-day roadmap, clear briefs for your developer and writers, monthly strategy calls, team training and a simple progress report. Your proposal lists exactly which of these are included.
SEO consultant, SEO agency or in-house SEO: which do I need?
A consultant suits you if you have people who can make changes but need expert direction. An agency suits you if you want the work done for you. An in-house SEO hire makes sense once SEO is big enough to need someone full time. Many businesses start with a consultant to set the plan, then decide.
Can you just advise, and my developer or team do the work?
Yes, that is the most common setup. We write clear briefs, answer questions and check the changes once they are live. If your team gets stuck or runs out of time, our SEO team can take on some or all of the work.
Do you offer a one-off SEO audit, or only monthly consulting?
Both. A one-off audit with a roadmap suits teams that can run the plan themselves. Monthly consulting suits teams that want ongoing guidance, live checks and plan updates. Hourly advice is also available for specific questions or before a big change.
How much do SEO consulting services cost?
It depends on your website's size and state, your competition, the format you choose, the hours you need and whether our team also does any work. We don't publish a fixed price. Your scoped proposal gives a clear fee and lists what is and isn't included. Our SEO pricing guide explains the common pricing models across the market.
How long does it take to see SEO results?
Quick technical fixes can show an effect within weeks once Google re-reads the pages. Bigger gains from new content and earned links usually take several months. Timing depends on your site, your competition and how quickly fixes go live, and nobody can promise dates.
Is hiring an SEO consultant worth it?
It often is when you have people who can make changes but nobody who knows what to change first, or when you want an honest view of an agency's work. It is less useful if nobody can act on the advice. In that case managed SEO is usually a better fit, and we will tell you so.
Can you help as a local SEO consultant for Google Maps?
Yes. We review your Google Business Profile, reviews, local pages and directory listings, and give your team a clear plan. Our local SEO services team can also do the work. No one can promise a top spot on Google Maps, because distance from the searcher plays a big part.
Can an SEO consultant help with AI search like ChatGPT and Google's AI answers?
Yes. We record how AI tools describe your business, check whether your pages give clear, well-sourced answers and recommend changes that help AI tools understand what you do. These tools change often and decide for themselves what to show, so we can't promise a mention.
What are the red flags when hiring an SEO consultant?
Guaranteed rankings or page-one positions, secret methods they won't explain, paid link packages, no access to your own data and accounts held in their name. A good consultant explains their reasoning, uses your real data and leaves you owning everything.
Will I own all the work and accounts?
Yes. Your website, Google Search Console, analytics, Google Business Profile, content, audits and reports stay in your name. If we stop working together, you keep everything.
How do you report progress if you're not doing the work?
We track every roadmap item, who owns it and whether we have checked it live. Then we show what changed in Google results, visits and leads from search, and what to do next. That way you can see both whether the work got done and whether it is helping.
Do you work with agencies that need an SEO consultant behind them?
Yes. Agencies can bring us in for audits and advice on their clients' sites, or use our white label SEO service, where we deliver the work under the agency's brand.