Marketing and Agency Audit
Is your search team or agency actually moving the needle? I give leadership an independent answer, backed by data, with no stake in who does the work next.
The questions behind most audits
- Spend
- "We spend a lot on SEO. Is it working?"
- Reporting
- "Our agency says we're winning. Are we?"
- Readiness
- "Is our team ready for AI search, or still optimizing for 2019?"
- Decisions
- "We're about to renew, replace or hire. What should we look for?"
- Investment
- "We're acquiring this company. How strong is its search position?"
What I review
| Area | What I check |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Are the priorities tied to business goals, or to vanity metrics? |
| Reporting | Do the reports match what the data actually shows? |
| AI visibility | Is anyone measuring or managing it, and how do you compare to competitors? |
| Content | Is it built to rank and to be cited, or just to hit a volume target? |
| Technical | Are there issues blocking search engines or AI from your best pages? |
| Authority | Is the brand earning real outside proof, or relying on tactics that won't last? |
| Tools and spend | Where is budget going, and what is it producing? |
Findings you can act on
- Program scorecard: a clear rating for each area above
- Claims check: what the team or agency reported, next to what the data shows
- AI Visibility Score: your baseline, compared to competitors
- Fix list: what's working, what's wasted and what's missing, in priority order
- Recommendations: for the team, the agency relationship and the budget
- Leadership briefing: a confidential session with the executives you choose
Built to be fair to everyone involved
The goal is a clear picture, not a gotcha. Teams and agencies get a chance to explain their work, and good work is called out as clearly as gaps.
Scoping and NDA
We define the scope and who sees the findings.
Access and interviews
Read access to reports and analytics, plus short conversations with the team or agency.
Review and testing
I check the work against real data and run the AI visibility benchmark.
Briefing
Findings go to leadership first, then to the team if you choose.
Common questions
Will you try to replace our agency?
No. I don't take on the execution work for audit clients. My only job is an honest assessment.
Does the team or agency need to know?
That's your call. Most audits go better with their cooperation, but some leaders start confidentially.
Can this support a renewal, a new hire or a vendor search?
Yes. Many audits end with clear criteria for what the next agency or hire should deliver.
Do you work with PE firms on due diligence?
Yes. The audit can be scoped as a search and AI visibility review of a target company before you invest.
Get an honest answer
Every audit starts with a short, confidential scoping call.