What We Were Solving
How We Built It
We built a repeatable strategy process that we use for every new client. It starts with a discovery call to understand the business, not just the website. Then we run a full audit covering the site, the content, the technical setup, and the competitive positioning. From there we build a phased plan with clear priorities, realistic timelines, and measurable targets. The client knows exactly what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what success looks like before we write a single line of code or publish a single page.Why Strategy Before Tactics
We have a rule at SO Websites. We do not touch code, write content, or run ads until we have a strategy in place. That might sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many agencies jump straight into execution without understanding what they are trying to achieve.
A client once came to us after spending over R80,000 on SEO with another agency. They had dozens of blog posts, some backlinks, and a monthly report full of graphs. But when we looked at the data, none of the keywords they were targeting had any commercial intent. They were ranking for terms that nobody who would actually buy their services would ever search for. That is what happens when you skip strategy.
Phase 1: The Discovery Call
Every engagement starts with a conversation. Not a sales pitch. We ask questions that most agencies never bother with:
- Which of your services actually makes you money?
- What does a good lead look like for you?
- Who are the competitors you keep losing to?
- What have you tried before and why did it not work?
- What does success look like in six months?
These answers shape everything that comes after. If a client tells us their highest-margin service is BESS installation but their website barely mentions it, that is our first priority. If they tell us they get most of their leads from referrals and want to reduce that dependency, we know we need to build an organic acquisition channel. The discovery call is where we stop guessing and start understanding.
Phase 2: The Audit
Once we understand the business, we audit what already exists. This is not a surface-level scan from an automated tool. We look at four things in depth:
Technical health. Can search engines actually crawl and index the site properly? Are there broken pages, slow load times, or mobile issues? We check Core Web Vitals, crawl errors, indexing status, and security headers.
Content quality. What pages exist, what do they say, and do they match what potential clients are actually searching for? We look for thin content, duplicate pages, missing topics, and gaps between what the business offers and what the site communicates.
Keyword positioning. Where does the site currently rank, for which terms, and what is the realistic opportunity? We map existing rankings against competitor positions and search volume to find the gaps worth filling.
Competitive analysis. What are the top three to five competitors doing that works? Not to copy them, but to understand where the market is and where the opportunities are that nobody else has taken yet.
The audit gives us a clear, honest picture. Sometimes the answer is that the website needs rebuilding before any SEO work will stick. Sometimes the site is technically fine but the content is targeting the wrong audience. We tell clients what we find, even when it is not what they want to hear.
Phase 3: The Plan
This is where it all comes together. We take the business goals from discovery and the findings from the audit, and we build a phased plan. Every plan we write follows the same structure:
- Month 1: Fix the foundations. Technical issues, content gaps on core service pages, analytics setup. Nothing flashy, just the work that makes everything else possible.
- Months 2 to 3: Build visibility. Targeted content for high-value keywords, internal linking structure, structured data for rich results and AI search citations.
- Months 4 to 6: Expand and refine. Broader content strategy, performance monitoring, adjustments based on real data. This is where the compounding starts.
Each phase has specific deliverables, timelines, and measurable targets. We do not promise page one rankings in 30 days because that is not how search works. We set targets that are ambitious but realistic, and we review progress at 90-day intervals.
What Makes This Different
Three things separate our approach from what we have seen other agencies deliver:
We include AI search from the start. Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity. These platforms are changing how people find businesses. Our strategies account for AI visibility from day one, not as an afterthought. We structure content so it can be cited, and we make sure AI crawlers can access and understand the site.
We are honest about timelines. If a client needs results in two weeks, we tell them SEO is not the right channel for that. If their site needs a rebuild before SEO will work, we say that upfront rather than taking their money and hoping for the best.
The plan is the deliverable. Even if a client decides not to work with us beyond the strategy phase, they walk away with a document they can hand to any developer or marketer and execute on. We do not hold the plan hostage. That said, most clients stick around because they see the thinking behind it and want us to execute it properly.
Results Across Clients
We have run this process for clients in engineering, logistics, professional services, and e-commerce. The specifics change but the approach stays the same. Discovery, audit, plan, execute, measure.
Across our strategy clients, we consistently see keyword portfolio growth within the first 90 days, improved average positions on target terms, and most importantly, traffic that actually converts into enquiries rather than vanity metrics.
If you are wondering where your business stands right now, or you have been spending money on digital marketing without seeing results, start with a conversation. The discovery call is free. We will give you an honest take on what is worth doing and what is not. Check our blog for more on how we think about strategy and execution.