This document sets expectations for how SEO campaigns typically work, what can influence results, and what is and is not included. SEO involves multiple moving parts: website platform, technical health, content quality, backlinks, competition, user behaviour, search engine updates, and AI-driven search surfaces.
Key Point: SEO is not an exact science. We cannot guarantee specific rankings, traffic, leads, revenue, or timelines because search engines, competitors, and market conditions change constantly. Although we have generated and increased much revenue for our clients, a multitude of factors come into play, such as the SEO plan you are on, to client and agency cooperation, and more. We will, however, promise you Google rankings within the first 30 days, guaranteed or we work for free! Keep on reading this document to learn more why any good SEO agency will not promise you #1 rankings within the first 30 days, as good SEO takes time and good work :)
Baseline & Starting Condition
SEO and AEO outcomes are heavily influenced by the website's starting condition, including domain age, existing penalties, backlink profile, technical health, content depth, and any prior SEO history. Sites with past spam tactics, manual actions, thin content, or penalties may require cleanup before measurable growth occurs. Not all websites grow at the same speed, prior agency work (positive or negative) directly affects your starting point and realistic timeline.
1) Scope, Deliverables, and What "Done" Means
We agree on a monthly scope. Anything outside the agreed scope is considered a change request and may affect timeline and cost.
In scope (typical services): keyword research, on-page optimization guidance, content briefs or writing (if included), internal linking guidance, technical SEO recommendations, local SEO support (if applicable), reporting and insights.
Out of scope unless listed: guaranteed backlinks or placements, PR campaigns, paid ads management, custom web development, full website redesigns, legal compliance review, reputation management, or complex development work.
A monthly deliverable is considered complete when agreed tasks are delivered and payment is received.
2) Timelines, Campaign Duration & Minimum Commitment
SEO is typically a 6–12 month strategic initiative. Short-term engagements may show movement but often do not reach full potential due to indexing cycles and authority development. Growth is rarely linear; progress may appear flat before breakthrough visibility occurs.
Crawling and indexing timing is controlled by search engines. Ranking changes may take weeks to months depending on competition and site history. Clients entering with a 1–3 month mindset should understand they may not see the compounding effects that longer campaigns deliver.
3) Access, Approvals, and Implementation Responsibility
SEO requires implementation. If we do not have necessary access, we can only provide recommendations. Client must provide access to Google Search Console, Analytics, CMS/admin access, and relevant accounts. If the client's developer implements changes, the client is responsible for timelines and accuracy.
4) Content Accuracy, Client Participation & Subject-Matter Input
SEO content must be accurate. The client is responsible for verifying business claims, pricing, legal statements, and regulated content even if content goes live prior to reviewal of the client on their online channels. Feel free to let us know to correct anything where needed.
SEO often requires subject-matter insight from the client in specific industries, including service nuances, FAQs, differentiators, and pricing logic. If client input is minimal, content depth may be limited, which can directly affect competitive performance and ranking potential. Major revisions or removals after publishing may cause ranking fluctuations.
5) Search Engine Updates, AI, Competition & Search Intent Shifts
Search engines update algorithms frequently. Competitors may increase budgets, publish more content, or improve authority. LLMs, AI Overviews, and zero-click experiences may reduce clicks even if rankings improve. We cannot guarantee inclusion in AI-generated answers or summaries.
Search intent and SERP layouts may shift over time. Keywords that previously drove strong traffic may lose volume, shift to informational results, or be absorbed by AI-generated responses. This is an industry-wide condition, not a campaign failure.
6) Technical Risks and Website Dependencies
Hosting issues, plugin conflicts, tracking errors, noindex settings, or unstable websites can limit performance. Development-based fixes (schema logic, complex redirects, template restructuring) may require additional billing unless included.
7) Links and Authority (No Guarantees)
We do not guarantee a specific number of backlinks or placements unless explicitly contracted. Outreach outcomes depend on third parties. We avoid spam tactics that risk long-term penalties.
8) Reporting, Metrics & Conversion Disclaimer
Reports reflect trends and insights, not promises. Rankings vary by location, device, and personalization. If tracking is missing or broken, reporting may be limited.
Important: SEO increases visibility and qualified traffic. Conversion performance depends on pricing, sales process, website UX, trust signals, offer-market fit, and responsiveness. We cannot guarantee lead or revenue increases without aligned sales and website optimization. Traffic growth does not automatically equal revenue growth.
9) Pauses and Momentum
Pausing SEO work can result in lost momentum, ranking declines, and competitor gains. Resuming campaigns may require re-auditing and additional ramp-up time. Clients who pause and resume should expect a reset period before prior performance levels are restored.
It is also important to note that having large gaps between payments is not recommended, as this affects the ongoing SEO strategy we plan in advance from the moment your onboarding begins — the strategy must be implemented continuously for your SEO to be effective. If you find yourself in financial hardship, we are more than happy to pause your campaign, but it is not recommended. For example, if you are paying monthly via e-transfer, it is important to note — or put in your calendar — that after every 30 days, your next month's payment is due, and to send it on time so there are no issues with your SEO results or delays in you seeing progress.
Similarly, for clients on a recurring billing arrangement, if your card on file is declining repeatedly, please ensure your payment details are updated promptly, as repeated failed charges have the same effect as a pause and will stall your campaign in the same way.
10) Communication and Response Times
Standard response window: within 24-48 hours (often much sooner). Urgent site or tracking issues will be prioritized when reported clearly.
Our forms of communications preferably are email so everything is tracked rather than text, even for urgent matters, as we are available 24/7.
You can reach us directly anytime at: info@avonmarketing.ca
Direct for emergencies: 647-917-8670
11) Confidentiality and Security
Client data is treated as confidential. The client is responsible for maintaining secure passwords and enabling 2FA. Unexpected access changes may affect timelines and results.
12) Exclusivity
Unless explicitly agreed upon in writing, services do not include geographic or industry exclusivity. We reserve the right to work with other clients in the same industry or region unless a separate exclusivity agreement has been signed.
13) Ownership of Work
All content created as part of this engagement belongs to the client upon payment completion, unless otherwise agreed in writing. This includes written content, keyword research, audits, and strategic documents delivered as part of the agreed scope.
Acknowledgement
By proceeding with SEO and AEO services, the client acknowledges they understand that rankings, traffic, and revenue are not guaranteed; that algorithm updates, AI-driven search, competition, and technical dependencies can affect results; that conversion performance depends on factors beyond SEO alone; and that SEO is a long-term, compounding strategy best measured over 6–12 months or more.
SEO Jargon Glossary At A Glance
Common terms you'll hear throughout your SEO — and what they actually mean.
Algorithm — The set of rules and signals search engines like Google use to decide which pages rank and in what order. Google updates its algorithm thousands of times per year, some minor, some major.
Anchor Text — The clickable, visible text of a hyperlink. For example, "click here" or "best plumber in Toronto." Anchor text signals to Google what the linked page is about.
Authority (Domain Authority / Page Authority) — A measure of how trustworthy and credible a website is in Google's eyes, largely influenced by the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to it. Higher authority = stronger ranking potential.
Backlink — A link from another website pointing to yours. Backlinks act like votes of confidence. Links from reputable, relevant sites carry far more weight than links from low-quality or irrelevant sites.
Canonical Tag — An HTML tag that tells Google which version of a page is the "official" one when duplicate or similar pages exist. Prevents Google from splitting ranking signals across multiple URLs.
Crawling — The process by which Google's bots (called "Googlebots" or "spiders") visit and scan your website pages to understand what they contain. A page can't rank if it hasn't been crawled.
CTR (Click-Through Rate) — The percentage of people who see your page in search results and actually click on it. Higher CTR = more traffic from the same ranking position. Improved by better titles and meta descriptions.
Core Web Vitals — A set of Google performance metrics measuring user experience: how fast a page loads (LCP), how quickly it responds to interaction (INP), and how stable the layout is while loading (CLS). These are a ranking factor.
Domain Age — How long a domain has been registered and active. Older domains with a clean history often carry more trust, though it's one of many factors.
E-E-A-T — Stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses these signals to evaluate content quality, especially in competitive or sensitive niches (health, finance, legal).
Featured Snippet — A highlighted answer box that appears at the top of Google's search results, pulled directly from a webpage. Also called "position zero." It dramatically increases visibility but doesn't always increase clicks.
Google Search Console (GSC) — A free Google tool that shows how your website performs in search — which keywords bring traffic, which pages are indexed, any crawl errors, and more. Essential for any SEO campaign.
Impressions — The number of times your website appeared in Google search results, whether or not anyone clicked. Tracked inside Google Search Console.
Indexing — After crawling, Google decides whether to store (index) your page in its database. Only indexed pages can appear in search results. Pages can be blocked from indexing by noindex tags or robots.txt settings.
Internal Linking — Links from one page on your website to another page on the same website. Helps Google understand site structure, distributes authority between pages, and improves user navigation.
Keyword — A word or phrase someone types into a search engine. SEO targets specific keywords to help your pages appear when those terms are searched.
Keyword Difficulty — A metric that estimates how hard it would be to rank on the first page for a given keyword, based on the strength of competing pages currently ranking for it.
Keyword Intent (Search Intent) — The reason behind a search query. Is the user looking to buy (transactional), learn something (informational), find a specific site (navigational), or compare options (commercial)? Content must match intent to rank well.
Local SEO — Optimisation strategies aimed at helping a business appear in local search results — including Google Maps, the Local Pack, and location-based queries like "plumber near me."
Local Pack — The block of three business listings with a map that appears near the top of Google results for local searches. Driven heavily by Google Business Profile signals and local relevance.
Long-Tail Keyword — A longer, more specific keyword phrase (e.g., "emergency roof repair Toronto cost") with lower search volume but typically higher intent and less competition. Often easier to rank for and converts better.
Meta Description — A short summary (around 150–160 characters) that appears beneath your page title in search results. Doesn't directly affect rankings but heavily influences click-through rate.
Meta Title (Title Tag) — The HTML title of a webpage that appears as the blue clickable link in Google results. One of the most important on-page SEO elements.
Noindex — An instruction in a page's code telling search engines not to include that page in their index. Useful for admin pages, thank-you pages, or duplicate content — but devastating if accidentally applied to important pages.
On-Page SEO — Optimisation done directly on a webpage — including title tags, headings, content, images, internal links, and URL structure — to improve its relevance for target keywords.
Off-Page SEO — Everything that happens outside your website that impacts your rankings — primarily backlink building, brand mentions, and authority signals from other sites.
Organic Traffic — Visitors who find your website through unpaid search results (as opposed to paid ads). The primary goal of SEO.
PageRank — Google's original algorithm for scoring page importance based on the quantity and quality of backlinks. While the public PageRank score no longer exists, the underlying concept still drives how Google evaluates authority.
Redirect (301 / 302) — A way to send users and search engines from one URL to another. A 301 is permanent (passes ranking signals); a 302 is temporary (does not fully pass ranking signals).
Schema Markup — Code added to a page to help Google understand its content more clearly — such as reviews, FAQs, events, or products. Can result in enhanced search result appearances (rich snippets).
SERP — Search Engine Results Page. The page Google displays after someone types in a query. Understanding SERP features (snippets, ads, maps, videos) is critical to realistic ranking expectations.
Technical SEO — The behind-the-scenes work that ensures search engines can crawl, index, and render your website correctly. Includes site speed, mobile-friendliness, URL structure, XML sitemaps, and more.
Thin Content — Pages with little to no valuable information — short, vague, or duplicate content that doesn't adequately serve a searcher's query. Google penalises or deprioritises sites with significant thin content.
XML Sitemap — A file that lists all important pages on your website and helps Google discover and crawl them efficiently. Submitted through Google Search Console.
Zero-Click Search — When a user gets their answer directly from the SERP (via featured snippets, AI Overviews, calculators, etc.) without clicking any website. Growing in frequency as AI search expands.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The most common questions clients ask when starting SEO for the first time.
Q: How long will it take to see results?
A: Honest answer: most clients start seeing meaningful movement between months 3 and 6, and stronger compounding results from month 6 onward. Factors that affect this include: how competitive your industry is, the current health of your website, how quickly technical changes get implemented, and how consistently we're producing content. SEO is a long game. Agencies that promise page-one rankings in 30 days are selling you something that won't last.
Q: Can you guarantee I'll rank #1 on Google?
A: No — and any agency that makes this guarantee should be treated with serious caution. Google controls rankings. We control the quality, consistency, and strategy of the work we put in. What we can guarantee is that we'll follow best practices, stay on top of algorithm changes, and build a sustainable foundation that gives you the best chance of ranking well over time.
Q: Why isn't my traffic converting into leads or sales?
A: SEO drives relevant traffic to your website — but what happens once someone lands on your site depends on your offer, pricing, website design, trust signals, and how easy you make it to take action. If your landing pages are unclear, your pricing is uncompetitive, or your call-to-action is buried, traffic won't convert no matter how high you rank. SEO and conversion optimization (CRO) are two separate disciplines that work best together.
This is why it's important to work with your SEO service provider on adjusting prices that work best even with their SEO efforts, and building on your reviews as well to increase trustworthiness.
Q: What's the difference between SEO and Google Ads (PPC)?
A: Google Ads puts you at the top of results instantly — but the moment you stop paying, you disappear. SEO builds organic rankings over time that don't require you to pay per click. Ads are great for immediate traffic; SEO is a long-term asset. Many businesses benefit from running both simultaneously, especially in the early months of an SEO campaign.
Q: Why did my ranking drop? We were doing so well.
A: Ranking fluctuations are normal and happen for several reasons: Google released an algorithm update, a competitor improved their site, your site had a technical issue (broken pages, speed problems), or search intent for that keyword shifted. Not every drop signals a crisis. We monitor these changes closely, identify the cause, and adjust strategy accordingly.
Q: How do I know if the SEO work is actually doing anything?
A: We track progress through monthly reports covering keyword rankings, organic traffic, impressions, click-through rates, incoming leads from month 3, and goal completions defined between the client and our team. In the early months, you may see impressions and rankings move before traffic meaningfully increases, that's normal. Growth trends matter more than any single month's snapshot.
Q: Do I need to be involved, or can I just hand it all over?
A: Some involvement significantly improves outcomes. We'll sometimes need your input on service details, FAQs, pricing context, or industry specifics that make content more accurate and competitive. The more context you give us, the stronger the content we can produce. You don't need to be hands-on every day, but occasional input — especially during onboarding — makes a real difference.
Q: What happens if Google releases an update and my rankings tank?
A: Algorithm updates affect every website, not just ours. When updates roll out, we assess what changed, compare it to your site's profile, and adjust our strategy. Some updates cause temporary fluctuations that self-correct. Others indicate a strategic shift Google is making, which requires adapting content, authority-building, or technical improvements. We don't panic — we analyze and respond.
Q: Will you build backlinks for my site?
A: Link building is part of most SEO strategies, but it depends on your scope. We focus on legitimate, white-hat outreach and content-based link acquisition — not link farms, paid link networks, or spam tactics that risk penalties. We don't guarantee a set number of links per month unless that's explicitly part of your contracted deliverables, because outreach success depends on third parties.
Q: Why do some of my competitors rank above me even though I've been in business longer?
A: Length of time in business doesn't directly translate to search rankings. Your competitors may have stronger backlink profiles, better-optimised pages, more content, faster websites, or they may have been doing SEO longer than you have. Domain age is one small signal among hundreds. The good news: with the right strategy, this gap is closeable — it just takes time and consistency.
Q: What if I want to pause the campaign?
A: You can pause, but there are trade-offs. SEO momentum is cumulative — when work stops, rankings can stagnate or decline as competitors continue building. Resuming a paused campaign often requires a re-audit and ramp-up period to regain lost ground. If budget is a concern, speak with us — we'd rather find a reduced scope that keeps momentum alive than lose the ground we've built.
Q: What do you actually do each month?
A: Depending on your scope, monthly work typically includes: keyword research and opportunity identification, on-page optimization of existing or new pages, content creation or briefs, technical SEO reviews and recommendations, internal linking updates, local SEO maintenance (if applicable), backlink outreach (if included), and a monthly report with insights and next steps.
Q: Will AI and ChatGPT replace Google and make SEO pointless?
A: AI is changing how people search, but it hasn't replaced traditional search — and Google itself is integrating AI into search results rather than being replaced by it. What's changing is how content needs to be structured and how authority is established. Strong, well-organized, expert content remains the foundation of visibility, whether the answer is surfaced by a traditional ranking or an AI-generated overview. SEO is evolving, not dying.
Q: Can you get me into Google's AI Overviews or AI answers (LLM's)?
A: We can optimize for it, but we cannot guarantee inclusion. Google's AI Overviews pull from pages Google considers highly authoritative, well-structured, and relevant to the query. Building that kind of content and authority is exactly what strong SEO does; it maximizes your chances without promising a specific outcome, since Google controls what gets featured.
Q: How do I know if I'm working with a good SEO agency?
A: Green flags: transparent reporting, realistic timelines, clear scope of work, no guarantees of #1 rankings, white-hat link building practices, and regular communication. Red flags: guaranteed rankings, vague deliverables, suspiciously low pricing, no access to your own data, or pressure tactics. A good SEO partner educates you throughout the process; they don't keep you in the dark.
Q: What happens if my payment is late or my card keeps declining?
A: A missed or delayed payment has the same effect on your campaign as a formal pause — the work stops, momentum slows, and competitors keep moving. If you're paying by e-transfer, we recommend putting a recurring 30-day reminder in your calendar so it never slips, as your next month's payment is due every 30 days from your start date. If you're on a recurring billing arrangement and your card is declining, please update your payment details as soon as possible — repeated failed charges will stall your campaign in the same way a pause would. If you're going through a tough period financially, just reach out and let us know — we are more than happy to work something out, but unplanned gaps with no communication are what we want to avoid most.
Q: Do you guys have contracts in place for SEO?
A: We do not lock clients into fixed SEO contracts. This means you are never locked in and have full flexibility with our services. We operate this way because we understand that you have your own business to run, and there may be times when you need to allocate your budget elsewhere, and that's completely okay. We also simply don't feel the need to hold clients to a contract, because our results and the level of service we provide speak for themselves. We have a consistently loyal and long-standing client base who continue working with us not because they have to, but because they want to. That's the standard we hold ourselves to, and it's exactly why contracts have never been necessary for us.
Avon Marketing & Media Inc.
(647) 916-8670 | info@avonmarketing.ca
1100 King Street West, Toronto, ON, M6K 0C6
avonmarketing.ca