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seo-copy-and-content

This is Scenario 8: Content, Copywriting & SEO (The "Authority" Audit).

For your boutique firm, this is the "bridge" between the Build and the Market. Most SEO agencies focus on "backlinks" and "keywords," but as a software engineering firm, you can dominate by focusing on Technical SEO (performance/structure) and High-Value Content Architecture.

This scenario tests if a competitor is just a "blog factory" or if they understand how to build a topical authority map that actually drives leads.

Scenario 8: Content & SEO (The "Topical Authority" Audit)​

  • The Persona: "Dr. Julian," a partner at a specialized medical or legal practice (e.g., Regenerative Medicine or Intellectual Property Law) in the Tri-State area.
  • The Goal: Julian wants his firm to be the "go-to" resource for a specific niche. He’s tired of paying for Google Ads and wants to build "organic equity." He needs high-quality writing that doesn't sound like AI-generated fluff.
  • Budget Anchor: $3k–$5k/month retainer. He expects a "hands-off" experience where the agency handles the research, writing, and technical posting.

The Outreach Script (Email / Contact Form)​

Subject: Inquiry: SEO & Content Strategy for [Practice Name] – Building Topical Authority "Hi, I’m a partner at [Practice Name]. We’re looking to significantly grow our organic presence over the next 12 months. We’ve tried basic blogging in the past, but it didn't result in actual client inquiries. We need a partner who can handle the technical side of SEO (site speed/site structure) as well as the 'Expert-level' content. Our field is complex, so we need writing that is medically/legally accurate but easy for a layman to understand. Do you help with 'Topical Mapping' to ensure we own our niche? And how do you report on whether the content is actually leading to conversions? Thanks, Dr. Julian."

The "Deep-Dive" Secret Shopper Questions (For the Phone/Zoom Call)​

  1. The "Technical SEO" Test (The Developer Gap):
  • Question: "I’ve heard that site speed and 'Core Web Vitals' are part of SEO now. Since you are a marketing agency, do you actually go into the code to fix these things, or do I need to hire a developer separately?"
  • What to look for: This is your home field. A weak agency will say "We use a plugin for that." A pro firm (like yours) will talk about CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) and LCP (Largest Contentful Paint).
  1. The "Topical Authority" Test (Strategy):
  • Question: "How do you decide what to write about? Do you just look for high-volume keywords, or do you look at what my competitors are missing?"
  • What to look for: Listen for "Topic Clusters" or "Pillar/Spoke" models. If they just say "we find keywords with high search volume," they are likely to give you traffic that doesn't convert.
  1. The "AI vs. Expert" Test (Quality):
  • Question: "With AI being everywhere, how do you ensure our content doesn't look like everyone else's and actually sounds like it came from an expert in my field?"
  • What to look for: A high-end firm will suggest Expert Interviews or a "Human-in-the-loop" editorial process. If they say "Our AI tools are very advanced," walk away.
  1. The "Conversion" Test (ROI):
  • Question: "I don't just want traffic; I want phone calls. How do you structure a blog post to make sure someone actually contacts us after reading it?"
  • What to look for: They should mention In-content CTAs, Lead Magnets, and Internal Linking to service pages.
  1. The "Schema" Test (Technical Content):
  • Question: "What is 'Schema Markup,' and do you use it to help our articles show up as 'featured snippets' or 'FAQs' on Google?"
  • What to look for: This is a technical check. They should know about JSON-LD Schema for articles, FAQs, and Local Business.

How to Grade Them (Your Internal Research)​

MetricRed Flag (The "Blog Factory")Green Flag (The "Authority Builder")
Technical"We'll install Yoast and hope for the best."Performs a full Technical SEO Audit (Speed, Crawlability, Schema).
ContentWrites 4 generic "How-to" posts a month.Builds a Topical Map designed to dominate a specific niche.
Expertise"We use writers from a general pool.""We interview you for 30 minutes to extract your unique insights."
ReportingMeasures "Rankings" and "Traffic."Measures Engagement Time and Assisted Conversions.