Baseline Visibility Snapshot (Onboarding)

Baseline Visibility Snapshot (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Freeze the client's current visibility numbers before any optimization work starts

   Pull organic keyword counts, AI answer mentions, and backlink totals on day one so every later claim has a dated starting line. Without a frozen baseline, month-three results are unfalsifiable and the retainer conversation turns subjective.

2. 02

   Query the three major AI engines with the client's ten core category prompts

   Run each prompt through ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, then record whether the client is named, which competitors appear, and which sources get cited. This is the citation-frequency baseline that most agency reports still omit.

3. 03

   Map keyword overlap between the client domain and its two closest competitors

   A tool like SpyFu surfaces the exact terms a rival ranks for that the client does not, which converts a vague gap into a ranked target list. Cap the first pass at 50 terms so the content team is not buried.

4. 04

   Inventory the client's existing backlink profile and flag toxic or lost links

   Linkody-style monitoring gives new, lost, and changed links with DR, DA, and spam scores attached. Separate the profile into links worth defending and links worth disavowing before outreach begins.

5. 05

   Document which SERP features the client already owns versus rents

   Note featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and AI Overview placements per target term. A snippet held by a competitor is a faster win than a net-new ranking push.

6. 06

   Confirm data-source coverage limits in writing with the client

   Third-party visibility data carries latency and sampling error, so state which engines are tracked, how often, and what the platform cannot see. Setting this expectation at kickoff prevents a disputed metric in month two.

7. 07

   Assign one owner for the baseline document and lock it from edits

   Version the snapshot, store it in the client folder, and route all comparisons back to that file. When a client asks why a number moved, the answer should take one click, not one afternoon.