Every custom site we build already includes a technical SEO foundation — clean structure, schema, on-page basics, and performance work from day one. This service is a monthly engagement for dedicated work beyond that foundation: a clear plan, focused improvements, link building, and attention from founder Tim Burkart. No junior team, no content mill, and no ranking guarantees.

What’s included

Work is scoped after a discovery conversation, then continues month to month. It is not a one-time project and not a generic package.

Technical SEO

This is already standard on custom builds, migrations, and Care Plans, and it remains the starting point of a dedicated SEO engagement:

• Indexability, robots.txt, and XML sitemaps
• Site structure and internal linking
• Metadata: titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text
• Structured data (schema markup)
• Core Web Vitals, page speed, and mobile performance
• Clean URL structures and semantic markup
• Google Search Console review, including crawl errors and indexation issues

If the foundation is already solid, we don’t redo it just to fill a retainer. See also organic SEO and generative engine optimization.

On-page SEO

Every project and Care Plan already includes on-page optimization as a foundation. Dedicated work goes further on key pages: titles, headings, internal links, and clearer service or location pages. Target keywords are recommended during the audit, then implemented on the agreed pages. We don’t deliver a formal keyword map.

Local SEO

On-site local work — consistent business information, location pages, and local structured data — is part of the monthly engagement and fits how we already build WordPress sites. Ongoing Google Business Profile management is an optional add-on if you want us to handle the profile itself. See our Google Business Profile best practices.

Content

On a new site or redesign, we can write, edit, or guide content as part of the project. Care Plans include monthly content-update hours — up to 30 minutes on Essential ($150/mo), up to 2 hours on Standard ($250/mo), and up to 5 hours on Premium ($400/mo) — which keep the site current, not a keyword-led content plan. Ongoing SEO content writing is an optional add-on to the monthly SEO engagement.

Link building

Link building is included in the monthly SEO engagement and is done in-house by Tim. We don’t sell cheap link packages or hand the work off to someone you never meet.

Reporting

Care Plan monthly reports still cover updates, security, performance, backups, and work completed. The SEO engagement has its own report, written in plain language and built from Google Search Console and GA4.

Each month you receive one report covering:

• Search visibility: impressions, clicks, and top pages
• Ranking trends for the target keywords recommended during the audit. These are trends, not promised positions.
• Conversions from search: form fills, calls, and bookings
• Work completed that month: pages optimized, links earned, and technical fixes
• What’s planned for next month

If you’re on the Google Business Profile add-on, the report also includes GBP views, calls, and direction requests. On top of the monthly report, we have a short quarterly review call to look at bigger-picture trends.

Who this is for

The same organizations we already serve: small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, professional services firms, churches, early-stage companies, and agency partners across the U.S. It’s a good fit if your WordPress or WooCommerce site is hard to find in search, you just launched and want a plan for what comes next, you depend on local search, or you already have a Care Plan and want SEO handled by the same person who maintains the site.

Who we’re not the right fit for: anyone looking for guaranteed rankings, cheap link packages, or a content mill. We don’t take on SEO for sites that aren’t WordPress. If you’re on another platform and want to move, start with Migrations & Rescues.

How the work actually happens

Discovery. A working conversation about your business, your market, your current site, and what better visibility would change for you. Usually 45–60 minutes. Free. Or start with a free website audit.

Findings and proposal. You receive a written proposal for a monthly engagement: what’s unfinished, what we’d do first, what’s an optional add-on, and the monthly price. No work starts until you approve it.

Foundation first. We fix crawl, speed, structure, and metadata problems before spending time on new content or campaigns. If the site needs a redesign or a rescue, we’ll say so.

Ongoing monthly work. We implement the agreed technical, on-page, and link-building work, plus any Google Business Profile or content-writing add-ons you approve. You work directly with Tim. Each month you get a plain-language report of what was done and what’s next, and every quarter we review the bigger picture together.

Why do this with a WordPress studio

Most SEO vendors never touch the theme, the plugins, or the hosting stack. We do, because that’s already our work.

• Built by the person who proposed it. The person on the call is the person doing the work — including link building and any add-ons you choose.
• Already part of how we build. We don’t charge a second time to add titles, schema, or Core Web Vitals to a site we just launched. This service is for ongoing work beyond that foundation.
• WordPress-native implementation. Changes are made in the site you actually use, and they stay editable and maintainable.
• A written proposal before work starts. After discovery, you see the monthly scope and price in writing. We don’t start unbudgeted work without your approval.

How this relates to Care Plans

A Care Plan covers technical WordPress services: updates, backups, security, and performance. That work protects search performance, but it is not a dedicated SEO program. SEO is a separate add-on, scoped after discovery. A Care Plan is recommended alongside SEO — the same person can keep the site updated, secure, and fast while the SEO work runs — but it is not required. If the site needs a rebuild first, we’ll point you to Custom WordPress Design & Development or Migrations & Rescues.

Investment

SEO is a monthly engagement. We don’t publish prices or package ranges. After a free discovery conversation, you receive a written proposal with scope, optional add-ons, and monthly pricing. No hourly surprises.

Qualifying nonprofits receive the same discount already offered on Care Plans.

Frequently asked questions

Isn’t SEO already included when you build or maintain my site?

The technical foundation is. Custom sites include technical SEO, on-page optimization, schema, and performance work at launch, and Care Plans cover the technical work that helps protect those foundations. Dedicated SEO is a separate monthly add-on, scoped after we see the site.

Will you guarantee first-page rankings or a traffic increase?

No. Anyone who guarantees rankings is selling something they can’t control. We can control the quality of the site, the clarity of the pages, and the technical issues that often hold a WordPress site back. Results vary by market, competition, and the scope of the work.

Do you work on WordPress sites you didn’t build?

Yes. A free website audit or a discovery call is the usual starting point. If the site needs remediation before SEO work will hold, we’ll scope that honestly first.

Do you handle link building? What about content writing or Google Business Profile management?

Yes. Link building is included in the monthly SEO engagement and is done in-house. Ongoing content writing and Google Business Profile management are optional add-ons if you want them. We don’t sell cheap link packages.

What do the SEO reports include?

One plain-language report each month, built from Google Search Console and GA4. It covers search visibility, ranking trends for the keywords recommended during the audit (as trends, not promised positions), conversions from search, the work completed that month, and what’s planned next. If you’re on the Google Business Profile add-on, you’ll also see profile views, calls, and direction requests. Every quarter, we have a short review call to look at bigger-picture trends.

How is this different from the free website audit?

The audit is a one-time manual review. It already covers technical SEO, on-page SEO, performance, and content and conversion, and you receive a written report whether or not you hire us. This service is the monthly engagement that can follow, with its own monthly SEO report and a short quarterly review call, when you want that work carried out on an ongoing basis.

Ready to see where your site actually stands?

Start with a conversation or a written audit. You’ll talk to Tim, get a clear picture of what’s holding the site back, and know what a monthly engagement would include and cost before you commit.

• Book a free consultation
• Request a free website audit
• Or send a message