[Prospect Name]
[Proposal Type]
[Client-facing one-line proposal summary: services, audience, and desired business outcome.]
What’s inside
A sectioned proposal that combines prospect-specific findings with Search Influence’s standard operating model.
Why visibility now depends on traditional search and answer engines.
Specific queries, pages, campaigns, or journeys where the prospect can gain ground.
How SI connects strategy, execution, analytics, and optimization.
Selected standard modules based on services proposed.
Proof, relevant experience, and case studies.
Recommended investment, launch decisions, and path to kickoff.
AI Search Opportunity
How AI search changes the way prospects discover, compare, and trust programs, providers, and solutions.
AI Is Becoming a Primary Discovery Channel
Prospects are using AI tools and AI-influenced search results to explore, compare, and choose options.
Source: AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, UPCEA & Search Influence. For non-Higher-Ed prospects, replace or contextualize the research source.
How AI Search Works
AI systems generate answers based on patterns. Organizations can shape those patterns by building repeated, trusted signals across owned and third-party sources.
Program pages, service pages, FAQs, schema, internal links, admissions or conversion pages, modality pages, and clear entity relationships.
LinkedIn articles/posts, YouTube videos and descriptions, social captions, and consistent language used outside the main website.
Backlinks, citations, accreditors, directories, rankings, digital PR, and trusted third-party sources.
sameAs / knowsAbout schema, repeated semantic triples, and clear connections among brand, offerings, people, locations, outcomes, and proof.
Live Findings
A focused review of the prospect’s real visibility gaps and the practical changes Search Influence would build.
You Should Be the Answer. AI Isn’t Saying So.
Use actual query checks to show where competitors, schools, sources, or directories occupy answer space the prospect should compete for.
[Name specific competitors/schools/sources currently in the answer set. Do not say “competitors” generically.]
[Verified proof points that make the client a legitimate answer.]
[Named answer-set competitors/sources.]
[Verified proof points.]
Template instruction: use two queries max. If the client already appears strongly, choose a different query or frame a narrower gap.
[Program / Service / Campaign] Page: What’s Strong, What’s Missing, What We’d Build.
Make the recommendation concrete enough that the buyer can picture the page improvement.
[Verified strengths on the current page: format, outcomes, accreditation, differentiators, proof, conversion assets.]
[Plain description of what is missing, too buried, too generic, not answer-ready, or not connected to prospect intent.]
[Concrete section title, comparison table, FAQ/schema block, proof block, internal-link module, or rewritten heading.]
“[Exact or close paraphrase of what the page says today.]” Why it falls short: [short explanation].
“[Concrete replacement heading/sentence/module.]” Why it solves the issue: [AI/search/prospect can understand X].
Goal: [Client Goal in Plain Business Language]
Translate the buyer’s stated goal into a practical operating model for strategy, content, media, analytics, and optimization.
Start with the programs, services, campaigns, markets, or audiences most tied to business impact.
Clarify content, technical, authority, creative, tracking, and conversion gaps that limit visibility or lead quality.
Reinforce priority offerings through site content, citations, links, media, ads, and off-site assets.
Use AI visibility, AI traffic, rankings, analytics, conversion data, and buyer feedback to guide monthly priorities.
SCALE the Search Influence Way
A practical operating model for ongoing strategy and optimization work.
For [Client], SCALE means starting with the right priorities, turning search/media/analytics data into clear actions, and creating a recurring rhythm that helps marketing and leadership understand progress.
How the Work Gets Done
The default model is simple: Search Influence carries the implementation lift, while your team provides access, context, approvals, and downstream performance inputs.
Template instruction: tailor the lane cards to the proposed services. Keep the point practical: “this is where we live, this is what we own, and these are the pieces your team owns.”
Scope of Work
Select the approved modules that match the proposed services. Preserve wording and bullet order wherever possible.
Onboarding & Goal Setting
Confirm the goals, stakeholders, access, timelines, and reporting expectations needed to start the engagement cleanly.
- Website/CMS access as appropriate
- GA4, Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, ad platform, CRM, CallRail, and reporting access
- Existing strategy, campaign, brand, program, audience, and admissions/sales materials
- Stakeholder introductions
- Day-to-day contacts, decision-makers, and reviewers
- Publishing, campaign, and content review/approval workflow
- Deeper discussion of goals, KPIs, and success criteria
- SMART goal setting with sample SMART goals
- Reporting frequency and methods
- Timeline and launch milestones
AI SEO Initial Analysis & Strategy
Initial analysis connects entity, content, technical, authority, and baseline visibility work into an actionable 3-month roadmap.
Entity, keyword, and topic research & analysis; collaborative prioritization based on goals and potential ROI.
Content review & competitive analysis across priority pages, search results, and AI answer patterns.
Technical website analysis: crawlability, structured data, indexation, site architecture, and internal linking.
Link profile and citation analysis; local search visibility where applicable; SEO baseline: organic rankings and AI visibility for targeted prompts.
Custom 3-month AI and organic SEO plan with targeted entities, keywords, and near-term/long-term initiatives.
Execute AI SEO Strategy
While specific tactics are customized to your goals, below is a sample of what we may deploy over the life of your strategy:
- Align content with key entities and search intent
- Optimize title tags, headings, and metadata
- Strengthen entity connections through internal linking and structured data
- Differentiate with information gain and subject matter expert insight
- Lean into content freshness
- Write and publish blog content for topical authority
- Secure backlinks and citations
- Optimize directories and industry listings
- Publish digital PR with strategic links/language
- Optimize/create YouTube videos and LinkedIn articles
- Implement schema
- Improve crawlability, speed, and mobile health
- Improve navigation, internal linking, and URL structure
- Local search listing/content/link work where applicable
AI & Organic Search Engine Optimization Audit
Evaluate how the brand is interpreted, surfaced, and referenced across traditional and AI-driven search.
- Baseline organic performance and AI search readiness
- Entity, keyword, and content alignment
- Content structure and interpretability
- Internal linking and topical authority
- Technical SEO/accessibility
- Authority, backlink, and citation analysis
- Off-site content and brand presence
- Local search signals where applicable
Prioritized written recommendations tailored to goals and available resources.
- Meet to review findings
- Answer questions and align priorities
- Follow-up clarification/guidance
- Support implementation internally or with outside resources
Entity & Keyword Strategy
A focused mapping effort that turns research into clear page, topic, and content priorities.
Research priority entities, topics, and supporting keywords using professional SEO tools and Google Search Console data.
Group keywords by topic to reflect user search and AI interpretation, then map entities/topics/keywords to target URLs.
Identify new page recommendations and align content focus to reinforce relevance, authority, and topical coverage.
Google Paid Search Setup
Show up in search results for high-quality keywords on a PPC basis and drive qualified leads through the website.
- 4–6 weeks from kickoff
- Keyword research
- Campaign and ad group strategy
- Setup campaigns and ad groups
- Up to 9 ad groups plus branded ad group if appropriate
- Responsive search ads for each ad group
- Ad extensions: callout, sitelink, location, etc.
- Connect Google Ads & Analytics
- UTM tracking
- Google Ads conversions / import GA goals or key events
- Integrate CallRail / Google Ads and update extensions/URLs
- Campaign analysis and updates
- Conversion optimization recommendations
- Ad copy and landing page testing/tuning
- Ad creative rotation
Google Paid Search Audit / Update
Use when the prospect already has campaigns and needs audit-backed strategy updates.
- Fresh keyword research
- Existing campaign settings and bidding strategy
- Ad copy and landing pages
- Ad extensions
- Conversion tracking
- Campaign strategy focused on goals/objectives
- Optimization plan prioritizing audit findings
- Campaign creative/ad copy updates
- Tracking updates
Ongoing campaign analysis and updates tied to goals, lead quality, and budget pacing.
Google Performance Max
Reach customers across Google properties using Google AI to optimize bids, placements, and creative assets toward goals.
- Maximizing performance with automation/AI
- Reaching audiences beyond keyword Search
- Simplifying management across Google channels
- Leveraging first-party data and strong creative assets
- 4–6 weeks from kickoff
- Audience signal and targeting research
- Custom audience signals
- Campaign and asset group strategy
- Setup campaigns and asset groups
- Review/organize creative assets
- Responsive display and video assets
- Automated bidding strategy aligned with goals
- Connect Google Ads & Analytics
- UTM tracking
- Google Ads conversions/key events
- CallRail / Google Ads integration if relevant
- Test audience signals, asset combinations, bid strategies
- Creative and asset refinement
- Budget pacing and allocation adjustments
LinkedIn Advertising
Reach users on the professional network they trust with targeting capabilities that help reach the right audience.
- 4–6 weeks from kickoff
- Audience targeting research
- Campaign and ad group strategy
- Campaign creative: ad copy and imagery
- May include videos, reformatted images, graphics
- Up to 4 target messages
- Targeting groups, including custom audiences from first-party data
- Select landing pages
- Conversion tracking
- CallRail / LinkedIn Ads and URLs if relevant
- Campaign analysis and updates
- Monitor performance relative to goals
- Ongoing optimizations
- Creative rotation when appropriate
Meta Advertising
Reach users across Meta channels with targeting aligned to goals.
- 4–6 weeks from kickoff
- Audience targeting research
- Campaign and ad group strategy
- Creative: ad copy and imagery
- May include videos, reformatted images, graphics
- Up to 4 target messages
- Targeting groups, including custom audiences from first-party data
- Select landing pages
- Conversion tracking
- Meta Pixel
- Meta Event Tracking
- CallRail / Facebook Ads and URLs if relevant
- Campaign analysis and updates
- Monitor performance relative to goals
- Ongoing optimizations
- Creative rotation when appropriate
Conversion Optimized Landing Pages
Improve ad effectiveness and campaign conversion rate by aligning ad messaging and design with a focused landing page experience.
- Focused calls to action
- Lead generation/direct sales elements
- Landing page experience aligned with ad messaging and design
- Design/development of up to [###] campaign landing pages
- Conversion-focused page separate from main website
- Conversion-optimized copy and title tags
- Key calls to action
May include contact form placement/design or clear call option.
Dashboard, Analytics & Reporting
Reporting should connect strategy, completed work, visibility, traffic, and lead/funnel signals in language the team can use.
Analytics assessment, GA4, GSC, Bing Webmaster Tools, AWR, SEMrush/Scrunch inputs as available, conversions, events, and Looker Studio dashboard setup.
SMART goal attainment, inquiries, keyword rankings, overall and organic traffic, and content performance.
AI traffic, AI visibility, prompt/citation trends, pages cited in AI answers, and other sites appearing for tracked prompts.
Emailed insights report by the 15th, completed deliverables/tactics, and a monthly meeting to review results and discuss optimizations.
AI Visibility Tracker
Track presence in AI-powered conversations and identify where content, citations, and authority signals should be strengthened.
Overall presence in AI-powered conversation and visibility across tracked AI platforms.
Presence, position, sentiment, and competitive context for priority prompts.
Pages cited in AI answers and other sites that appear for tracked prompts, including opportunities to influence those sources.
AI Traffic Performance
Reporting helps the team see which AI tools drive visits, which pages benefit, and how engaged those visitors are.
Which AI tools drive visits to the site, and how that changes over time.
Which pages receive AI-referred traffic and how that differs from organic search behavior.
How engaged AI tool visitors are compared with other traffic sources and priority pages.
Additional Dashboard Highlights
Use if the proposal needs a stronger analytics section beyond AI traffic and AI visibility.
SMART Goal / objective can feed from spreadsheet/custom source; remaining data from GA4.
Traffic growth and lead sources from Google Analytics account data.
Google Organic Visibility from GSC; keyword rankings in Advanced Web Ranking; SEMrush available as customization.
Recommended Lead Tracking Technology / CallRail
Use when phone and form source attribution matters.
- Source data for callers/form submitters
- Works with existing forms or new CallRail forms
- Dynamic number swapping
- Track effectiveness of marketing efforts
- Dedicated portal to score leads
- Calls/form data in Looker report
- Setup and maintenance as part of analytics/tracking
- Implement code and integrate with GA
- Integrate CallRail/Google Ads and update URLs/extensions
- Test tracking numbers
- Implement form tracking and external form tracking
Client pays CallRail monthly service directly; additional numbers for print/brochures/other efforts can be added when relevant.
[Client Custom Scope Title]
Use only for one-off work or a custom quote.
[Custom OTF/scope description.]
- [Deliverable 1]
- [Deliverable 2]
- [Deliverable 3]
- Timeline: [X weeks/months]
- Projected impact: [measurable outcome]
- Expected team hours: [hours]
- Total one-time investment: [$X]
Why Search Influence
The credibility, experience, and client proof behind the recommendation.
About Search Influence
Award-winning strategy & team
Renowned speakers
Partnerships for success
Put AI Search leadership to work for [Client]
Search Influence combines recognized AI SEO expertise, proprietary tools, and entity-first SEO experience for the client’s visibility goals.
CEO, Will Scott teaches SMX’s Masterclass on GEO and writes for Search Engine Land. Leaders speak at top industry and Higher Ed conferences.
Our internal tool turns AI SEO insights into clear content recommendations, pinpointing where to add and strengthen entity-related content to improve semantic relevance.
Search Influence has long focused on entities, relationships, and meaning: the foundation for helping AI systems understand and cite brands accurately.
Higher Ed Experience
Search Influence has supported Higher Ed institutions across SEO, AI SEO, digital advertising, audits, website initiatives, analytics, and tracking.
AI and organic SEO, Google paid search, Meta, LinkedIn, audits, website redesign support, analytics, tracking, and email.
UPCEA Platinum Partner with Higher Ed SEO research, AI Search research, and digital advertising industry benchmarks like cost per inquiry and cost per enrolled student.
Maine College of Art & Design Success
Launching new online programs in a competitive market and exceeding enrollment goals.
Compete for online enrollments against major universities in the Northeast.
30 new enrollments for Fall 2026 online graduate certificate programs.
Exceeded the enrollment goal while increasing search visibility and website sessions.
Other Relevant Proof Modules
Choose the most relevant case study; do not include every proof slide by default.
Increase enrollment by improving search visibility despite existing SEO agency; +16.83% keywords ranking, 1,100+ keywords, +133% overall pageviews, significant AI Overview visibility increase.
Google Paid Search + LinkedIn Display for qualified graduate inquiries; 35 RFI forms, 5x previous campaign efforts, 41,458 clicks, 6.61% CTR vs. 5.74% benchmark.
Topical authority loop around best remote careers using optimized blog, LinkedIn article, YouTube video, and LinkedIn carousel; LSU Online cited in AI Overviews and ChatGPT.
Investment & Next Steps
Recommended options, launch decisions, and the path from proposal to kickoff.
Investment
Template instruction: replace rows/columns with the actual proposed scope. Keep the header direct.
| Budget component | Initial | Monthly Option 1 | Recommended Monthly | Monthly Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Scope driver][e.g., programs/campaigns/locations covered] | n/a | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| OnboardingOnboarding kickoff, goal setting, assets/access collection | [$X] | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| [Service Line 1][Concise included scope] | [$X] | [$X] | [$X] | [$X] |
| Dashboard, Analytics Support & Monthly Reporting[Include AI Visibility Tracker if relevant] | [$X] | [$X] | [$X] | [$X] |
| TotalInitial total plus selected monthly level | [$X] | [$X] | [$X] | [$X] |
CallRail lead tracking software is additional when relevant. Third-party media spend is billed directly by the ad platform unless otherwise specified.
Payment Terms & Billing Practices
Standard billing language for recurring strategy, media, analytics, or SEO partnerships.
- Payments are made by credit/debit card
- Credit card authorization is standard, though exceptions to pay by ACH or check are available for universities
- One-time/setup charges are billed upon contract signing
- SEO monthly charges are billed on the 1st of the month after onboarding or the following month, depending on the final arrangement
- Digital advertising monthly charges near campaign launch, then on the 1st monthly thereafter
- First partial month ad spend/management fee prorated with minimum $1,000 management fee
- Third-party providers such as Google, Meta, and CallRail are billed directly where applicable
- Monthly reporting and strategy review are included in the recurring engagement
Discussion Priorities
These questions help define the first 90 days and the right investment level.
- Which programs, services, locations, or campaigns should be active priorities at launch?
- Which outcomes matter most: AI visibility, organic traffic, qualified inquiries, applications, booked appointments, or revenue?
- What analytics, ad platform, CRM, CallRail, or sales/admissions data will be available?
- Which tactics should Search Influence own, and which will remain internal?
- What review, approval, legal, or brand constraints should be built into the launch plan?
- What investment level best matches speed, scope, and internal capacity?
Next Steps
Once scope and preferred investment level are confirmed, Search Influence can prepare the agreement and kickoff plan.
Thank you!
Search Influence appreciates the opportunity to help [Client] strengthen visibility, measurement, and growth.