Diagnostic
The first paid engagement.

Establish the evidence baseline before deciding what to change.

The Diagnostic Intelligence Assessment is an evidence-led investigation of the organisation’s wider Organic Search and Discovery Environment.

It identifies material risk and opportunity, evaluates evidence confidence, interprets commercial consequence and recommends the appropriate governance pathway.

Request an Assessment Conversation See a Sample Assessment Output
Defined scope. Evidence-led findings. Executive interpretation. No automatic commitment to an annual agreement.
Formal definition

The Diagnostic Intelligence Assessment is a paid, defined-scope engagement that establishes what is happening, why it matters, how reliable the evidence is, who may own the response and what decision is proportionate.

Possible concern
→
Evidence baseline
→
Interpretation
→
Materiality
→
Ownership
→
Executive decision
What the Assessment is not
a free SEO audit
a list of every possible issue
a keyword-volume report
a software trial
a guaranteed route to annual governance
automatic implementation
a legal or regulatory assurance opinion
a guarantee of rankings, traffic or revenue
Suitable conditions
SEO exists but whole-market visibility is weak leadership questions reporting completeness competitor movement is emerging demand may be leaking customer trust appears exposed AI representation is uncertain technical issues may have commercial consequences ownership is fragmented recommendations repeat without action multiple agencies or teams are involved a migration, launch or market decision is planned recurring governance is being considered
Possible scope
Search Environment Baseline
Organic Search category presence market movement result ownership source occupation
Customer Decision Progression
customer uncertainty required evidence Search Exposure Search Encounter Search Moment hypotheses Customer Decision State commercial action
Commercial Intent
high-value demand demand creation capture leakage switching action pathways
Trust Architecture
product proof claims credentials reviews reputation reassurance source consistency
Competitive Displacement
competitor gains aggregator control publisher influence AI recommendation advantage confidence transfer authority movement
Technical Integrity
Search Eligibility crawlability indexability rendering performance journey integrity network degradation release risk
AI Narrative Integrity
inclusion omission accuracy citations competitive framing narrative drift source weakness
Reporting and Governance
reporting completeness evidence quality ownership decision rights escalation action tracking governance maturity
Scope follows the business decision and material exposure.
Assessment process
Stage 1
Decision and Scope Definition

Define business decision, products or services, markets, audiences, competitors, sector context, evidence and limitations, executive sponsor.

Output: Approved scope and evidence plan.
Stage 2
Evidence Collection

Capture search results, ranking and visibility data, AI outputs, reviews, comparisons, publishers, competitors, owned content, technical systems, analytics, reports, agency evidence, customer evidence, interviews.

Output: Evidence repository and baseline.
Stage 3
Evidence Qualification

Classify as Observed, Inferred, Modelled, Validated or Unknown. Record source, date, scope, method, limitation and confidence.

Output: Qualified evidence set.
Stage 4
Human Interpretation

Evaluate change, competing explanations, market context, customer consequence, commercial proximity, organisational relevance, uncertainty, response.

Output: Interpretation record.
Stage 5
Materiality and Ownership

Determine consequence, urgency, confidence, owner, decision authority, execution owner, escalation.

Output: Materiality and ownership matrix.
Stage 6
Executive Findings and Decision Session

Present decision, evidence, interpretation, limitations, findings, risk and opportunity, ownership, response, governance options.

Output: Recorded decisions and next steps.
Deliverables

Depending on scope:

Executive Diagnostic Report Search Exposure Map Commercial Intent Map Trust Environment Review Competitive Displacement Assessment Technical Integrity Findings AI Narrative Integrity Record Evidence Confidence Summary Search Risk Register Ownership and Decision Matrix Executive Scoreboard Governance Roadmap Executive Findings and Decision Session
Executive Diagnostic Report structure
1. Executive Decision
2. Scope
3. Evidence Base
4. Evidence Confidence
5. Material Findings
6. Commercial Interpretation
7. Ownership
8. Recommended Actions
9. Governance Pathway
10. Limitations
Executive Findings and Decision Session

Convert evidence into organisational decisions.

Possible decisions:

accept request more evidence assign an owner prioritise defer accept risk escalate initiate specialist remediation approve Implementation Enablement and Governance Mobilisation establish monitoring approve direct recurring governance where equivalent capability already exists
Client responsibilities
executive sponsor agreed access stakeholders organisational context business decisions owners implementation Legal or Compliance review
SI responsibilities
evidence collection qualification independent interpretation materiality governance recommendations executive presentation limitations confidentiality restraint
See the Assess–Mobilise–Govern pathway → See how evidence becomes decision-ready →
Outcomes after the Assessment
no action internal response specialist remediation further investigation targeted monitoring governance design Implementation Enablement and Governance Mobilisation direct Annual Search Governance where equivalent capability already exists
See the evidence-to-action record →
Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Assessment.

Must the Agency Be Replaced?

No.

Can the Assessment Focus on One Product?

Yes.

Will SI Implement Everything?

No.

Will the Assessment Produce a Financial Estimate?

Only where evidence supports a responsible observed or modelled estimate with assumptions.

Does the Assessment Guarantee Annual Engagement?

No.

Establish the evidence before creating the long-term scope.

Discuss the Search Concern Explore Implementation Enablement and Governance Mobilisation Explore the recurring Search Governance model →