It is reasonable to expect a website to keep working after launch. It is also reasonable to want more of the right people to find it. Those expectations touch the same website, but they do not describe the same job.
Define what care covers.
A maintenance arrangement might include hosting, updates, backups, monitoring and an allowance for routine content changes. The details depend on the platform and the agreement.
Be clear about what is included, who holds access, how problems are reported and what becomes a separate piece of development. Both sides should know what the arrangement means.
Give search work a useful question.
Search work starts with an investigation. What are people looking for? Which pages should answer them? Does the site provide the right information, and can search engines access and understand it?
Research and reporting should help decide what to do next. A list of technical findings is useful when it has context and an order of work.
Look at the product or service page itself.
Sometimes an important page is missing the information a customer needs: specifications, available options, a clear explanation or a relevant next step. That is a content problem as well as a search consideration.
Check the facts with the business. A missing warranty document is a question to resolve, not a gap to fill with an assumption.
Keep the responsibilities visible.
The hosting provider, developer, content owner and search specialist may be the same person or several people. Either way, the handover between those responsibilities needs to be clear.
A sensible plan gives routine care a home and search improvements a defined scope. Then you can judge the work against what was actually agreed.
Put it to use
A useful check for your business.
- Separate routine upkeep from a search-improvement scope.
- Name the owner of hosting, access and content facts.
- Ask which evidence supports the next proposed action.
The thinking behind this guide
Sources & further reading.
Our practical interpretation, with the references below for the specific principles and further detail.
- SEO Audits and Recommendations
A curated practitioner learning route for investigating and prioritising search work.
- SEO Starter Guide
The content and technical foundations of search, not a definition of a maintenance contract.
