Your Growth Journey
What to Expect When You Partner with Merged Media
We don’t just get you ranked — we build a digital foundation that generates leads for years. Here’s exactly how the journey unfolds, so you always know what’s happening and when to expect results.
Why Merged Media is Different
Most agencies promise results in 6–12 months using outdated blog-heavy strategies. We use entity-based SEO — the modern approach Google actually rewards — with the goal to get you into the top 3 local rankings faster. But here’s what’s important to understand: those first 60–90 days are foundation-building days, not sitting-around-waiting days.
Think of it like building a house. You wouldn’t move on the day the foundation is poured. But a great foundation means the house stands strong for decades. That’s what we’re building for your business.
How We Compare
| MERGED MEDIA | TYPICAL AGENCIES | |
|---|---|---|
| SEO Approach | Entity-based (modern, Google-preferred) | Blog-heavy (outdated 2021 tactics) |
| Website Included | Yes — fully optimized, or rebuilt from scratch if needed | Often an add-on cost or not included |
| Communication | Dedicated account manager + monthly strategy calls | Monthly reports, if that |
| Strategy | Custom diagnostic initial audit before you sign | Cookie-cutter packages |
| Billing (for US clients) | Canadian dollars (automatic ~30% savings) | Full USD pricing ($2,000–$5,000/mo) |
SEO Approach
Merged Media
Entity-based (modern, Google-preferred)
Typical Agencies
Blog-heavy (outdated 2021 tactics)
Website Included
Merged Media
Yes — fully optimized, or rebuilt from scratch if needed
Typical Agencies
Often an add-on cost or not included
Communication
Merged Media
Dedicated account manager + monthly strategy calls
Typical Agencies
Monthly reports, if that
Strategy
Merged Media
Custom diagnostic initial audit before you sign
Typical Agencies
Cookie-cutter packages
Billing (for US clients)
Merged Media
Canadian dollars (automatic ~30% savings)
Typical Agencies
Full USD pricing ($2,000–$5,000/mo)
Your Timeline at a Glance
This table gives you a clear picture of what’s happening at each stage and what you’ll see from your end. We believe in full transparency — no surprises, no guesswork. Once we have access to your business profiles, our team can dive in and begin Phase 1, Discovery & Foundation
Month 1
Phase
Discovery & Foundation
What's Happening
Behind-the-scenes technical work begins. Your website architecture (called a sitemap), Google Business Profile optimization, and citation cleanup are underway.
What You'll See
Initial audit report, sitemap approval, technical setup confirmation
Month 2–3
Phase
Build & Optimize
What's Happening
Website development content pruning/index bloat reduction, and entity-based SEO implementation. This is where the heavy lifting happens.
What You'll See
Website design drafts, content review cycles, progress reports
Month 3-4
Phase
Launch & Index
What's Happening
We conduct a thorough QA, SEO back end content, while on page SEO content is simultaneously being written. We launch your optimized website, and Google begins indexing your new content and recognizing your improved digital presence.
What You'll See
New website live, first ranking movements, baseline performance report
Month 5
Phase
Growth & Results
What's Happening
Rankings begin to climb, while leads and calls begin increasing as Google rewards your optimized presence.
What You'll See
Top 3 rankings appearing, increased calls/leads, ROI becoming measurable
Month 6+
Phase
Domination & Scale
What's Happening
Compounding results. Your business becomes the go-to in your local market. Time to explore expanding services or territories.
What You'll See
Sustained lead flow, market dominance, expansion opportunities
| TIMELINE | PHASE | WHAT’S HAPPENING | WHAT YOU’LL SEE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Discovery & Foundation | Behind-the-scenes technical work begins. Your website architecture (called a sitemap), Google Business Profile optimization, and citation cleanup are underway. | Initial audit report, sitemap approval, technical setup confirmation |
| Month 2-3 | Build & Optimize | Website development content pruning/index bloat reduction, and entity-based SEO implementation. This is where the heavy lifting happens | Website design drafts, content review cycles, progress reports |
| Month 3-4 | Launch & Index | We conduct a thorough QA, SEO back end content, while on page SEO content is simultaneously being written. We launch your optimized website, and Google begins indexing your new content and recognizing your improved digital presence. | New website live, first ranking movements, baseline performance report |
| Month 5 | Growth & Results | Rankings begin to climb, while leads and calls begin increasing as Google rewards your optimized presence. | Top 3 rankings appearing, increased calls/leads, ROI becoming measurable |
| Month 6+ | Domination & Scale | Compounding results. Your business becomes the go-to in your local market. Time to explore expanding services or territories. | Sustained lead flow, market dominance, expansion opportunities |
The Journey in Detail
Phase 1: Discovery & Foundation
Month 1
This is where we do the deep work most agencies skip. We audit your entire digital presence, analyze your competitors, and build a custom strategy — before we touch a single line of code.
- Comprehensive SEO Audit — Technical, on-page, citations, and competitive landscape analysis
- Google Business Profile Optimization — Claiming, verifying, and fully optimizing your listing including weekly posting
- Custom Strategy Development — Built around your specific market, competition level, and goals
- Sitemap & Architecture Planning — Designing an optimized website structure from the ground up
- Citation Cleanup Begins — Correcting inconsistent business information across the web
Phase 2: Build & Optimize
Month 2-3
The heavy lifting phase. Your website is being rebuilt with entity-based SEO architecture, optimized content is being created, and your digital footprint is expanding.
- Website Design & Development — SEO-optimized website prepared using the approved sitemap authorized in Phase 1
- Quality Assurance — Thorough QA and adjustments
- SEO Implementation — Pre-launch optimization by our SEO specialists
- Entity Building — Establishing your business as a recognized entity in Google’s knowledge graph
Phase 3: Launch & Index
Month 3-4
Your optimized presence goes live. Google begins indexing and recognizing your improved digital footprint. This is where momentum starts building.
- Content Optimization — Professional copywriting team refines all content
- Optimized Website Goes Live — Fully built, tested, and launched
- Post-Launch Audit — We complete a full audit after the website is pushed live from both Web development and SEO departments.
- Google Indexing Begins — Search engines start crawling and ranking your new content
- First Ranking Movements — You’ll start seeing position improvements in your reports
- Baseline Performance Report — Clear data showing where you started vs. where you’re heading
- Ongoing Optimization — Continuous technical refinements based on real data
Phase 4: Growth & Results
Month 5+
Your Google Business Profile performance begins to climb. Profile views grow. Website clicks rise. Your phone starts ringing more. The foundation we built is now generating measurable ROI.
- Top 3 Rankings Appearing — For your primary local keywords and service areas
- Increased Calls & Leads — Real business impact you can measure
- ROI Becomes Clear — Monthly reports tied directly to business outcomes
- Competitive Moat Strengthening — Your competitors now have to work harder to catch you
Phase 5: Ongoing Partnership
Months 6 and Beyond
The work shifts from building to compounding. Rankings hold. Leads become predictable. We protect the ground you’ve earned, sharpen what’s working, and stay ahead of every algorithm shift and competitor move.
- Authority Building — Continued link acquisition focused on relevance, topical authority, and local trust signals.
- Performance Monitoring — Ongoing health checks across rankings, GBP signals, and Local Dominator grid coverage. We act on early indicators rather than wait for declines, recalibrating where the data warrants.
- Sustained GBP Activity — Continued posting cadence and refinement of the profile as new services, locations, attributes, or assets become available.
- Opportunity Identification — Active scanning for emerging keywords, content gaps, SERP feature shifts, and competitor movement that open new avenues for growth.
- Algorithm & Landscape Response — Ongoing tracking of Google’s ranking signals and core updates, with strategy adjustments made proactively rather than reactively.
- Growth Roadmap — Regular reviews to surface expansion opportunities — additional service lines, new geographies, or complementary channels — as the foundation matures.
Why Quality Takes Time — and Why that’s a Good Thing
A fully optimized website rebuild takes 60–90 days from approved sitemap to final delivery
This includes design, QA, SEO implementation, professional content optimization, and developer integration
Cutting corners on this process means lower rankings and fewer leads long-term
The first 3 months are about building an unshakeable foundation — not waiting
Every week during this period, our team is actively working on your account
We deliver monthly progress reports and discuss the progress in your strategy call, so you always know exactly what’s happening
What Our Clients Experience
This is more than what anyone else has done for my business before.
Our clients consistently tell us that the depth of our onboarding process — the audit, the custom strategy, the rebuilt website — is unlike anything they’ve experienced with previous agencies. That’s by design. We invest heavily in the first 90 days so that months 4, 5, 6 and beyond deliver compounding results.
Businesses that have been with us for 6+ months typically see sustained lead generation, market dominance in their local area, and are expanding into additional services and territories.
Your Role in the Process
Timely Asset Delivery
- Logos, photos, service descriptions, and platform access — provided within the first week of onboarding.
Sitemap & Content Approval
- Quick turnaround on approvals keeps us on the 60–90 day timeline. Delays on your end push the timeline out.
Review Generation
- Actively requesting Google reviews from happy customers accelerates your local rankings significantly.
Open Communication
- Your dedicated account manager is here for you. If you have questions at any point, reach out — don’t wait.
Our Communication Commitment to You
You will never wonder what’s happening with your account. Here’s what to expect:
Week 1:
Welcome call with your dedicated Account Manager (Abi) + onboarding ICP interview
Monthly:
Deep-dive performance report with rankings, traffic, and lead data
Quarterly:
Strategic business review — what’s working, what’s next, growth opportunities
Anytime:
Direct email access to your account manager for questions or updates
Ready to Build Your Foundation?
The businesses that dominate local search didn’t get there overnight. They got there by investing in the right foundation with the right partner. Let’s build yours.
merged.ca
