How Signal Marketing actually works
First contact, audit, kickoff, delivery, reporting, scaling. The actual process, end to end. — Oliver Ball.
Step 1. First contact
You email team@signal.marketing or use the contact form. We reply within 24 hours (usually faster) with an honest take on whether we’re a fit. If we’re not, we’ll say so directly. We’d rather refer you elsewhere than waste your time on a call.
If we are a fit, we ask for read access to whatever’s relevant — Google Ads account, Search Console, GA4, Shopify, your existing site. Read access only. We never need write access for an audit.
Step 2. Free initial audit
We audit what you’ve shared and reply with an honest summary. What’s working, what isn’t, what we’d fix first, what’s lower priority. Not a 40-page PDF — a clear note in plain English with the specific things we’d change in week one.
For SEO, we run Screaming Frog + Search Console review + content gap analysis + backlink profile check. For Google Ads, we audit account structure, conversion tracking, match types, negative keyword coverage, and Pmax brand exclusions. For Meta, we audit creative cadence, CAPI configuration, campaign separation, and audience overlap.
Free, no commitment, no pressure. Even if you don’t sign with us, you’ll come away knowing what’s broken in your accounts.
Step 3. Scope and pricing
If the audit makes sense and you want to move forward, we agree the scope and pricing in writing. Pricing is on the website (see pricing page) so there’s no surprise. Scope is what we’ll do, what we won’t do, and what success looks like. All in a single document, not buried across email threads.
All retainers are rolling monthly with 7 days’ written notice. No 12-month contracts. No setup fees. No “onboarding charges”. Month one is the same price as month twelve.
Step 4. Kickoff
First retainer day, we kick off with a 30-60 minute call. The operators who’ll run your account are introduced — no buffer, no account manager. We agree the comms channels (Slack, email, phone), the reporting cadence, and the priority list for week one.
By end of day one of the retainer, we have access to everything we need (admin or appropriate role on Google Ads / Meta / GA4 / Shopify / Search Console / GBP), the priority list is agreed, and work has started on the highest-leverage items.
Step 5. Delivery cadence
Different services have different cadences:
- SEO: Technical fixes deployed throughout month one. Content production starts week 2-3. Link building runs ongoing. Monthly reporting in plain English.
- Google Ads: Daily monitoring for spend anomalies, weekly optimisation pass (search terms, bids, creative rotation), monthly strategy review.
- Meta Ads: Weekly creative production cadence (brief week 1, produce week 2, test week 3, scale week 4). Daily monitoring for creative fatigue. Monthly strategy review.
- GBP: Weekly Google Posts, monthly photo batch, daily review responses, monthly reporting.
- AI Search Optimisation: Schema and llms.txt setup in month one. Citation content production ongoing. Monthly prompt monitoring across LLMs.
Step 6. Reporting
Monthly report, plain English, in writing. What’s moved, what hasn’t, what we did, what’s next. Numbers that matter — calls, leads, sales, ROAS, rankings, revenue. Not vanity metrics.
No 40-page PDFs. No agency-speak. No graphs designed to obscure rather than illuminate. If the month was bad, we say so and explain why. If the month was great, same — without dressing it up.
Monthly call to walk through the report and agree the next month’s priorities. 30-45 minutes. Async if you prefer.
Step 7. Scaling (if it’s working) or leaving (if it isn’t)
If the work is producing the outcomes we hoped for, scaling is straightforward. Increase ad budgets where ROAS justifies it. Increase content production where SEO is moving. Add additional services as needed (e.g. add Meta Ads to an existing SEO retainer, or vice versa).
If the work isn’t producing the outcomes we hoped for, we have a frank conversation about why. Sometimes the issue is solvable (broken tracking, mismatched scope, an underlying business problem we can fix). Sometimes it isn’t and we’re not the right partner. Either way you can leave with 7 days’ notice.
Most retainers run 12+ months despite being rolling monthly. People stay because the work compounds, not because they’re locked in.
FAQs
How long does the audit take?
Usually 2-3 working days from receiving access. We don’t drag audits out to push for sign-up urgency.
Do you charge for the initial audit?
No. Free.
What if I sign and then change my mind?
7 days’ written notice. We complete the work for the month you’ve paid. No further charges, no penalty.
Will I have direct access to the operators?
Yes. No account managers, no ticket queues. Direct comms via Slack, email, or phone.
How quickly will I see results?
SEO: 3-6 months for meaningful movement. Google/Meta Ads: data within days, optimised performance within 30-60 days. GBP: 30-90 days.
Can I add or remove services later?
Yes. Each retainer is independent. Add Meta Ads to an existing SEO retainer, or remove GBP if you no longer need it. Pro-rata adjustments apply.
Do I need to attend monthly calls?
Recommended but not required. Async reporting available if you prefer.
What happens if you can’t deliver what’s promised?
We have a direct conversation, fix what’s fixable, and refund the month if appropriate. Rolling monthly means we can’t lock you into broken work.
“Our calls have increased and we have seen improvements in our rankings on Google.”
— Simon Benford, verified Trustpilot review
More about Signal Marketing
Let’s chat
First step is the audit. Drop us a message and we’ll send the access list.
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