A new client asks how we will measure results in the first 90 days. What do I say?

Tell them what will be measurable at each stage, and agree on it in writing before work starts.

Days 1 to 30: baseline and fixes

• Record the starting numbers: organic sessions, conversions or calls from organic, rankings for target keywords, map pack position, pages indexed, and AI mentions for a fixed prompt set.
• Fix what blocks crawling, indexing, and tracking.
• Result you can show: a baseline report and a prioritized plan.

Days 31 to 60: shipping

• Publish and update the priority pages. Improve titles, internal links, and the business profile.
• Result you can show: pages live and indexed, impressions starting to rise for target queries.

Days 61 to 90: early signals

• Review rankings and impressions for the target pages and the local grid, and the AI mention rate.
• Result you can show: position changes, click growth on updated pages, and what you will do next.

What to say about business results

Leads and revenue usually trail these signals. Say so, and name the date you will start reading them. Do not promise a number.

Put it in the onboarding doc

1. The 4 or 5 metrics that define success.
2. Where each number comes from.
3. The baseline for each.
4. What you control, and what you do not, such as the client's sales follow-up.
5. The review dates.

Clients get anxious when they cannot tell whether work is happening. A short weekly or fortnightly note on what shipped does more to build confidence than any chart.

If the client wants a guarantee, say what you can guarantee: the work, the reporting, and the response time.