“What’s it actually like working with you?” is one of the first questions most business owners ask once they’ve decided an agency isn’t what they’re after. Here’s an honest answer to what working with an independent marketing consultant actually looks like, based on how I work with clients across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
Most people already have a rough idea what a marketing consultant does. What they’re really asking is what the relationship looks like week to week. That’s usually the part that went wrong with whoever they worked with before.
It Starts With a Conversation, Not a Pitch
Every client starts with a free Seed Session. It’s a 30-minute call where I look at your current search visibility and give you an honest view of what’s likely to make a difference. There’s no slide deck and no scripted pitch. If I don’t think I can help, I’ll tell you that too, and point you towards what would.
This matters because it sets the tone for everything after it. Nobody sells you a package before looking at your actual website, actual rankings, or actual customers. The recommendation comes after the looking, not before.
Then an Audit, Before Any Recommendations
Before any ongoing work starts, I audit what’s actually happening. That covers technical issues holding your site back, what your customers are searching for versus what you’re currently ranking for, and where your Google Business Profile stands. The audit stays the same whether you’re a solicitor, a farm diversification business, or a tradesperson. Only the specifics change.
You get this in plain English, not a 40-page report full of jargon nobody reads past page three.
What the Ongoing Work Actually Involves
Once we’re working together, a typical month looks like:
- Agreed priorities for the month, based on the audit and what’s moved since the last one, not a generic checklist applied regardless of what your business needs.
- Content, technical fixes, or Google Business Profile work, whichever combination actually moves the needle for you specifically.
- Monthly reporting focused on enquiries and rankings that matter, not vanity metrics like raw traffic numbers that don’t turn into customers.
- Direct access to me throughout, by phone, email, or a call, whichever you prefer.
There’s no ticket system here, and no account manager relaying messages to someone else who does the actual work. If something needs a quick answer between scheduled catch-ups, you get one. That’s the entire point of working with one person rather than a team with layers.
What You Get to Keep
Your Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, and website content are yours, set up in your name from day one. If we ever stop working together, everything stays with you. Nothing sits in an agency account you’d lose access to. Full ownership isn’t a caveat I mention reluctantly. It’s how I think this should work as standard.
Why Work With an Independent Marketing Consultant
I work across SEO, Google Ads, and AI Search Optimisation as one Chartered Strategic Manager with 15 years of strategic marketing experience. That means your activity stays joined up, rather than managed in silos by different specialists who don’t necessarily talk to each other. I also manage a small number of clients at any one time, on purpose. That’s what makes the direct access and consistent attention possible, not a slogan on a website.
Ready to Find Out What This Looks Like for Your Business?
Every business I work with is different. A farm diversification project needs a different starting point to a solicitor’s practice or an estate agent. But the process stays the same regardless of what you do: honest audit first, clear priorities, then direct access throughout.
Want to see what working with an independent marketing consultant looks like for your own website? A free Seed Session is the place to start. Book Your Free Seed Session, or read more about how I work across strategy, SEO, and AI search.
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