Everything the team needed to run the project themselves
Ticket had been losing organic visibility for some time, with no clear sense of what needed to be done. They didn’t want yet another report cataloguing problems. They wanted to know exactly which actions would make a difference and who should do what. At the same time, they wanted to prepare for a search landscape where more and more answers are delivered directly by AI and answer engines. We carried out an analysis, packaged it into four distinct directions, and then broke those down into concrete tasks that Ticket’s own team could start working on straight away. The result was an actionable plan rather than a presentation destined to gather dust.
Challenge
Ticket’s organic visibility had been declining for a while. They knew something had to change, but not what would actually make a difference, or in what order to tackle it.
The challenge wasn’t only about rankings. These days, more and more answers are served up directly by Google and AI tools, without the user ever clicking through. Since Ticket’s customers often begin their buying journey with a search, the question wasn’t just how they ranked, but whether they showed up at all when an AI provided the answer.
A typical SEO analysis ends in a presentation listing problems and suggestions. More often than not, it leaves the hardest part with the client: translating recommendations into decisions, and decisions into work that someone actually carries out. For an organisation planning to do the work in-house, a list of observations isn’t enough. They need to know what to do, why, and who is responsible for what.
Ticket were clear that they wanted to own the delivery themselves. The brief, then, wasn’t for us to implement anything, but to give them a foundation clear enough that their own organisation could act on it without losing momentum.
Goal
The goal was to give Ticket clear directions and concrete instructions they could carry out on their own.
Ticket wanted insight into what needed doing and why, along with a foundation they could distribute internally and start working from immediately. This applied both to reversing the organic trend and to strengthening their visibility in AI search. The emphasis was on decision-making and feasibility, not on a deliverable that would require ongoing external support.
Strategy and approach
We approach analysis differently from most. Rather than handing over a list of problems, we worked in two stages: first we developed a set of directions Ticket could choose from, then we broke those directions down into workable tasks with clear instructions.
1. Four directions to choose from
We analysed the website, gathered the findings, and presented them as four directions. Instead of a long list of observations, Ticket were given four options to weigh up, each with its own rationale and set of priorities.
This turned the analysis into a basis for decision-making. Ticket could choose a path based on their own circumstances and resources, rather than having to interpret a report themselves and guess at what mattered most.
2. Breaking it down into actions
Once Ticket had chosen a direction, we broke each part down into concrete descriptions and requirements aimed at the people who would be doing the work.
We went through these together with Ticket to make sure they understood what each action involved. That way, everyone in the organisation knew what to do and why before the work even began.
Result
The result was a finished plan that Ticket’s organisation could carry out on their own: chosen directions and concrete tasks assigned to the right people, including a clear track for strengthening visibility in AI search.
“The documentation was clear and the actions were well described. The four main directions made it easier to prioritise, and the well-structured tasks gave the team a clear basis for getting started right away.”
– Cecilia Adamsson, Online Merchandiser, Ticket
This captures the essence of how we work at Topdog. The biggest obstacle to successful SEO is rarely a lack of knowledge; it’s a lack of execution. Even when we’re not the ones implementing, we build the foundation so that execution becomes possible: clear decisions, clear ownership, and instructions that can be acted on straight away.