Ask for the basis of the assessment
A credible assessment states which questions and platforms were tested, which sources appeared, how the gap affects customer decisions, and why it deserves priority. A concept deck or one screenshot is not enough to define an engagement.
- Are the original questions, answers, and citations retained?
- Are technical, entity, content, and reputation issues separated?
- Are sample limitations and uncontrollable factors disclosed?
Define deliverables as acceptable assets
The agreement should list pages, data tables, knowledge structures, question sets, content, observation records, and training as concrete assets. It should define ownership of source files, accounts, domains, and data. Avoid scope written only as “increase exposure” or “continuous optimization.”
The provider should identify dependencies on customer materials and results affected by platform change. Fixed ranking or recommendation guarantees usually lack a verifiable basis.
Inspect long-term maintenance cost
The company’s ability to update facts, retest questions, and reuse content after the engagement matters more than short-term volume. Ask about update workflows, access handover, data export, and offboarding.