Growth · Measurement and evidence · 01
Baseline audit
A baseline audit measures where the organization stands before any growth work begins, so that every later report shows change against evidence rather than against memory: AI share of voice and citations across engines, organic and paid visibility, inquiry volume by source, cost per qualified inquiry, site performance and security posture, content inventory and authorship coverage. It is needed at the start of every engagement, when leadership has been shown improvement without a starting point, when several vendors each claim credit for the same inquiries, or when a program will be judged on results and the results need a reference. The audit produces the baseline report, the measurement definitions used from then on, the data retained for later comparison, and the targets agreed with leadership.
Scope
What the review covers.
- AI visibility: prompt share of voice and citations across the named engines
- Search visibility, indexing and crawl status
- Inquiry volume by source with the qualified inquiry definition applied
- Paid spend and cost per qualified inquiry
- Site performance, accessibility and security posture
- Content inventory, authorship coverage and currency
Deliverables
What you receive.
| Deliverable | Form |
|---|---|
| Baseline report | All measures with method stated |
| Measurement definitions | What is counted and how, fixed for the engagement |
| Retained data | For later comparison |
| Targets | Agreed with leadership |
Prerequisites
What we need from you.
- Access to analytics, Search Console, advertising accounts, call tracking and the CRM
- The prompt set, or agreement to build it as part of the audit
- Leadership participation in agreeing targets
Related
Where this sits.
- Measurement and evidence Service
- Growth Hub
- Prompt set design Also
- Attribution and call tracking Also
By David Selakovic · Published 2026-10-16 · Revised 2026-10-16 · Reviewed every 180 days
Questions
Asked before engaging.
How long does the baseline take?
It is completed in the first weeks of an engagement. It runs alongside setup work rather than delaying it.
What if the baseline is embarrassing?
Then it is a useful baseline. The report is for you, and improvement is measured from wherever you start.
Are the definitions negotiable later?
They are fixed at the baseline so that trends mean something. Changing them resets the comparison, which the report would say.