Agency accountability scorecard (print this, free scan beside it)
You are paying someone for SEO or "AI visibility." The monthly report looks busy. Your phone is not busier.
This page is a scorecard you can fill in one sitting. It uses two free sources you control: your own Google Search Console and a free AuditLamp Visibility Scan of your whole site (up to 150 pages, 164 graded checks, worst problems first). We do not sell agency retainers. We sell an honest second opinion.
Before you start
- Open Search Console for the property (last 90 days, clicks and impressions).
- Run auditlamp.com on your domain. Keep the report open.
- Print or copy the table below. No named agencies. No shaming theater. Facts only.
Scorecard
| # | Question | Your note (GSC or scan) | Good answer looks like | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | Can Google and the named AI crawlers reach the site right now? | | Agency points at a live scan row, not a slide. | | 2 | How many clicks 90 days ago vs today (GSC)? | | A number from GSC, not a proprietary "visibility index" alone. | | 3 | Which pages are closest to page one? | | Named URLs, not "we are optimizing." | | 4 | What changed on the site last month (URL + before/after)? | | Specific pages. Diffs if they have them. | | 5 | Does the homepage state what you sell and where? | | Matches what the free scan flags under titles/answer blocks. | | 6 | Are location or service pages unique, or copy-paste? | | Scan flags thin/near-duplicate patterns when present. | | 7 | Is NAP (name, address, phone) consistent on the site? | | One phone, one address string. | | 8 | Core Web Vitals / mobile: pass or fail on real data if shown? | | Honest status, not only lab vanity. | | 9 | If AI Overviews took clicks, did they tell you? | | A conversation, not silence. Rank can hold while clicks fall. | | 10 | If you stopped paying tomorrow, what permanent assets remain? | | Structure, schema, real pages, not only monthly posts. |
How to use the free scan with this card
Open the ranked fix list. For each of the top five findings, write:
- What broke (plain words)
- Whether your agency already logged it this month
- What "done" means this week
If the agency report is green and the scan is full of open fails, that is information. It is not automatic proof of fraud. It is a reason to ask better questions. Full walkthrough: auditlamp.com
What we will not do
- Name your agency or invent bad intent.
- Claim the scan replaces a good strategist.
- Sell you a retainer to "fix everything."
Where to go from here
Free Visibility Scan: auditlamp.com
Agency landing: auditlamp.com
Related guides: auditlamp.com · auditlamp.com · auditlamp.com