The first question I ask about a new SEO project is not how many keywords the company wants to rank for.
It is what problem the business is trying to solve.
Two websites can both say they need SEO while requiring completely different work.
One may have strong demand but poor technical implementation.
Another may have a technically sound site but no useful commercial pages.
A third may already rank well but attract the wrong audience.
That is why I avoid starting from a fixed package.
I usually look at five areas.
First, demand.
Is there meaningful search demand for what the company sells, and does the company have a realistic way to convert that demand?
Second, the current website.
Can search engines discover the important pages? Are the right pages indexed? Does the architecture make sense?
Third, content coverage.
Does the site answer the questions buyers ask before they become leads, or is most of the content informational with little connection to the commercial journey?
Fourth, authority.
How strong is the website compared with the competitors that already rank, and where is that authority coming from?
Fifth, measurement.
Can the business tell whether organic traffic is producing useful outcomes?
After that, the engagement becomes much easier to define.
Some companies need a one-time audit.
Some need consulting with an internal team.
Some need direct implementation.
Others need ongoing SEO because the competitive environment changes continuously.
The scope should follow the diagnosis.
Not the other way around.