GHL Prospecting Audit Accuracy SOP
Purpose
This SOP defines quality control procedures for GHL Prospecting audit reports before they are used in outreach. Audit reports are auto-generated from public data and can contain inaccuracies. Sending outreach based on incorrect findings damages credibility. This SOP ensures every report used for outreach has been verified.
Scope
Covers:
- Which audit sections to include or exclude per prospect
- Section-by-section accuracy verification
- Report refresh rules
- Red flags that should pause outreach
- Quality checklist before adding a prospect to the pipeline
Does Not Cover:
- How to generate audit reports (see KB-015: GHL Prospecting Tool)
- Email outreach content (see Prospecting Outreach Email Templates)
- Pipeline stage management (see Prospecting Pipeline SOP)
Section Selection Rules
Not every audit section applies to every prospect. Including irrelevant sections (e.g., Website Performance for a business with no website) weakens your outreach.
| Section | Include? | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Business Details | Always | Core identity -- always relevant |
| Technology Stack | Always | Reveals what tools they use (or don't) |
| Google Business Profile | Always | Essential for any local business |
| Listings | Always | Directory presence matters for all local businesses |
| Online Reputation | Always | Reviews are universal to local businesses |
| Website Performance | Conditional | Only if the business has a real website (not just a Facebook page or Yelp listing) |
| SEO Analysis | Conditional | Only if the business has a real website with indexable pages |
Rule: If a business has no website, do not reference Website Performance or SEO Analysis in your outreach. Focus on GBP, Listings, and Reputation instead.
Section-by-Section Accuracy Guide
1. Business Details
| Item | How to Verify | Common False Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| Business name | Google search the business | May flag a DBA vs. legal name difference as an error |
| Address | Check GBP listing directly | Suite/unit numbers often mismatch across sources |
| Phone number | Call the number or check the website | Tracking numbers may differ from main line |
| Website URL | Visit the URL | May flag a redirect (e.g., www to non-www) as missing |
| Hours | Check GBP or website | Seasonal hours cause false discrepancies |
Accuracy confidence: High -- this section is usually reliable.
2. Technology Stack
| Item | How to Verify | Common False Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| CMS detection | View page source or use Wappalyzer | Custom-built sites may show "No CMS detected" |
| Analytics | Check for GA4/GTM tags in page source | Tag Manager containers may hide analytics from detection |
| Chat widgets | Visit the site and wait 5-10 seconds | Some widgets load on delay or only on specific pages |
| Scheduling tools | Look for booking links in the nav/footer | Embedded iframes may not be detected |
Accuracy confidence: Medium -- detection depends on how the site is built. False negatives are common for SPAs and heavily cached sites.
3. Google Business Profile (GBP)
| Item | How to Verify | Common False Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| Profile exists | Search "[Business Name] [City]" on Google | Multi-location businesses may have a different GBP than expected |
| Photo count | Open the GBP listing and check Photos tab | Count may lag behind actual uploads by a few days |
| Recent posts | Check the Updates/Posts section on GBP | Posts expire after 7 days -- a "no recent posts" flag may be accurate |
| Attributes | Check the "About" section on GBP | Some attributes are Google-sourced, not owner-set |
Accuracy confidence: High -- GBP data is pulled directly from Google's API.
4. Listings
| Item | How to Verify | Common False Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| Directory presence | Spot-check 2-3 directories (Yelp, BBB, Facebook) | Some directories block automated checks |
| NAP consistency | Compare name/address/phone across 3+ sources | Minor formatting differences (St vs. Street) may be flagged |
| Listing count | Compare against industry benchmarks | New businesses legitimately have few listings |
Accuracy confidence: Medium -- directory data varies by scraping access. Verify at least 2-3 listings manually.
5. Online Reputation
| Item | How to Verify | Common False Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| Review count | Check Google Maps listing directly | May not include reviews from other platforms |
| Average rating | Check Google Maps listing directly | Rating may have changed since report generation |
| Response rate | Scroll through reviews to check owner replies | Recent responses may not be reflected yet |
| Review recency | Check dates of last 5 reviews | Seasonal businesses may have legitimate gaps |
Accuracy confidence: High for Google reviews. Medium for cross-platform aggregation.
6. Website Performance
| Item | How to Verify | Common False Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| Page speed score | Run Google PageSpeed Insights manually | Scores fluctuate by 5-10 points between runs |
| Mobile responsiveness | Open site on mobile or use Chrome DevTools | Some sites use separate mobile URLs (m.example.com) |
| SSL certificate | Check for padlock icon in browser | Recently renewed certs may show as missing briefly |
| Core Web Vitals | Check Google Search Console (if accessible) | Lab data vs. field data can differ significantly |
Accuracy confidence: Medium -- scores vary between testing tools and time of day. Use as directional, not exact.
7. SEO Analysis
| Item | How to Verify | Common False Negatives |
|---|---|---|
| Title tags | View page source, check <title> | Dynamic titles (React/JS apps) may not be detected |
| Meta descriptions | View page source, check <meta name="description"> | Same dynamic rendering issue as title tags |
| Schema markup | Use Google's Rich Results Test | Schema may exist but not be detected by the audit tool |
| Heading structure | View page source, check H1-H6 tags | Visual headings using styled <div> won't be detected |
Accuracy confidence: Low-Medium -- SEO audits are the most prone to false negatives, especially for JavaScript-rendered sites. Always cross-check with a manual page source review if you plan to reference SEO findings in outreach.
Report Refresh Rules
| Scenario | Refresh Required? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Report is less than 7 days old, first outreach | No | Data is fresh enough |
| Report is 7-14 days old, first outreach | Yes | Data may have changed |
| Report is older than 14 days | Yes | Stale data risk is high |
| Before sending Follow-Up 1 (Day 3) | No | Too soon for data to change |
| Before sending Follow-Up 2 (Day 7) | No | Still within original report window |
| Before re-engagement (Day 60-90) | Yes | Significant time has passed |
| Prospect mentions they made changes | Yes | Verify their claims before responding |
Red Flags: When to Pause Before Outreach
Stop and investigate before proceeding with outreach if any of these conditions exist:
- Business appears to be closed: GBP shows "Permanently Closed" or website is down
- Business is already an SC client: Check the CRM contact list before reaching out
- Business is a direct competitor: Marketing agencies, web design firms, CRM consultants
- Audit data is clearly wrong: NAP data doesn't match any online source
- Business is outside SC's service area or ICP: Non-local businesses, enterprise companies, government entities
- Recent negative press: Google the business name -- if there's active controversy, skip
- No contact information found: If you can't find a real person's name and email, the outreach won't land
Action on red flag: Do not add to the pipeline. Note the reason in the prospect record and move on.
Quality Checklist
Complete this checklist before moving a prospect from audit to the "Report Ready" pipeline stage:
- Business is confirmed to be open and operating
- Business is not an existing SC client or active lead
- Business fits SC's ideal client profile (local service/professional business, 1-50 employees)
- At least 3 audit sections have been spot-checked for accuracy
- Conditional sections (Website Performance, SEO) are excluded if no real website exists
- At least 1 clear, verifiable finding identified for outreach personalization
- A real contact person has been identified (name + email or LinkedIn). See Prospect Email Discovery SOP for step-by-step lookup methods.
- Report is less than 7 days old (or has been refreshed)
- No red flags present (see list above)
Related Documents
- KB-015: GHL Prospecting Tool -- How the prospecting tool works
- Prospecting Pipeline SOP -- Pipeline stage definitions and lifecycle
- Prospect Email Discovery SOP -- Finding a decision-maker's email before outreach
- Prospecting Outreach Email Templates -- Email templates for each outreach stage
- Prospecting Email Outreach Strategy -- Strategic rationale for outreach approach
- Sales Pipeline SOP -- The downstream sales pipeline
Document History
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2026-03-02 | Initial version -- section selection rules, accuracy guide, refresh rules, quality checklist |
Document Information
- Version: 1.0
- Created: 2026-03-02
- Updated: 2026-03-02
- Location:
04-operations/sops/ghl-prospecting-audit-accuracy-sop.md