The “Invisible” Deliverable
Design is visible. Backend AEO is invisible. Clients hesitate to pay for what they can’t see. Here is how to solve that problem.
Every agency owner knows this struggle: You present a beautiful new website design, and the client claps. You present a clean, error-free Schema markup structure, and the client stares blankly.
Agencies struggle to sell data optimization because it lacks visual flair. A client can critique a logo; they cannot critique a JSON-LD array. Yet, in the AI era, the invisible work is far more valuable than the visible.
The Iceberg Problem
Think of a website as an iceberg. The “Visible” 10% is the design, copy, and images. This is what human users see. The “Invisible” 90% is the structure, metadata, load speed, and entity relationships. This is what the Robots (Google, ChatGPT, Apple) see.
If you only sell the tip of the iceberg, you are ignoring the massive foundation required to stay afloat.
Shift the Pitch: Digital Confidence
Stop selling “Schema” or “Clean Code.” Those are features, not benefits. Instead, start selling Digital Confidence.
Digital Confidence is the assurance that:
- When a customer asks Siri for directions, she doesn’t get lost.
- When ChatGPT recommends a service, it gets your hours of operation right.
- When a user shares your link, the preview card looks professional.
Tangibilize the Intangible
To sell the invisible, you must make it visible. Do not send a zip file of code. Send a “Visibility Report.”
- The Audit: Use tools (like AEO2020) to generate a PDF showing red “Errors” turning into green “Verified” checks. Clients understand red vs. green.
- The Score: Give them a single metric (e.g., “AEO Score: 82/100”) to track. If the score goes up, they feel they got their money’s worth.
- The Outcome: Show them the result in the wild. A screenshot of a Google Knowledge Panel is worth a thousand lines of code.
Conclusion
Your clients don’t buy code; they buy the future reputation of their business. Frame the “Invisible Deliverable” as the foundation of that reputation, and the price objection disappears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is selling backend services so hard?
Humans are visual. Clients can critique what they see. Backend code is abstract, making the value harder to justify without proper framing.
How do I make invisible work visible?
Use audit reports, before-and-after scorecards, and dashboards. Turn abstract data into “Red vs Green” visual indicators.
What is “Digital Confidence”?
It is the assurance that the internet (AI, Voice, Search) understands and relays your business facts correctly to customers.
Should I sell Schema as a line item?
No. Sell the *outcome* of Schema: “Rich Results,” “AI Readiness,” and “Voice Search Optimization.”
How do I price invisible services?
Price based on risk. Ask the client what it costs them if ChatGPT gives a potential customer the wrong phone number.
What is the “Iceberg Theory”?
Design is the 10% visible above water. Structure, data, and AEO are the 90% below water that keep the business afloat.
How do retainers help here?
Data degrades. Search standards change. Retainers pay for the constant vigilance required to keep the “invisible” foundation strong.
What deliverables should I send?
Send a monthly “Visibility Report” showing schema validation status, entity consistency scores, and sentiment trends.