"Automation" in the context of scoping doesn't mean AI writes your proposals. It means encoding the repetitive decisions you make every time you scope an SEO engagement into a system that handles them consistently.
Most SEO agencies follow an implicit decision tree when scoping. If the engagement is audit-only, certain sections appear. If local SEO is included, GBP and citation deliverables are added. If the site has 50,000+ pages, enterprise-level hours apply. If content writing is excluded, the exclusion language appears.
80% of these decisions are rules-based. 20% require human judgment. The goal of automation is to handle the 80% systematically, so the human focuses on the 20% that actually needs thinking.
Who this is for
- SEO agency founders considering whether scope automation is worth the investment
- Operations leads evaluating tools for scope and proposal assembly
- Teams currently using Google Docs templates and wanting to improve consistency
- Agencies where scoping quality depends on who does it
Three levels of scoping automation
Level 1: Structured templates with conditional sections
Investment: Zero tech, 4–6 hours of template work How it works: A well-organised Google Docs template with clearly marked sections. The scoper reads each section and decides whether to include or delete it. A separate checklist guides the decisions.
| Advantage | Limitation |
|---|---|
| No tool dependency | Still requires manual assembly |
| Immediate implementation | Decisions depend on the person, not the system |
| Better than blank-page scoping | Pricing still calculated separately |
Best for: Agencies doing fewer than 8 scopes per month with a consistent team.
Level 2: Form-driven assembly
Investment: Template setup + intake form How it works: A structured form captures scope variables (engagement type, site size, services, etc.). The form output guides which template sections to include. Pricing may be calculated within the form.
| Advantage | Limitation |
|---|---|
| Reduces blank-page problem | Still manual document assembly from form output |
| Intake and scoping are connected | Form and template can drift out of sync |
| Less scoping variability | Doesn't generate the document |
Best for: Agencies doing 8–15 scopes per month where consistency matters more than speed.
Level 3: Rules-based assembly with human review
Investment: Rules engine + template configuration How it works: Variables are selected. Rules determine which sections appear, what hours are allocated, how pricing is calculated, and which exclusions apply. The system assembles a complete document. A human reviews and adjusts.
| Advantage | Limitation |
|---|---|
| 80% of decisions handled by system | Initial setup requires encoding scoping logic |
| Pricing, hours, and scope stay aligned | Rules need maintenance as services evolve |
| Delegation-safe — juniors select variables, system enforces logic | Requires commitment to the system |
| Output is a real document, not a form |
Best for: Agencies doing 10+ scopes per month where consistency, delegation, and margin protection are priorities.
Why Google Docs matters
Most proposal and scope tools (Proposify, PandaDoc, Qwilr, Better Proposals) use proprietary editors. This creates three problems for agencies:
1. Your team doesn't work there. Agencies work in Google Docs. Forcing a different editor for proposals creates friction, duplicates content, and adds a tool nobody wanted.
2. You can't customise freely. Proprietary editors have formatting constraints. Your scope needs to look and read like your agency's document — not like a template from a tool vendor.
3. Migration risk. If you build 200 proposal templates in Proposify and decide to leave, those templates don't export cleanly. Google Docs are yours forever.
RuleDox assembles scopes inside Google Docs — using your formatting, your structure, your brand. The output is a native Google Doc, not a proprietary format.
The ROI across three dimensions
Time
| Metric | Manual process | With automation (Level 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Senior time per scope | 2–3 hours | 15–30 minutes (review only) |
| Annual senior hours (10 scopes/month) | 240–360 hours | 30–60 hours |
| Effective capacity increase | Baseline | 3–5x more scopes without adding headcount |
Accuracy
| Risk | Manual process | With automation |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing errors | Common (spreadsheet drift) | Rare (calculated from scope) |
| Missing exclusions | Frequent (copy/paste archaeology) | Systematic (rules add exclusions) |
| Inconsistent deliverables | Depends on scoper | Consistent (rules enforce structure) |
Scalability
| Constraint | Manual process | With automation |
|---|---|---|
| Founder bottleneck | Every scope needs review | Review, not creation |
| Team capability | Only seniors can scope | Juniors select variables, system assembles |
| Growth ceiling | Limited by scoping capacity | Limited by sales capacity (better problem) |
Before investing in scope automation, confirm:
- You scope 8+ engagements per month (volume justifies investment)
- Your scoping process follows a pattern (not every scope is unique)
- Multiple people scope (or you want them to)
- Pricing and scope are currently disconnected (spreadsheet + doc)
- You've experienced scope disputes from vague deliverables
- You have 3+ engagement types that recur (audit, retainer, project)
- Your team works in Google Docs (not proprietary tools)
- A senior person can dedicate 6–10 hours to encode scoping logic
If 5+ of these are true, automation will deliver ROI.
How RuleDox fits
RuleDox is a Level 3 scope automation system built for Google Docs.
- You define rules — engagement types, variables, deliverables, exclusions, pricing logic
- Your team selects variables — engagement type, site size, services, content scope
- Rules assemble the scope — sections include/exclude, hours calculate, pricing updates
- Output is a Google Doc — your formatting, your structure, your brand
- Human reviews and adjusts — the 20% that needs judgment gets human attention
Start with Level 1 (structured templates) today. Progress to Level 3 when scoping volume and consistency requirements justify it.
FAQ
Is this AI-generated content? No. RuleDox doesn't use AI to write proposals. It uses rules — deterministic logic that you define — to assemble documents from conditional sections. The content is yours. The assembly is automated. The output is predictable and auditable.
How long does initial setup take? For a typical SEO agency with 3–4 engagement types: 6–10 hours to encode scoping logic, create template sections, and configure rules. This is a one-time investment that saves 200+ hours per year.
Can I start with one engagement type and expand? Yes. Most agencies start with their most common engagement type (usually the monthly retainer), get it working, and expand to audits, projects, and specialised scopes. Incremental setup is recommended over trying to encode everything at once.