SOAP

(Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan)

Helps you get the story, see the facts, figure out what's going on, and plan what to do next.

How to implement

Subjective
Gather information from the individual’s perspective, including their feelings, opinions, and relevant history.

Objective
Collect factual, measurable, and observable data relevant to the situation.

Assessment
Analyze the subjective and objective information to form a conclusion, identify key issues, or make a judgment.

Plan
Outline the specific actions, strategies, or next steps to address the assessment.

Example

Let’s use SOAP to address a recent dip in website traffic.

[Subjective]: The marketing team feels that the latest algorithm update has significantly impacted our search rankings.

[Objective]: Our website analytics show a 20% decrease in organic traffic over the past two weeks, with a noticeable drop in traffic from specific keywords.

[Assessment]: The algorithm update likely prioritized content from larger, more established sites in our niche, and our current content strategy might need adjustments to regain visibility.

[Plan]: We need to conduct a thorough SEO audit, identify new high-authority link-building opportunities, and refresh our top-performing content with more in-depth information and updated keywords.