Privacy Policy

Effective Date: June 11, 2026

Last Updated: June 11, 2026

Proven Step Digital LLC ("Proven Step," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect Personal Information when you visit https://provenstep.com/ and its related pages (collectively, the "Site"), request a strategy session, submit a form, communicate with us, or otherwise interact with us.

This Policy is designed for a business-to-business digital marketing website offering local and national SEO, paid advertising and PPC management, lead-generation web development, analytics and tracking support, AI search optimization, and related consulting services.

By using the Site, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy. Where consent is required by law, we will request it separately. This Policy does not replace any privacy, confidentiality, data-processing, or security terms contained in a signed agreement between Proven Step and a client.

1. Scope and Our Role

This Policy applies to Personal Information that Proven Step controls in connection with the Site, business development, communications, and our own operations.

When we process information from a client's advertising accounts, analytics platforms, CRM, website, lead forms, call-tracking systems, or other systems solely on the client's instructions, Proven Step may act as a service provider or processor. In those situations, the client generally determines the purposes and means of processing, and the client's privacy notice and our signed service agreement govern that processing. Requests concerning information submitted directly to one of our clients should normally be directed to that client.

"Personal Information" or "Personal Data" means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked to an individual or household. It does not include properly de-identified, aggregated, or publicly available information where excluded by applicable law.

2. Personal Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

Contact and identity information. Your name, business email address, company or organization, job title or role, and other contact details you choose to provide.
Inquiry and project information. Your website URL, service interests, business goals, target markets, locations, marketing challenges, campaign status, estimated advertising budget range, preferred timing, and the content of messages or files you submit.
Meeting and communication information. Information you provide when scheduling or joining a strategy session, corresponding by email, or communicating through forms or third-party meeting tools.
Client and transaction information. If you become a client, we may receive billing contacts, invoice information, payment status, contract information, account access details, and project records. Payment processors may process payment-card or bank information directly; we do not intend to collect full payment-card numbers through the Site.
Feedback and survey information. Reviews, testimonials, survey responses, preferences, and other feedback you voluntarily provide.

Information Collected Automatically

Device and network data. Internet Protocol address, browser type, device type, operating system, language, approximate location derived from IP address, and similar technical information.
Usage data. Pages viewed, links clicked, referring and exit pages, dates and times of visits, session duration, navigation paths, form interactions, campaign parameters, and general engagement with the Site.
Cookie and similar-technology data. Cookie identifiers, advertising identifiers, local-storage values, pixels, tags, scripts, and related data used to operate, secure, measure, and improve the Site.
Security and diagnostic data. Logs, error reports, fraud indicators, and information used to detect, investigate, and prevent misuse, unauthorized access, or technical problems.

Information from Other Sources

Service providers and business tools. Information from hosting, form, scheduling, email, CRM, analytics, advertising, security, and communications providers.
Advertising and referral sources. Information indicating that you arrived from a search engine, advertisement, social platform, referral partner, or campaign.
Public and professional sources. Business contact information, company details, and professional information available from company websites, public directories, professional networks, or other lawful public sources.
Clients, partners, and referrals. Information provided by a client, colleague, referral source, or business partner who believes our services may be relevant to you or your organization.

3. How We Use Personal Information

Responding to requests. To review inquiries, evaluate potential fit, communicate with you, schedule meetings, prepare audits or recommendations, and provide requested information.
Providing and administering services. To onboard clients, manage projects, coordinate deliverables, provide support, invoice for services, maintain records, and perform contractual obligations.
Operating and improving the Site. To deliver content, maintain functionality, troubleshoot errors, understand Site usage, test features, improve user experience, and measure performance.
Analytics and attribution. To understand how visitors find and use the Site, connect inquiries to marketing sources, evaluate campaigns, and improve lead-generation performance.
Marketing and advertising. To send relevant business communications, promote our services, measure advertising effectiveness, create or exclude advertising audiences, and personalize marketing where permitted by law.
Security and fraud prevention. To protect the Site, our systems, clients, and users; authenticate requests; detect abuse; enforce our Terms; and investigate suspected fraud or security incidents.
Legal and compliance purposes. To comply with law, respond to lawful requests, establish or defend legal claims, enforce agreements, and maintain records required for business, tax, accounting, or regulatory purposes.
Business operations. To support internal reporting, planning, quality assurance, training, vendor management, and corporate transactions.
De-identified and aggregated uses. To create statistics, benchmarks, reports, and composite case studies that are not reasonably linkable to an individual, or to use client-identifiable information with authorization.

4. AI-Assisted Tools

Because our services include AI search optimization and modern digital marketing workflows, we may use artificial-intelligence-assisted tools to support research, analysis, summarization, drafting, quality review, reporting, and internal operations.

When Personal Information is processed through an AI-assisted provider, we seek to limit the information to what is reasonably necessary and use providers under appropriate contractual or account settings where feasible. We do not use automated decision-making on the Site to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about visitors.

Please do not submit Social Security numbers, government identification numbers, full payment-card numbers, medical records, account passwords, confidential third-party data, or other highly sensitive information through public Site forms.

5. Legal Bases for Processing

Where the laws of the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, Switzerland, or another jurisdiction require a legal basis, we process Personal Data on one or more of the following bases:

Consent. For example, where you consent to non-essential cookies or certain marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting processing that occurred before withdrawal.
Contract and pre-contractual steps. To respond to a service inquiry, prepare a proposal, enter into an agreement, or provide contracted services.
Legitimate interests. To operate and secure the Site, communicate with business contacts, improve services, measure performance, prevent fraud, and conduct reasonable B2B marketing, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Legal obligation. To comply with applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, and law-enforcement requirements.
Legal claims and vital interests. Where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims or protect the safety and rights of individuals.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We and our service providers may use cookies, pixels, tags, scripts, software development kits, local storage, and similar technologies. Depending on the Site configuration, these technologies may fall into the following categories:

Strictly necessary. Required for core Site operation, security, network management, form delivery, fraud prevention, and preference storage.
Functional. Used to remember choices and provide enhanced functionality.
Analytics and performance. Used to measure traffic, understand Site use, diagnose performance, and improve content and user experience.
Advertising and targeting. Used to measure campaigns, attribute inquiries, limit repeated ads, build or exclude audiences, and deliver advertising based on activity across websites or services.

Where required by law, we will request consent before activating non-essential cookies. You can adjust available preferences through the Site's cookie or privacy controls and through your browser. Blocking cookies may affect Site functionality.

Browser-based "Do Not Track" signals are not interpreted consistently across the industry. We do, however, process legally recognized opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, where required and technically applicable.

7. How We Disclose Personal Information

We may disclose Personal Information to the following categories of recipients for the purposes described in this Policy:

Service providers and processors. Hosting, cloud storage, security, forms, scheduling, email, CRM, analytics, advertising, payment, document, communication, project-management, and professional-services providers that support our operations.
Advertising and analytics partners. Partners that help us measure campaigns, understand Site use, attribute inquiries, and deliver or evaluate advertising. Certain disclosures may be treated as "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising or as targeted advertising under some U.S. state laws.
Professional advisers. Attorneys, accountants, auditors, insurers, consultants, and other advisers where reasonably necessary.
Business and referral partners. Where you request an introduction, authorize disclosure, or a partner is involved in delivering a requested service.
Government authorities and legal recipients. Where we reasonably believe disclosure is required by law, subpoena, court order, regulatory request, or to protect rights, safety, security, or property.
Corporate transaction recipients. Potential or actual buyers, investors, lenders, advisers, and successors in connection with a merger, financing, reorganization, acquisition, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or similar transaction.
At your direction. Other parties when you ask us to disclose information or provide consent.

We may also disclose information that has been aggregated or de-identified so that it is not reasonably linkable to you, subject to applicable law.

8. Sale, Sharing, and Targeted Advertising

We do not sell Personal Information for monetary consideration.

Depending on which analytics and advertising technologies are enabled, we may disclose identifiers, internet or network activity, approximate location, commercial or professional information, and inferences to advertising or analytics partners. Some state privacy laws may define certain of these disclosures as a "sale," "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising, or processing for targeted advertising, even when no money is exchanged.

You may opt out through our Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information page or by using a legally recognized opt-out preference signal where supported.

We do not knowingly sell or share the Personal Information of individuals under 16 years of age.

9. Data Retention

We retain Personal Information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to respond to inquiries, manage business relationships, provide services, maintain records, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, comply with legal obligations, and protect security.

Retention periods vary based on the type and sensitivity of information, the context in which it was collected, the length of the relationship, applicable contractual commitments, legal limitation periods, tax and accounting requirements, security needs, and whether the information can be safely deleted or de-identified. When Personal Information is no longer needed, we may delete, anonymize, or securely isolate it, subject to backup and legal-retention requirements.

10. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect Personal Information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, authentication, encryption in transit where supported, vendor review, logging, backups, and security monitoring.

No website, transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You are responsible for using appropriate security practices and for not sending confidential credentials or highly sensitive information through public forms or unencrypted email.

11. Your Choices

Marketing communications. You may unsubscribe from promotional emails by using the unsubscribe method included in the message or by emailing admin@provenstep.com. We may still send non-promotional communications related to an inquiry, contract, security issue, or legal notice.
Cookies and advertising. Use available privacy controls, browser settings, and legally recognized opt-out preference signals. Preferences may need to be set separately on each browser or device.
Updating information. You may ask us to update inaccurate contact information by emailing admin@provenstep.com.
Declining to provide information. You may choose not to provide Personal Information, but we may be unable to respond to a request or provide certain services.

12. U.S. State Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence, the nature of our activities, and whether the applicable law applies to Proven Step, you may have rights to:

Confirm whether we process your Personal Information and request access to it.
Request correction of inaccurate Personal Information.
Request deletion of Personal Information, subject to legal exceptions.
Obtain a portable copy of certain Personal Information.
Opt out of the sale of Personal Information, sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising, or processing for targeted advertising.
Opt out of certain profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects, where applicable.
Limit certain uses or disclosures of sensitive Personal Information, where applicable.
Appeal a decision regarding a privacy request, where applicable.
Exercise privacy rights without unlawful discrimination or retaliation.

To submit a request, email admin@provenstep.com with the subject line "Privacy Request" and describe the right you wish to exercise. You may also contact us through https://provenstep.com/contact-us/.

We may need to verify your identity and authority before responding to access, correction, deletion, or portability requests. Verification may involve confirming control of an email address or requesting information reasonably necessary to match records. We will not request more information than reasonably necessary. A request to opt out of sale or sharing generally does not require identity verification unless needed to apply the request to information associated with you.

An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted by law. We may request evidence of the agent's authority and, where allowed, may ask you to verify your identity directly.

We will respond within the period required by applicable law. If we deny a request, we will explain the reason where required and provide appeal instructions when applicable.

13. California Privacy Notice

This section supplements the rest of this Policy for California residents. It is provided for transparency and applies to the extent the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended ("CCPA"), applies to Proven Step.

In the preceding 12 months, depending on how an individual interacted with us and which Site technologies were enabled, we may have collected the categories below. We collect these categories from individuals, devices and browsers, service providers, advertising and referral sources, clients and partners, and lawful public or professional sources.

Identifiers and contact information

Examples: Name, email address, business contact information, IP address, online identifiers, and similar identifiers.

Business or commercial purposes: Responding to inquiries, providing services, communications, security, analytics, attribution, marketing, and legal compliance.

Categories of recipients: Service providers, analytics and advertising partners, professional advisers, legal recipients, and transaction recipients. Online identifiers may be shared for advertising as described in Section 8.

Internet or other electronic network activity

Examples: Browsing history on the Site, pages viewed, links clicked, referral information, interactions with forms, and cookie or pixel data.

Business or commercial purposes: Site operation, security, analytics, attribution, troubleshooting, optimization, and advertising.

Categories of recipients: Hosting, security, analytics, advertising, and technology providers. This category may be shared for advertising as described in Section 8.

Commercial, professional, and business information

Examples: Service interests, project needs, company information, job role, transaction records, advertising budget ranges, and business goals.

Business or commercial purposes: Evaluating fit, preparing proposals, providing services, relationship management, analytics, and marketing.

Categories of recipients: CRM, scheduling, communications, payment, professional-services, and project-delivery providers. Limited information may be shared for advertising audiences where enabled.

Approximate geolocation

Examples: General location inferred from IP address or campaign data; we do not intentionally collect precise geolocation through the Site.

Business or commercial purposes: Security, localization, analytics, attribution, and advertising.

Categories of recipients: Hosting, security, analytics, and advertising providers. Approximate location may be shared for advertising where enabled.

Inferences

Examples: Inferences about likely service interests, business needs, marketing preferences, or engagement with the Site.

Business or commercial purposes: Personalizing communications, evaluating inquiries, analytics, and advertising.

Categories of recipients: CRM, analytics, and advertising providers. Inferences may be shared for advertising where enabled.

Sensitive Personal Information

We do not intentionally collect sensitive Personal Information through public Site forms and do not use or disclose sensitive Personal Information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about individuals. Please do not submit sensitive Personal Information through the Site.

California Rights and Requests

California residents may have the rights to know, access, correct, delete, opt out of sale or sharing, limit certain uses of sensitive Personal Information, and receive equal treatment. Instructions for submitting requests appear in Sections 8 and 12.

We do not offer financial incentives or price or service differences in exchange for the collection, sale, or retention of Personal Information.

California's "Shine the Light" law may permit certain residents to request information about disclosures of Personal Information to third parties for their own direct-marketing purposes. We do not disclose Personal Information to third parties for their own direct marketing in the manner contemplated by that law without providing applicable choice.

14. International Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, Switzerland, or another jurisdiction with comparable rights, and the relevant law applies, you may have rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or object to processing; receive certain data in portable form; withdraw consent; and lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

Proven Step Digital LLC is based in the United States, and Personal Data may be processed in the United States and other countries where our providers operate. Those countries may have data-protection laws different from those in your jurisdiction. Where required, we use appropriate contractual or other safeguards for international transfers.

To exercise applicable international privacy rights, contact admin@provenstep.com. You may also contact the data-protection authority in your country or region.

15. Children's Privacy

The Site is intended for adults and business users and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information online from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided Personal Information to us, contact admin@provenstep.com so we can review and delete it as appropriate.

16. Third-Party Websites and Services

The Site may link to or integrate with third-party websites, scheduling tools, social platforms, advertising platforms, AI platforms, or other services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. We are not responsible for the privacy, security, or content practices of third parties.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in law, technology, services, providers, or business practices. We will post the revised version on this page and update the "Last Updated" date. If a change materially affects how we use previously collected Personal Information, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent where required by law.

18. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to submit a privacy request, contact:

Proven Step Digital LLC
Privacy and Legal Contact: admin@provenstep.com
Website: https://provenstep.com/
Contact Page: https://provenstep.com/contact-us/

Proven Step Digital LLC operates online and accepts privacy and legal correspondence electronically through the contact methods above.