Methodology, price-figure review and final sign-off on every guide.
About Daniel
Daniel Mercer is the editor of Cremation Cost Guide and the final check on everything the site publishes. He owns the methodology: which sources count as evidence, how estimates are built from them, and when a figure is too weak to publish. Before any page goes live, Daniel reviews every price on it against its source, tests the page against the site keyword assignment so two pages never compete for the same search, and confirms that explanations of consumer rights match the FTC Funeral Rule. If a number cannot be traced to a dated source, it does not ship.
What the review covers
- Every price, against its source. Each figure on a page is traced back to the dataset entry behind it, and that entry names its source and the date it was checked.
- Estimates stay labelled. Where a state publishes no usable low price, the dataset uses the conservative estimate described on the methodology page, and the review confirms the state page says so.
- One search intent per page. Each page is checked against the site keyword assignment, so a guide never competes with the state pages or the pillar for the same search.
- Consumer rights, worded correctly. Explanations of the FTC Funeral Rule are checked against the rule itself: the right to an itemized General Price List, to choose only the items you want, and to use an alternative container.
Daniel reviews the pages built on the dataset, including the national cremation cost pillar and all 50 state pages, and every guide listed on the team page.