SEO Client Onboarding Checklist

SEO priorities only make sense against commercial goals and who the client wants to reach.

Instructions: Describe the primary business goals for the next 6 to 12 months, target customer profiles, and how success should be judged (leads, calls, revenue proxies, rankings for named themes). Avoid vanity metrics without a business link.

Example (illustrative): Goal: +30% qualified estimate requests from homeowners in Travis County. Audience: ages 35 to 60, roof replacement. Success: form + call tracking, not just traffic.

• At least one business outcome is stated
• Audience is specific enough to write for
• Success measures are named
• Out-of-scope goals are noted

Owner: Client marketing lead · Reviewer: Agency SEO strategist · Due: Project Start + 5 business days

Blocking until goals are usable for prioritization.

Service and location facts drive page structure, titles, and local relevance.

Instructions: List sellable services (not every future idea), primary and secondary locations or service areas, and any services that must not be promoted. Note name variations customers actually use.

Example (illustrative): Services: metal roofing, roof replacement, storm repair. Areas: Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park. Do not promote commercial flat roofs.

• Current services are listed
• Locations/service areas are explicit
• Do-not-promote items are flagged
• Customer-facing names are preferred over internal codes

Owner: Client operations or marketing · Reviewer: Agency SEO strategist · Due: Project Start + 5 business days

Chase until accurate inventory exists.

Competitor URLs and notes focus research on real alternatives, not generic industry lists.

Instructions: List 3 to 7 competitors or alternatives buyers compare you against. Include URL and one sentence on why they matter (win/loss, strong local pages, reviews, ads).

Example (illustrative): competitor1.example: strong neighborhood pages; competitor2.example: dominates review volume; marketplace.example: price shoppers start here.

• Multiple real URLs provided
• Each has a short relevance note
• No confidential deal data required
• Client confirms these are fair comparisons

Owner: Client marketing or sales lead · Reviewer: Agency SEO strategist · Due: Project Start + 7 business days

Helpful but non-blocking if access Asks are complete.

Search Console is required to verify ownership signals, coverage, and query evidence without guessing.

Instructions: Invite the agency email as a full user on Google Search Console for the verified property (or properties). Paste confirmation of the invite and the property URL. Prefer invites over shared passwords.

Example (illustrative): Invited [email protected] as Full user on https://www.client.example/ (Domain property).

• Correct property identified
• Agency invite confirmed or secure alternative documented
• Password sharing avoided when invite is possible
• Staging vs production confusion resolved

Owner: Client technical or marketing admin · Reviewer: Agency SEO strategist · Due: Project Start + 7 business days

Use secure fields only. Never chase passwords in email. Pause if help request is open.

Analytics access confirms conversions and traffic quality once SEO changes ship.

Instructions: Invite the agency as Editor (or agreed role) on GA4 and/or GTM. Include property/container IDs if known. Prefer user invites over shared logins.

Example (illustrative): GA4 property “Client Web”: invited agency@… as Editor. GTM-XXXXXXX invite sent.

• Analytics property identified
• Invite or secure access path recorded
• Conversion events known or flagged as missing
• No unrelated account secrets included

Owner: Client technical or marketing admin · Reviewer: Agency SEO or analytics lead · Due: Project Start + 7 business days

Blocking for measurement-dependent engagements.

SEO edits often change public claims. A named approver keeps revisions accountable.

Instructions: Name who can approve title/meta changes, service copy edits, and factual claims (pricing, licenses, medical/legal statements if any). Note turnaround expectations and any compliance reviewer.

Example (illustrative): Copy/titles: Jordan Lee (marketing). Factual claims: Dr. Patel. Typical turnaround: 2 business days.

• Approver(s) named with scope
• Compliance path noted if needed
• Expected turnaround recorded
• Agency will not publish factual changes without that path

Owner: Client sponsor · Reviewer: Agency account lead · Due: Project Start + 5 business days

Do not start public content changes without this confirmation.