Standard operating procedure

SOP: Onboarding a New SEO Client

Everything to collect and set up in the first week with a new SEO client.

SOP7 stepsAbout 180 minBeginner

Objective

Get the access, information and baseline data you need in week one, so SEO work can start without delays or surprises.

When to use

  • A new client has signed and work starts this month.
  • You take over an existing client from another VA or agency.

Prerequisites

  • Signed agreement with the agreed scope.
  • A shared folder or project board for the client.
  • The client’s main contact person and preferred channel.

Steps

  1. Send the welcome email

    Confirm the scope, your working hours, the reporting schedule and the access you will need.

  2. Request access

    Ask for Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Business Profile (if local) and website editor access. Use user invitations, never shared passwords.

  3. Collect business details

    Services, locations, target customers, competitors the client watches and any past SEO work.

  4. Record the baseline

    Save this month’s organic traffic, leads, top pages and priority rankings so progress can be measured later.

  5. Run a quick health check

    Crawl the site and note anything urgent, such as pages blocked from indexing or broken key pages.

  6. Agree on priorities

    Share three priorities for the first month and get the client’s approval in writing.

  7. Set up reporting

    Create the report template and calendar reminders for the agreed schedule.

Quality checklist

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Tips and context

  • Request access to analytics and Search Console.
  • Collect brand guidelines and target locations.
  • Record a baseline of rankings and traffic.
  • Agree on a reporting schedule.

Download

A plain-text Markdown copy (.md) that opens in any editor and pastes cleanly into Google Docs, Notion or ClickUp.

Download SOP (Markdown)

Templates for this SOP

  • Template SEO Report Template A monthly report structure that leads with what matters to the client: results, work completed, issues…

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