Congratulations on closing that SEO sales deal! 

Now it’s time to kick-start your client’s path to success by organizing a top-of-the-line SEO client onboarding process. This will set the tone for future collaboration! 

As the owner of the Loopex Digital SEO agency, I have worked with more than 500 clients and have witnessed the power of an effective onboarding process firsthand. You can take my word for it that it is a powerful way to ensure your project starts off on the right foot. 

In this article, I will take you through my personal process of holding an onboarding call. I will discuss the key elements and share a set of helpful questions to ask the client.

I’ll also provide special bonus at the end. It’s a free SEO client questionnaire template to help you streamline your onboarding process!

Now, let’s get this show on the road!

Marketers’ Steps for Success in Onboarding New Clients

These are the exact steps I follow in the onboarding process. I’ll break down each step in detail, just as it occurs in practice.

Keep in mind that some of the steps I’ll be sharing are tailored specifically for SEO projects, which are my focus of expertise. 

Feel free to customize each step to suit your project type and needs! 

Step 1: Introducing the Team 

Goal: Building trust and accountability with the SEO team and the new client

Possible bottlenecks: The client’s past negative past experiences with previous SEO teams

Timeframe: 5-7 minutes 

The first step in onboarding new clients is introducing them to the team.

This is a crucial stage because it sets the tone for a strong partnership. 

When introducing my team, I don’t just list names and positions.

I go a step further by helping the clients get to know the team members. I highlight their unique skills, expertise, and personalities.

I emphasize my team’s skills and personal qualities, including their:

I like to maintain a warm, upbeat atmosphere during meetings. I also prefer to add my own personal touch.

If the client had a negative experience with their previous SEO team, I make sure to address any concerns they might have about mine.

I do this by sharing my team’s experience and expertise, providing examples of successful projects we have worked on, and by outlining our transparent strategy and practices. 

Step 2: Defining Project Scope and Deliverables 

Goal: Ensure the client fully understands what to expext from the SEO project.

Possible bottlenecks: Unclear requirements/unrealistic expectations

Timeframe: 20 minutes

Next, my team and I begin discussing the stages the new project will go through. We give the client a detailed breakdown of the exact services they will get. 

During this step, we define the scope of work and outline the deliverables. 

Of course, the services we offer differ from client to client. So, I make sure we use this time wisely to make sure all parties set clear expectations. 

Depending on the client’s business goals and how well the website is performing, I suggest custom on-site SEO and link-building strategies to meet the project’s needs

To put it plainly, I evaluate a project’s needs based on its current performance.

Let’s say a website needs a full Technical SEO Audit. Here’s what I would typically do: 

If the client’s expectations and requirements on deliverables are unclear, I usually seek clarification by asking detailed questions about their desired outcomes.

It’s crucial at this stage to clarify the objectives and discuss every detail to set achievable goals. 

Step 3: Securing Permissions and Access to Necessary Tools 

Goal: Gain access to the website’s analytical tools

Possible bottlenecks: The client may be reluctant to share tool/website access

Timeframe: 5 minutes

To kick off our SEO strategy development, we typically need access and permission to a number of tools.

In this part of the onboarding process, we work closely with our clients to ensure smooth access to tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Business Profile, the client’s CMS, and more. You can find a full list of the tools we request in our free SEO questionnaire for clients. I’ll present this list at the end of this article.

Now my team and I understand that security and confidentiality are of utmost importance, so we assure our clients that we follow strict data privacy protocols. We also only request access and permissions that are necessary for the project. 

If the client still hesitates to share access with us, we will encourage them to sign an NDA. This generally gives them peace of mind that their data is secure with us. 

After the call, we send the client a follow-up e-mail listing the tools we need permissions for.

This step helps establish a seamless workflow, promotes efficient collaboration, and avoids potential bottlenecks. 

Step 4: Evaluating Client-Side In-House Resources 

Goal: Check the availability of internal resources from the client that can benefit the SEO project.

Possible bottlenecks: Limited client-side resources

Timeframe: 10 minutes

Now that deliverables are set and access information discussed, it’s time to assess whether the client’s internal resources can support our SEO strategy.

This can include people like writers, developers, and UI/UX designers. We also look into valuable materials like whitepapers and e-books.   

My team and I evaluate the client’s team’s skillsets, experience, and the time they have available to contribute to the project. 

For example, I may ask the client if their in-house developer can handle speed optimization tasks, template development, design implementation etc., or if additional expertise is needed.

I may check if the company has enough content writers to quickly create content clusters, and if they possess basic SEO knowledge to implement the recommendations we provide in our SEO briefs. 

This evaluation helps us leverage existing capabilities and resources from the client’s side. And if some resources fall short, we hire new expertise where its needed. 

If the client’s in-house team needs additional support to implement our SEO strategy, I typically advise the client to look for experienced freelancers on Upwork. I may also give recommendations based on my previous partnerships and help them during the interview process.  

20+ Questions to Ask Your New Clients During Onboarding

Goal: Get a full understanding of the project

Possible bottlenecks: Incomplete data or details about the project

Timeframe: 25-30 minutes

Finally, we’ve reached the good part! 

Let’s dive into our tentative list of SEO questions to ask a client during the onboarding call. I ask these questions to ensure we have all the details needed to craft a successful SEO strategy.

Note that I organized these questions into thematic sections for you. 

Business overview 

Questions like the ones you’ll see below allow us to understand the business and the products better.

Understanding the motivations and unique aspects of the company will help us craft a tailored strategy.

More specifically, these questions help us understand the business’s background, define competition, gain insights for keyword research, predict trends, and tailor SEO efforts to specific products/services.

Common customer сoncerns during the sales cycle. 

Understanding what l objections our clients’ customers might have is vital when planning the strategy period. 

Being aware of potential customer objections helps us craft a comprehensive and effective SEO strategy that directly addresses them.

Some questions we might ask:

To handle these concerns in our SEO strategy, we create a data-backed, high-quality content strategy.

For example, let’s say a client offers an innovative product, and customers are worried about how well it works compared to more traditional solutions.

What I would do is create data-backed articles that compare the innovative product to traditional ones in the niche.

An in-depth comparative analysis shows why our product is better. It also targets existing competitor keywords, educates the audience, and raises awareness about our product’s effectiveness.

Demographics & psychographics 

These questions help us learn more about the client’s customers, like their age, income, and interests. We use this info to create a content strategy that resonates with their interests and needs. 

This involves selecting topics their audience cares about, crafting compelling headlines, and matching the content’s tone and style to their preferences. 

By conducting keyword research based on the target audience’s demographics and psychographics, we identify relevant search terms that align with their interests and intentions.

Here are some questions we’d ask the client: 

Service/product results

This helps in identifying which aspects and pain points to focus on when creating a content strategy and constructing landing pages.

Relevant questions:

Business marketing overview

Questions about business marketing help us make data-driven decisions, use SEO effectively, and avoid wasting time on ineffective strategies.

By understanding the client’s current revenue, profit margin, best-selling products or services, and past marketing hurdles, we can shape our SEO strategy to match their financial objectives and target high-performing areas.

Here are some questions we’d ask the client:

And now for the exciting part! 

I’ve made an SEO client questionnaire template for you to use for your onboarding calls. Now you can find all essential questions in one place!

Here is a free copy of the template.

That about sums it up 

So in this article, I revealed the exact same onboarding process that I use to start partnerships with my own SEO clients. 

The Onboarding Questionnaire I provided is also a helpful tool for SEO professionals and digital marketers for setting up fruitful collaborations with their clients. 

As you move forward, be sure to use this free template for all its worth. It can help streamline your onboarding process and ensure a seamless experience for both you and your clients!