SEO Client Onboarding Form – Tell Us Your Goals

Please remove this client intake form insights section before publishing.

This client intake form is structured to gather critical business, technical, and strategic information necessary for developing a customized SEO strategy. Below is a breakdown of each section, its purpose, and why it’s essential for SEO success.

1. Business & Contact Information

Purpose:

• Establishes basic business details and primary points of contact.
• Ensures smooth communication between the SEO team and stakeholders.

Key Insights:

• Industry/Niche: Helps tailor SEO strategies (e.g., local SEO for brick-and-mortar vs. e-commerce SEO for online stores).
• Years in Business: Older businesses may have existing authority, while newer ones need aggressive brand-building.
• Preferred Communication Method: Ensures efficient updates and collaboration.

2. Current Website & SEO Status

Purpose:

• Evaluates the technical health of the website and past SEO efforts.
• Identifies potential issues (e.g., penalties, poor analytics setup).

Key Insights:

• Website Platform: Determines SEO flexibility (WordPress is more SEO-friendly than Wix/Squarespace).
• Google Analytics/Search Console Setup: If missing, immediate installation is needed for tracking.
• Current Traffic & Bounce Rate: Baseline metrics to measure future improvements.
• Past SEO Efforts: Helps avoid repeating ineffective strategies or fixing past mistakes.

3. SEO Goals & Expectations

Purpose:

• Aligns SEO efforts with the client’s business objectives.
• Sets measurable KPIs for success.

Key Insights:

• Primary Objectives:
  Lead Generation vs. Brand Awareness: Requires different keyword/content strategies.
  Local SEO Needs: Indicates if Google Business Profile optimization is required.
• Target Audience & Competitors: Helps in keyword research and content gap analysis.
• Budget & Timeline:
  Realistic expectations (SEO takes 3-6 months for noticeable results).
  Higher budgets allow for aggressive link-building and content creation.

4. SEO Service Options

Purpose:

• Allows clients to select specific SEO services they need.
• Helps agencies scope the project and price accordingly.

Key Insights:

• Technical SEO (Critical for Rankings):
  Slow sites hurt rankings → Speed optimization is a priority.
  Mobile-friendliness is a Google ranking factor.
• On-Page SEO (Content & Structure):
  Optimized title tags, headers, and internal links improve rankings.
• Off-Page SEO (Backlinks & Authority):
  High-quality backlinks are essential for ranking competitive keywords.
• Local SEO (For Physical Businesses):
  Google Business Profile optimization drives local traffic and conversions.
• E-Commerce SEO (For Online Stores):
  Product schema markup enhances visibility in Google Shopping.
• Reporting & Analytics:
  Clients want transparency (monthly reports with traffic/ranking updates).

5. Additional Expectations & Requirements

Purpose:

• Uncovers hidden challenges and client preferences.
• Ensures smooth collaboration between teams.

Key Insights:

• Biggest SEO Challenges:
  Common issues: Low traffic, high bounce rate, poor rankings.
  Guides priority fixes (e.g., improving content vs. fixing technical errors).
• In-House Team vs. Agency Responsibility:
  If the client handles updates, recommendations must be clear and actionable.
• Reporting Frequency:
  High-touch clients may want weekly updates, while others prefer monthly.
• Preferred Tools:
  Some clients trust Ahrefs/SEMrush data; others may need education on SEO tools.

6. Final Agreement

Purpose:

• Formalizes the client’s commitment to providing accurate information.
• Sets the foundation for a contract or proposal.

Why This Form is Effective

Comprehensive – Covers technical, on-page, off-page, and local SEO.
Goal-Oriented – Aligns SEO efforts with business KPIs.
Customizable – Clients can select only the services they need.
Sets Clear Expectations – Prevents misunderstandings on timelines, budgets, and responsibilities.

Improvements & Customizations:

• For Enterprise Clients: Add sections on enterprise SEO, international targeting, or multilingual SEO.
• For E-Commerce: Include product feed optimization and Amazon SEO if applicable.
• For Local Businesses: Expand on Google Reviews management and local schema markup.

Final Thoughts

This intake form ensures that no critical SEO factor is overlooked, leading to a data-driven, results-focused strategy.

Please remove this mandatory questions recommendation section before publishing.

Here are the mandatory questions that should be included in every SEO Client Intake Form to ensure critical information is collected for an effective strategy:

1. Business & Contact Information (Must-Have)

Business Name
Website URL (to audit current SEO status)
Primary Contact Person (Name, Email, Phone)
Industry/Niche (Crucial for keyword & competitor research)

2. Current SEO & Website Status (Essential for Strategy)

Do you have Google Analytics/Search Console set up?
What is your main SEO challenge?
Have you had any Google penalties?

3. SEO Goals (Critical for Alignment)

What are your top 3 SEO objectives?
Who are your top 3 competitors?
What is your target audience?

4. Budget & Timeline (Avoids Mismatched Expectations)

What is your monthly SEO budget?
When do you expect to see results?

5. Technical & Service Preferences (For Customization)

Which SEO services do you need?
Who will implement changes?

Why These Are Mandatory:

1. No Website URL? → Can’t audit or track progress.
2. No Goals? → SEO strategy lacks direction.
3. No Budget? → Risk of unrealistic expectations.
4. No Competitors? → Hard to benchmark success.

Optional but Helpful:

• Current traffic numbers
• Past SEO efforts
• Preferred reporting frequency