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Content
Content is how you answer the questions your customers ask before they buy. Good content earns rankings, links and trust over time.
Free tool Interactive checklist, progress saves as you go
The SEO Checklist: 64 Steps to Rank Higher on Google
Every task that helps a website get found on Google, in the same order we use for new campaigns. Tick each step as you finish it, or use the list to check what your SEO company is actually doing.
- 64 steps in 9 groups
- Built from 1,500+ campaigns
- Free, no sign-up
Quick answer
An SEO checklist is a list of the tasks that help a website get found on Google: setting up tracking, choosing the right keywords, fixing technical problems, writing clear pages, building local signals and earning links. This checklist has 64 steps in 9 groups. Work through the first four groups once, then repeat the monthly tasks at the end.
Most websites do not have one big SEO problem. They have dozens of small ones: a missing title here, a slow page there, a Google profile with the wrong category, a service nobody wrote a page about. Each one costs a little visibility, and together they keep good businesses off page one.
This checklist follows the same order we use when we start a new campaign at MarketingFlow. After 9 years and more than 1,500 campaigns, we have found that working through it in sequence avoids the most common mistake of all: building links and content on top of a site Google cannot properly read.
How to use this checklist
Do not try to finish everything in one weekend. Start with the setup and technical groups, because they affect every other step. Then work on keywords and on-page fixes for your five or six most important pages. Content, local SEO and links are ongoing work that builds over months.
| Group | When | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Setup and tracking | Day one | 1 to 2 hours |
| 2. Keyword research | Week one | Half a day |
| 3. Technical SEO | Weeks one and two | A few hours to a few days |
| 4. On-page SEO | Weeks two to four | About an hour per page |
| 5. Content | Every month | Ongoing |
| 6. Local SEO | Month one, then monthly | Ongoing |
| 7. Links and authority | Every month | Ongoing |
| 8. AI search readiness | Month one | A few hours |
| 9. Monthly maintenance | Every month | 1 to 2 hours |
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Setup and tracking
You cannot improve what you cannot measure. These tools are free and take less than an afternoon to set up.
020 / 6
Keyword research
Keywords are the words your customers type into Google. Every page you build should be planned around a clear group of them. Our full keyword research guide walks through each step in detail.
030 / 10
Technical SEO
Technical SEO makes sure Google can find, crawl, understand and index your pages. A problem here can undo everything else.
040 / 10
On-page SEO
On-page SEO tells Google what each page is about and helps visitors decide to contact you. Start with your homepage and main service pages. You can check many of these with our free SEO audit tool.
060 / 8
Local SEO
If you serve customers in a specific area, local SEO often brings results faster than anything else. Learn more on our local SEO services page.
070 / 6
Links and authority
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. They remain one of the strongest signals Google uses to judge trust. Quality matters far more than quantity.
080 / 5
AI search readiness
Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT search, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity now answer many questions directly. The same foundations help you appear there. For the full list, see our AI search optimization checklist.
090 / 6
Monthly maintenance
SEO is never finished. These tasks keep your site healthy and moving forward.
Short on time?
If you only have one hour
These tasks usually make the biggest difference for a small business website. Do them first, then come back for the rest.
Check indexing
Verify Google Search Console and confirm your key pages are indexed.
Fix your top titles
Rewrite the titles and H1 headings on your homepage and top three service pages.
Fix your Google profile
Choose the right primary category on your Google Business Profile and add every service.
Match your details
Make sure your name, address and phone are identical on your site and profile, then compress your largest images.
Want this checklist done for you?
Every MarketingFlow plan works through this list for you, from $99 a month, with no setup fee and no long contract.
Client portal
When we do the work, you see every step
Every MarketingFlow client gets a login to our client portal. No guessing, no vague monthly emails. You can see the work and the results whenever you want.
Outreach backlink analytics
Every outreach backlink we build for you each month is listed with clear analytics, and the backlink data is updated every week.
Keyword and page rankings
Your keyword rankings and page rankings come straight from Google. We are approved for Google API data, so the numbers are Google's own.
Indexed pages
See which of your pages Google has indexed, pulled directly from Google, so you know your important pages can actually be found.
Clicks and impressions
Track how many times your site appears in Google search and how many people click through, month by month.
Domain Rating from Ahrefs
Watch your website's Domain Rating (DR), provided by Ahrefs, grow as your backlink profile gets stronger.
Blog content calendar
On the Growth ($290) and Authority ($499) plans, a calendar shows every upcoming article and the exact date it will be posted.
Clear data for every customer, so you can always see what is being done and what it is achieving.
Client portal loginFAQ
SEO checklist questions
What should be on an SEO checklist?
A complete checklist covers tracking setup, keyword research, technical SEO, on-page SEO, content, local SEO, backlinks, AI search readiness and monthly maintenance. This checklist covers all nine groups in 64 steps.
How long does it take to complete an SEO checklist?
The one-time setup, technical and on-page groups usually take a few days to a few weeks, depending on the size of your site. Content, local SEO and links are ongoing monthly work.
Can I do SEO myself with a checklist?
Yes, many small businesses can handle the basics themselves. The ongoing parts, especially content and link building, take steady time every month, which is where most owners decide to get help.
What is the most important SEO task?
Making sure Google can index your important pages comes first. After that, clear titles and headings, a complete Google Business Profile for local businesses and quality backlinks usually have the biggest impact.
How often should I review my SEO?
Check Search Console and your leads every month, and work through the full technical and on-page checklist at least once a year or after any major website change.
Does this checklist cover AI search?
Yes. Group 8 covers the extra steps for Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT search and other AI tools, and our AI search optimization checklist goes deeper.
Does my progress save?
Yes. Ticks are saved in your browser on this device, so you can come back and continue later. Use the reset button to start again.
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