SEO Onboarding Playbook | MediaMinds SEO Intelligence

This playbook walks you through onboarding a new SEO client from handoff to first results, aligned with our Intelligence phase, blueprints & SEO protocols, and VCR (Visibility → Content → Results).

Phase 1 — Pre-kickoff (before Day 1)

Goal: Gather everything needed so the kickoff is productive and the first audit can start immediately.

Sales / handoff checklist

Contract signed and start date confirmed
Primary contact and decision-maker identified
Billing and invoicing set up (CSuite or agreed method)
Kickoff meeting scheduled (60–90 min recommended)

Access & assets request

Send the client a short request list. Get:

Website access: CMS login, FTP/SFTP, or host (e.g. WordPress, Wix, custom). If no access, request read-only or export.
Google access: Search Console (add as user or request ownership transfer), Analytics 4 (view access).
Existing SEO assets: Any prior audits, keyword lists, competitor lists, or content calendars.
Brand assets: Logo, guidelines, key messaging, and one or two sample pieces of content they're proud of.
Business context: Target audience, main services/products, geographic focus, and 3–5 key competitors (we'll validate and expand in Intelligence).

Tools & workspace

Client folder created (drive/docs) and linked from project tracker
CSuite (or primary project tool) workspace created for the client
Access to audit/reporting tools confirmed (e.g. crawler, rank tracker, GSC/GA)

Phase 2 — Kickoff meeting

Goal: Align on goals, expectations, and the VCR timeline. Set the tone for collaboration.

Agenda (60–90 min)

Intro & roles (5 min) — Who's on our side, who's on theirs, and who's the main point of contact.
Goals & success (15 min) — What does "success" look like in 6–12 months? (Leads, revenue, rankings, brand visibility, AI answer presence.) Capture in CSuite.
VCR overview (10 min) — Explain: Visibility (where you show up today), Content (what we'll create and optimize), Results (how we'll track and report). Emphasize that the first deliverable is a Visibility snapshot and blueprint.
Intelligence phase (15 min) — Walk through what we're doing next: keyword discovery; competitor analysis (top, middle, entry tiers + social signals); technical SEO audit; content strategy blueprint.
Collaboration (10 min) — One production day per week (or agreed cadence) for interviews, SME input, and brand media. Why it matters for content and authority.
Timeline & next steps (5 min) — When they can expect the first audit/blueprint and how we'll communicate (Slack, email, CSuite, etc.).

Post-kickoff

Send a short summary email with goals, timeline, and any open access items
Add any missing access requests to the checklist and follow up until all are in hand

Phase 3 — Intelligence: discovery & audits

Goal: Produce a clear picture of current visibility and a prioritized roadmap (blueprint).

3.1 Keyword discovery

Pull current rankings and visibility (GSC, rank tracker, or both)
Identify where they rank today and where there's opportunity (gaps, low-hanging fruit, head vs. long-tail)
Document primary and secondary keyword themes; note intent (informational, commercial, transactional)
Add keywords and themes to the client workspace for the blueprint

3.2 Competitor analysis

Define top, middle, and entry competitor tiers (confirm with client if needed)
Gather social signals: engagement, share of voice, authority on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and search
Compare client to each tier: where they're ahead, behind, or missing
Summarize "who's winning and where to close the gap" for the blueprint

3.3 Technical SEO audit

Crawl the site (full or representative sample depending on size)
Check indexing, core pages, redirects, internal linking, and critical on-page elements (titles, meta, headings, structured data where relevant)
Note what's helping or hurting visibility; prioritize fixes (quick wins vs. larger projects)
Document findings and recommendations in the audit section of the blueprint

3.4 Content strategy blueprint

Combine keyword themes, competitor gaps, and technical priorities into a single content strategy blueprint
Include: content pillars, sample topics, content types (blog, video, local, programmatic if applicable), and how they tie to VCR
Align with VCR: which content supports Visibility, which drives Content production, and how we'll measure Results

Deliverable

Intelligence report / blueprint delivered (doc or deck) with: keyword discovery summary; competitor tiers + social signals summary; technical audit summary and prioritized action list; content strategy blueprint (pillars, topics, and next steps)
Review call scheduled to walk through the blueprint and get sign-off before moving into Authority/Execution

Phase 4 — First 30 / 60 / 90 days

Goal: Turn the blueprint into a clear execution rhythm and early wins.

First 30 days

All Intelligence deliverables completed and signed off
Quick technical wins implemented (e.g. critical fixes from audit)
Content calendar or first batch of content briefs created from the blueprint
First production day (or SME session) scheduled or completed
Reporting baseline set (GSC, GA, rankings, and/or social metrics)

First 60 days

First wave of new/optimized content published
Internal linking and core pages updated per blueprint
First checkpoint report: visibility changes, indexing, early ranking movement
Client collaboration cadence confirmed (e.g. weekly or biweekly)

First 90 days

Multiple content pieces live and aligned to blueprint
Backlink/authority efforts in motion (if in scope)
Second checkpoint report: trends, wins, and next-quarter priorities
VCR review: Visibility → Content → Results clearly reflected in reporting

VCR protocol reminder

Keep every campaign aligned to:

Visibility	Content	Results
Where they show up today (audit, keywords, competitors)	What we publish and optimize (blueprint, calendar, assets)	How we track and report (rankings, traffic, leads, AI visibility)

Reference this in kickoff, in the blueprint, and in every report so the line from audit → content → results stays clear for the client.

Quick reference — client communication

Pre-kickoff: Access request email + calendar invite
Kickoff: Agenda + summary email with goals and timeline
Blueprint delivery: Report/deck + review call + sign-off
Ongoing: Agreed channel (email/Slack/CSuite) and cadence (e.g. weekly standup, biweekly reports)

Optional: link to free SEO review

New leads can start with our free SEO onboarding review so they get a clear roadmap before committing. Use this playbook once they become paying clients.