You just signed a new SEO client. The contract is signed, the deposit cleared, and now you need to actually start the work. The fastest way to lose momentum (and client trust) is fumbling the onboarding.
A structured client questionnaire solves this. It downloads everything you need to know about the business, their goals, their history, and their technical setup -- all before your first strategy session. No back-and-forth emails, no forgotten questions, no scrambling for access credentials two weeks in.
Below is the exact onboarding questionnaire we use at our agency. I've organized it into categories so you can customize it based on the scope of each engagement.
Important note: This is the full question bank. You should trim it down to 15 to 20 questions based on the specific engagement. Sending 40 questions to a client paying $2K/month for local SEO is overkill. Match the depth of onboarding to the scope of the work.
1. Platform Access
Before you can do anything, you need access to their tools. Get this out of the way upfront so you're not waiting on credentials when you should be working.
- Do you have Google Analytics (GA4) set up? Please share access with [your email].
- Do you have Google Search Console set up? Please share access with [your email].
- Do you have Google Tag Manager set up? Please share access with [your email].
- What CMS does your website run on? (WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, custom, etc.)
- Can you provide admin access to the CMS? We won't make changes without approval.
- Do you use any SEO tools currently? (Ahrefs, SEMrush, etc.) If so, can you share access?
2. Business Context
Understanding the business helps you build a strategy that actually aligns with their goals -- not just generic SEO best practices.
- What are your top business goals for the next 12 months?
- What's your biggest challenge in reaching those goals?
- Who is your ideal customer? (Industry, company size, job title, location, etc.)
- What's your top customer acquisition channel today?
- List 3 to 5 competitors you see most often in your market.
- What KPIs matter most to you? (Phone calls, form fills, e-commerce revenue, etc.)
- Is your business seasonal? Are there predictable peaks and valleys in demand?
- What differentiates you from competitors? Why do customers choose you?
3. Content and Link Building
Content and links are the two main levers of most SEO campaigns. Understanding what already exists saves you from duplicating effort.
- Do you have existing blog content? How often do you publish?
- Are there specific topics or keywords you want to prioritize?
- Are there any topics you do NOT want us to cover?
- Do you have a content writer or team, or will we handle content production?
- Have you done any link building or PR campaigns in the past?
- Has your site ever received a Google penalty (manual action or algorithmic)?
- Do we have permission to do outreach on behalf of your brand?
4. SEO and Marketing History
Knowing what's been tried before prevents you from repeating failed strategies or undoing work that was actually good.
- Have you worked with an SEO agency or consultant before? What was the outcome?
- Can you share any reports, keyword research, or deliverables from previous SEO work?
- Are you running paid search (Google Ads, Meta Ads)? Can you share performance data?
- Do you have target keywords or pages you'd like us to focus on?
- Are you capturing email leads? What platform? How many subscribers?
- What social channels are you active on? (Provide profile URLs)
- Do you have an internal marketing team or developer? Who handles website changes?
How to Use the Questionnaire
Send this within 24 hours of signing the contract. The client's enthusiasm is highest right after they commit -- don't let that momentum die by waiting a week to kick things off.
I recommend using a Google Form or Typeform rather than a Word doc. The responses flow into a spreadsheet automatically, making it easy to reference throughout the campaign. Set a clear deadline (three business days is reasonable) and follow up once if they're late.
Use the responses to prepare for your kickoff call. Walk in already understanding their business, their goals, and their past marketing efforts. That first call should be about strategy, not information gathering.
The full onboarding system -- including templates, SOPs, and training videos -- is available inside The Blueprint Training.