SEO Roadmap

It’s hard to know where to start with an SEO content strategy, so we’ve put together this roadmap for guidance. Use this to prioritize the different tasks needed to optimize your site.

Website setup

• Buy a domain name for your website using a service like Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.
• Choose a hosting provider and/or platform like Webflow, DreamHost, Squarespace, etc.
• Buy an SSL certificate for your site.
• Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console (GSC).
• Plan out your site’s architecture in a Google Doc or on a sheet of paper. Map out key pages for your site, as well as the high-level categories and subcategories your pages will be organized under (including their URL structure). Use this map to guide your landing page creation.

Content creation

• Conduct keyword research about your product, industry, and competitors. Use this research to determine what keywords your site content should focus on and optimize for; this applies to your product pages, blog content, etc. (Note that not all pages need to target a specific keyword, e.g., your about page.)
• Create landing pages for:
  • About
  • Contact
  • Products/services (a high-level product overview/category page as well as individual product pages if you have multiple products)
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of service
• Consider creating additional pages for:
  • Each of your offerings—your newsletter, product demos, discounts, etc.
  • Product features
  • The industries your business serves
  • Testimonials/reviews
  • Case studies
  • FAQ
  • Return/refunds
  • Shipping policy
• If you’re pursuing an SEO content strategy, set up your site’s blog.
• Create valuable, original content for each landing page on your site. Refer to our Content Writing Guidelines for best practices on content creation.

On-page SEO

• Use GSC to ensure that your website is indexed.
• Write engaging title tags and meta descriptions for each of your landing pages.
• Resize images and/or compress large image file sizes for faster loading times on your site. Also give your images descriptive file names and alt text.
• Use Ahrefs to identify and fix broken links. Also use Ahrefs to identify internal link opportunities.
• Add relevant schema markup using Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.
• Determine how mobile-friendly your site is using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Consult with your developer or technical SEO specialist about optimizations to improve mobile-friendliness.
• Check your site’s page speed using PageSpeed Insights. Consult with your developer or technical SEO specialist about optimizations to improve page speed.
• Audit your website periodically using Google Analytics, GSC, Ahrefs, Semrush, or another similar tool. Track how your rankings for various keywords shift over time. Revisit and make changes to poorly performing pages by:
  • Updating outdated information
  • Deleting old, irrelevant content
  • Adding internal links to orphaned pages

Off-page SEO

• Make a list of your available resources for link building in a Google Doc or on a sheet of paper—this includes your budget and any relationships with other brands, websites, or journalists. Use this list to determine which link-building strategies to prioritize.
  • Example: If you know employees at other companies in your industry, consider reaching out to ask if you can write a guest post for their company’s blog.
• Create profiles for your company on relevant directories and review sites. Include a link to your site in each profile.
• Identify forums and communities that are relevant to your product and/or industry. Engage meaningfully with others for potential link-building opportunities—link partnerships, guest posts, etc. Share links to any content on your website when warranted; do not promote your site at every opportunity.
• Use Ahrefs to periodically audit your site’s backlink profile. Monitor how changes in backlinks correspond with your site’s search performance.