SOP: SEO Audit & Keyword Research

Purpose

To establish a repeatable process for conducting a baseline SEO audit and executing keyword research aligned with the client’s ICP and Personas.

This ensures all future organic content and optimization efforts are data-driven and audience-focused.

Scope

• Applies to all client projects, across industries (B2B SaaS, B2C services, eCommerce, etc.).
• Used during onboarding and repeated quarterly for continuous optimization.
• Executed by SEO strategists with support from content leads and client stakeholders.

Objectives

• Audit the client’s website for technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page health.
• Identify short-term and long-term keyword opportunities aligned to ICP & Personas.
• Deliver a prioritized SEO & Keyword Research Report feeding into Topic Clusters (Doc 2).

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 – Preparation

1. Gather client details: ICP (Doc 2, EPIC 1), Personas (Doc 2, EPIC 1), Value Proposition (Doc 3, EPIC 1).
2. Access tools: Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Ahrefs/Semrush/Moz, Screaming Frog, Keyword Planner, AnswerThePublic.
3. Collect baseline data: Current organic traffic, top-ranking keywords, competitor list.

Step 2 – Technical SEO Audit

Checkpoint	Action	Tools/Method
Crawlability	Check robots.txt, sitemap.xml	Screaming Frog, GSC
Indexation	Verify index coverage	GSC
Site Speed	Test page load & Core Web Vitals	PageSpeed Insights
Mobile Usability	Test mobile responsiveness	Mobile-Friendly Test
HTTPS/Security	Check SSL, HTTPS redirects	Browser + SSL tools
Broken Links	Identify 404s, redirect loops	Screaming Frog

Step 3 – On-Page SEO Audit

Checkpoint	Action	Tools/Method
Meta Data	Review title tags, meta descriptions	Screaming Frog, Semrush
Heading Structure	Ensure proper H1-H2-H3 use	Manual review
Content Quality	Check word count, uniqueness, readability	Copyscape, Hemingway
Internal Linking	Verify contextual links, orphan pages	Screaming Frog
Schema/Structured Data	Validate schema presence	Google Rich Results Test

Step 4 – Off-Page SEO Audit

Checkpoint	Action	Tools/Method
Backlink Profile	Analyze quality, toxicity, authority	Ahrefs, Semrush
Referring Domains	Identify opportunities for outreach	Ahrefs
Brand Mentions	Check unlinked mentions	Google Alerts, Mention.com
Local SEO (if applicable)	Verify Google Business Profile, NAP consistency	Moz Local

Step 5 – Keyword Research

1. Seed Keywords: Start from ICP/Persona pain points + industry terms.
2. Expand Keywords: Use Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, AnswerThePublic.
3. Group by Intent:
   • Informational: “What is onboarding automation?”
   • Navigational: “HubSpot onboarding guide.”
   • Transactional: “Best SaaS onboarding tool pricing.”
4. Prioritize Keywords: Based on Search Volume, Keyword Difficulty, Relevance to ICP, Funnel Stage.

Step 6 – Competitor Benchmarking

1. Identify top 3–5 competitors (direct + SERP-based).
2. Compare keyword rankings, backlinks, and top-performing content.
3. Extract content gaps: Keywords/topics competitors rank for but the client does not.

Step 7 – Deliver SEO & Keyword Research Report

Report should include:

• Audit summary (Tech + On-Page + Off-Page issues).
• Keyword list (clustered by funnel stage, difficulty, relevance).
• Competitor insights + gap opportunities.
• Prioritized action plan for next quarter.

Output feeds into:

• Doc 2 (Topic Clusters & Content Strategy) → Keyword → Cluster → Content Plan.
• Doc 6 (On-Page Optimization Workflow) → Fixes for audit findings.

Roles & Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
SEO Strategist	Lead audit, keyword research, competitor analysis
Content Lead	Map keywords to personas, funnel stages, content plan
Client POC	Provide industry insights, approve keyword focus
Analyst/Intern	Execute crawling, data collection, initial reporting

Outcome

• A comprehensive SEO & Keyword Research Report aligned with ICP + Personas.
• Clear list of opportunities & gaps feeding into content planning.
• Baseline metrics for tracking organic growth in Doc 9 (Performance Tracking).