What SEO Metrics Actually Matter When Onboarding a New Client

Winning a new client is only the beginning, but not the real achievement for an agency. Determining the current state of a client’s SEO performance and making recommendations based on it makes it easy to justify results later on.

An appropriate search engine marketing software can help teams set the bar and develop realistic expectations right away.

What Are SEO Metrics?

SEO metrics are measurable quantifiers that show how well a website performs in organic search. These metrics help agencies evaluate various aspects such as technical health, keyword visibility, backlinks, and competitive analysis before formulating their SEO strategy.

SEO Metrics That Deserve Attention First During Client Onboarding

Rather than generating hundreds of reports, consider customer data that influences future SEO results. This data will serve as the benchmark for all future improvements.

1. Keyword Visibility

When starting with the client, check:

• Current ranking positions
• Keywords that are performing well
• Keywords that are close to page one
• Geographic differences in rankings

Using a reliable platform for SEO is critical for monitoring rankings across different search engines, devices, and countries.

2. Technical Website Health

An onboarding analysis should assess:

• Crawlability
• Problems with indexing
• Broken links
• Redirect problems
• Site performance
• Mobile usability

For example, a drop in rankings could be due to crawl issues rather than poor content. Detecting technical issues before website optimisation is recommended.

3. Organic Search Visibility

Traffic statistics are not enough. An advanced search engine optimisation platform monitors overall visibility across a complete set of keywords.

4. Competitor Analysis

Compare the client's website against competitors by evaluating factors like:

• Coinciding keyword rankings
• Visibility differences
• Competitor growth
• Content opportunities

This helps agencies prioritise work that delivers measurable business value.

5. Backlink Profile

Assess the client's current authority before initiating any link-building campaigns.

Agencies must consider:

• Quality of links
• Number of referring domains
• Toxic backlinks
• Growth rate of the backlink profile

6. Reporting Readiness

Plan reporting as part of onboarding, not something you bolt on later.

Define:

• The key performance indicators
• Frequency of reporting
• The stakeholders who need access

An SEO platform for agencies with built-in reporting makes client communication much easier.

Turning SEO Data into Action

The process flow for onboarding is:

Step 1 - Conduct a website audit

Check technical health, ranking positions, backlinks, and search visibility.

Step 2 - Benchmark competitors

Discover visibility gaps and achievable objectives.

Step 3 - Prioritise improvements

Differentiate quick fixes from long-term and value-driven optimisation projects.

Step 4 - Set up reporting dashboards

Monitor the same set of key performance indicators throughout the campaign.

An integrated SEO management platform makes sure all steps are connected.

How XOVI Simplifies SEO Client Onboarding

Onboarding requires access to all essential SEO metrics in a single location. XOVI enables this by providing an agency with all the required tools in a single system.

XOVI allows agencies to:

1. Analyse keyword visibility in several search engines, on different devices, and across international markets.
2. Conduct technical audits for crawling and indexation problems, among other things.
3. Analyse competitors using search analytics and competitor research.
4. Research backlinks to verify website authority and link quality.
5. Generate SEO reports for clients using built-in reporting and white-label solutions.

Use XOVI AI solutions to analyse how your client’s brand appears in search results and content, so you can align your SEO strategy with that perception

All these tools enable agencies to generate better benchmarks for client websites and streamline the onboarding process.

Effective SEO Metrics Can Drive Better Client Relations

The client does not expect rapid improvement in rankings.

They expect to have their questions answered with facts and figures.

Starting with accurate SEO metrics rather than assumptions ensures that every piece of advice and every report shows actual improvement.

Using XOVI, agencies waste less time compiling reports and invest more time taking action.

Find out how XOVI streamlines your client onboarding process using integrated SEO capabilities and more.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What SEO metric should agencies consider first during their client onboarding process?

The answer is keyword visibility and technical SEO health. The combination of these metrics helps clarify the client's current SEO status.

Why can’t agencies rely solely on traffic numbers for onboarding purposes?

Traffic numbers change due to factors like rankings, visibility, technical SEO metrics, and comparisons with competitors. Thus, agencies cannot rely solely on traffic numbers.

How frequently should onboarding benchmarks be updated?

Most agencies review their onboarding benchmarks monthly and track key keyword rankings weekly.

Why should agencies use a single SEO management platform?

A single search engine optimization platform allows them to track keywords, audit websites, generate reports, analyse backlinks, conduct competitor analysis, and also perform search analytics.

What should an effective SEO onboarding report include?

An effective SEO onboarding report sets the benchmark for current performance, compares against the competition, and sets goals for the future.