The SEO Workflow Template for Teams & Agencies (Checklist + SOP)

I have seen the same pattern play out in a lot of teams.

Everyone is “doing SEO”. Nobody can explain what stage a page is in. Keywords live in a spreadsheet that one person owns. Writers are waiting on briefs. Editors are rewriting the same intro three times. And reporting is basically vibes.

The fix is not another tool. Not first, anyway.

The fix is a workflow. Something boring enough to run every week. Something clear enough that a new hire can follow it on day two. And something strict enough that you can actually measure where things get stuck.

So this is that.

A practical SEO workflow template you can copy, plus an SOP you can hand to a team or agency. It’s built for content led SEO (topics, briefs, writing, on page, internal links, publishing, refreshes). If you do technical SEO too, keep that in a separate cadence. Mixing them usually breaks both.

And yes, I’ll also show where automation helps, including how a platform like SEO software fits when you want hands off publishing without hiring more people.

The core idea (so the rest makes sense)

A good SEO workflow has three things:

1. One source of truth for status and ownership (no mystery work).
2. A definition of done for each stage (so you stop shipping half baked pages).
3. A cadence (weekly and monthly rhythms so SEO doesn’t depend on motivation).

That’s it. Everything below is just those three things turned into a checklist.

Roles and responsibilities (keep it simple)

You can run this with a small team, even if one person wears multiple hats. But the responsibilities must be explicit.

Typical roles:

• SEO Lead (Owner): strategy, prioritization, final sign off.
• Content Strategist: keyword research, briefs, outlines, intent mapping.
• Writer: first draft, sources, examples, basic SEO formatting.
• Editor: clarity, structure, brand voice, fact checking, “does this answer the query”.
• Publisher (CMS): formatting, images, schema, internal links, QA, publish.
• Designer (optional): custom images, charts, in post visuals.
• Dev (optional): templates, speed fixes, structured data, tech backlog.

If you’re an agency, map these to your delivery team. If you’re in house, map them to whoever actually does the work, not job titles.

If you want a more packaged version built specifically for agencies, there’s a dedicated page here: SEO software for agencies.

The workflow stages (the pipeline you will track)

This is the pipeline I recommend tracking in a board (Asana, ClickUp, Trello, Notion, whatever). Each card is one URL, not “a keyword”. The URL is what ranks.

Stages:

1. Intake and prioritization
2. Keyword and intent selection
3. Brief and outline
4. Draft
5. Edit
6. On page optimization
7. Internal linking and entities
8. Final QA
9. Publish and index
10. Monitor and iterate
11. Refresh and consolidate (monthly)

If you only implement one thing from this article, implement the pipeline. It makes everything else visible.

Team checklist (quick version)

Use this as the weekly operating checklist. Then scroll down for the full SOP.

Weekly checklist (content SEO delivery)

• Review last week’s publishing and early performance (GSC, rankings, impressions)
• Choose this week’s priority topics (based on opportunity, not preferences)
• Create briefs for all assigned articles
• Drafts delivered by writers (with sources and examples)
• Edits complete (structure, voice, accuracy)
• On page checklist complete (title, H1, headings, intent match, FAQs, schema if relevant)
• Internal links added (from relevant existing pages and to relevant hub pages)
• Images added and compressed, alt text done
• Publish, submit sitemap, request indexing when needed
• Update the board statuses and owners

Monthly checklist (strategy and cleanup)

• Content audit: pages up, pages down, pages cannibalizing
• Refresh winners (update, expand, improve CTR)
• Consolidate duplicates (merge, redirect, update internal links)
• Technical baseline check (indexation, crawl errors, Core Web Vitals trends)
• Update keyword map and content calendar
• Report: what shipped, what moved, what you’re doing next month

The SOP (detailed, hand it to your team)

This is written in a slightly "do this, then that" style on purpose. The goal is repeatability.

0) Set up your single source of truth (one time setup)

Tooling needed:

• A board (Kanban) with the stages above
• A doc template for briefs
• A doc template for drafts (or your editor)
• A shared folder for assets
• Access to GSC + GA4 (or equivalent)
• A keyword set and a content calendar view

Definition of done (DoD) lives here. Put the DoD checklist directly into the card template. If the checklist is not checked, it's not allowed to move.

If you want an AI assisted editor for tightening on page elements, this is worth bookmarking: AI SEO editor. Even if you don't use it for full articles, it helps standardize rewrites and on page fixes.

1) Intake and prioritization (Owner: SEO Lead)

Inputs:

• Existing pages and their performance
• Product priorities (what the business wants to sell this quarter)
• Keyword opportunities (gaps, competitors, long tails)
• Internal requests (sales enablement, partnerships, features)

Process:

1. Create a card for each proposed URL (or page update).
2. Assign a primary keyword and the intended page type (blog, landing page, comparison, hub).
3. Score it quickly using these four criteria: Business value (1 to 5), Ranking feasibility (1 to 5), Content effort (1 to 5), and Existing authority match (1 to 5).
4. Prioritize by a simple formula like: (Value + Feasibility + Authority) minus Effort.

Definition of done:

• URL is defined
• Primary keyword is defined
• Target persona and intent are defined
• Due date and owner assigned

2) Keyword and intent selection (Owner: Content Strategist)

This is where teams quietly mess up.

They pick keywords that look good in a tool. Then the SERP is all product pages, or all listicles, or all forum answers. And your "ultimate guide" never had a chance.

Process:

1. Google the query (or use your preferred SERP view).
2. Label intent: informational (learn), commercial (compare), transactional (buy), or navigational (brand).
3. Note the dominant format: list post, guide, template, tool page, glossary, video heavy, etc.
4. Identify the "content angle" you must match.
5. Choose a secondary keyword set that supports the same intent (not random variants).

Definition of done:

• Intent label added to the card
• SERP notes added (format + angle)
• 5 to 15 secondary terms mapped

3) Brief and outline (Owner: Content Strategist, Reviewer: SEO Lead)

Your brief is not a paragraph.

A real brief prevents rewrites. It should basically make the draft inevitable.

Brief template (copy this):

• Working title (CTR oriented, not final)
• Primary keyword + intent
• Target reader (who exactly)
• One sentence promise (what they will get)
• Recommended structure (H2s and H3s)
• Must include points (bullets)
• Things to avoid (what competitors got wrong)
• Internal link targets (3 to 8)
• External references (2 to 5 credible sources)
• CTA placement (soft or direct)
• Notes on examples, screenshots, visuals

If you want to standardize on page requirements, use a consistent checklist. This on page tool can help you keep it uniform across writers and editors: on page SEO checker.

Definition of done:

• Outline includes all major sections
• Internal links identified
• Examples and proof points planned
• SEO Lead approves brief (quick async is fine)

4) Drafting (Owner: Writer)

Rules for writers (these reduce editor pain):

• Write for the query first, SEO second.
• Short paragraphs. Specific claims. Concrete examples.
• Do not stuff keywords. Use natural variations.
• Add at least 2 real world examples (screens, mini case, process, templates).
• Write the intro like a person. Not “In today’s digital world”.

Definition of done:

• Draft hits the brief promise
• Headings match outline (or changes are justified)
• Sources included for factual claims
• Includes a conclusion and next step

5) Editing (Owner: Editor, Reviewer: SEO Lead if needed)

Editing is not just grammar. It’s query satisfaction.

Editing checklist:

• Does the page answer the query in the first 10 percent?
• Is the structure scannable (useful H2s, lists, short sections)?
• Are there sections that are pure filler? Remove them.
• Are there unsupported claims? Add proof or delete.
• Does it match the SERP format while still being better?
• Is the tone consistent and not overly “SEO blog”?

Definition of done:

• Reads clean
• No obvious gaps versus competitors
• CTA is natural
• Ready for on page optimization

6) On page optimization (Owner: SEO Lead or Content Strategist)

This step is where you turn a good article into a page that can actually compete.

On page SOP:

1. Title tag: clear, specific, keyword near front, not spammy.
2. H1: close variant of title, but can be more human.
3. First paragraph: confirms intent, sets expectation.
4. Headings: map to subtopics people expect, include related terms naturally.
5. Add FAQ section if the SERP suggests it.
6. Add schema where relevant (FAQ, HowTo, Article, Product depending on page type).
7. Add image alt text that describes the image, not keyword stuffing.
8. Ensure the page includes unique value (template, checklist, examples).

If you want a structured way to run this consistently, this page is useful: improve page SEO.

Definition of done:

• Title, meta, headings, and intent are aligned
• Page includes unique value elements
• Ready for linking and publishing

7) Internal linking and entities (Owner: SEO Lead or Publisher)

Internal links are where teams either overthink or ignore. Both are bad.

Internal linking SOP:

1. Add 3 to 8 internal links from the new page to relevant existing pages.
2. Add 2 to 5 internal links from relevant existing pages into the new page (this is the part people skip).
3. Use descriptive anchors. Not “click here”. Not exact match every time either.
4. Link to your hub pages, product pages, and high value converting pages where it makes sense.

Definition of done:

• New page links out to the right cluster
• At least a couple existing pages link back in
• No broken links

8) Final QA (Owner: Publisher)

This is boring. Still necessary.

QA checklist:

• Formatting looks good on mobile
• Table of contents works (if used)
• Images compressed, correct dimensions
• No placeholder text, no “TK”, no double spaces everywhere
• Links open correctly, no broken URLs
• Slug is clean and stable
• Meta title and description populated
• Category and tags correct (or minimal)

Definition of done:

• Page is ready to publish without surprises

9) Publish and index (Owner: Publisher)

Publishing SOP:

1. Publish during your normal cadence (consistency matters).
2. Ensure it is in the sitemap.
3. Request indexing in GSC if it’s an important page or if your site is slow to crawl.
4. Add it to the content calendar as “Published” with the URL.

Definition of done:

• URL is live
• Index request done if needed
• Status updated in the board

10) Monitor and iterate (Owner: SEO Lead)

Don’t wait 3 months to look at it again.

Weekly monitoring (light touch):

• Impressions trend (are you getting discovered)
• Average position trend (moving the right direction)
• CTR (title and snippet quality)
• Queries triggering the page (new subtopics to add)

Definition of done:

• Any obvious issues logged (title rewrite, missing section, internal links)

11) Refresh and consolidate (Owner: SEO Lead, Monthly)

This is where most of the ROI comes from over time.

Refresh triggers:

• Page is ranking positions 5 to 20 and needs a push
• Page lost traffic after an update
• Page has high impressions and low CTR
• Page is outdated (year, features, screenshots, stats)

Consolidation triggers:

• Two pages ranking for the same primary intent
• Cannibalization visible in GSC queries
• Thin pages that should be merged into a stronger hub

Definition of done:

• Refreshes shipped
• Redirects and internal links updated where needed
• Reporting updated

The agency version (client friendly deliverables)

If you run an agency, clients don’t want your workflow. They want what they can expect every month. So package the SOP into deliverables.

Monthly deliverables example:

• Strategy update (what we are targeting and why)
• X briefs approved
• X articles published
• X existing pages refreshed
• Internal linking improvements
• Performance summary (GSC focused, not vanity)

This is also where “hands off” content platforms can help you scale without hiring. If you want to see how that stacks up compared to common SEO writing tools, these comparisons are relevant:

• SEO software vs Surfer SEO
• SEO software vs Jasper

The templates (copy and paste)

A) SEO content brief template (minimal but effective)

Page info

• URL (planned):
• Page type:
• Primary keyword:
• Intent:
• Target reader:

Goal

• One sentence promise:

SERP notes

• What ranks today:
• Format to match:
• Angle to beat:

Outline

• H1:
• H2:
• H2:
• H2:
• FAQs:

Must include

• Points:
• Examples:
• Stats or sources:

Links

• Internal links to add (outbound from this page):
• Internal links to point into this page (inbound targets):
• External references:

On page

• Title tag idea:
• Meta description idea:

CTA

• Soft CTA:
• Direct CTA:

B) Definition of done template (attach to every card)

• Brief approved
• Draft complete + sources included
• Edited for clarity and intent match
• Title tag + meta description written
• H1 and headings optimized
• Internal links added (outbound)
• Internal links added (inbound plan executed)
• Images added + alt text
• Final QA complete (mobile, links, formatting)
• Published + indexing requested if needed
• Card updated with URL and publish date

Where automation fits (without breaking quality)

Some teams want full control. Some teams want output at scale. Most teams want both, depending on the page type.

If you’re trying to ship consistent content without building a big production line, this is the pitch for something like SEO software: it scans your site, generates a keyword and topic strategy, writes SEO optimized articles, then schedules and publishes them. You still can edit and rewrite, but you don’t have to manage every moving piece manually.

So instead of a strategist creating 20 briefs and chasing 20 drafts, you can move your human time to the parts that actually compound. Updating money pages, adding internal links, improving conversion sections, consolidating content that is cannibalizing.

That’s usually the better trade.

If you want to explore it without committing to an agency model, start at the main site and look at the workflow features: SEO software.

Wrap up (what to do next)

If your SEO feels chaotic, don’t “work harder”. Install the pipeline.

1. Create the board with the stages.
2. Copy the DoD checklist into every card.
3. Run the weekly checklist for four weeks straight.
4. Then automate what’s repetitive, not what’s strategic.

That’s how you go from random blog posts to an actual SEO machine. A slightly imperfect machine, sure. But consistent. And consistency is usually what wins.