My SEO Process for 2027: Seven Steps From URL to Report
how the work runs, in orderWelcome, my friend. My SEO process for 2027 has seven steps, and they always run in the same order: you send the URL, I audit, I write the fix list, I repair, I improve the pages, I build local signals and links, and I report. Below is what happens at each step, what you get, and what I need from you.
- same order for every site
- fixes before links
- a report every month
| step | what happens | runs |
|---|---|---|
| 01 url | you send your website address | once |
| 02 audit | crawl of every page | once |
| 03 fix list | one page, sorted by impact | once |
| 04 repairs | crawling, indexing, speed | monthly |
| 05 pages | titles, headings, content | monthly |
| 06 links | local signals, guest posts | monthly |
| 07 report | what changed, what is next | monthly |
// my own working order, shown as an example run. Steps 04 to 07 repeat every month.
A Process Shaped by Google’s Own Updates
Each step answers a real change in how Google judges sites. Nothing here is a trick. It is the order in which problems have to be fixed for the updates to treat you well.
Thin and copied pages lose ground. So step 5 rewrites weak pages instead of adding more.
Manipulative links get punished. So step 6 builds only links I would be happy to show you.
Google folded its helpful content system into core ranking in March 2024. So pages are written for the reader first.
Scaled and low-value content is a target. So every page needs a reason to exist.
// update names and years are public Google history. The terminal is an illustration, not live output.
Step 2 Is Mostly Data Work
The audit compares what your site says exists with what Google has stored. Three small scripts show how.
// pages in the sitemap that Google has not indexed
indexed = set(open('gsc_indexed.txt').read().split())
for u in sorted(sitemap - indexed): print(u)
// run in the browser console: images with no alt text
// queries ranking on page two, worth improving first
WHERE position BETWEEN 11 AND 20 AND impressions > 100
ORDER BY impressions DESC;
// illustrations of the method. Your own audit uses your own exports.
The SEO Process in One Picture
An SEO process is the fixed order in which the work on a website gets done. Mine starts with your URL and ends with a report, and then the last four steps start again the next month.
Send the URL
you, on WhatsApp
Audit
a crawl of every page
Fix List
plain English, by impact
Repairs
the technical blockers
Pages
on-page and content
Local and Links
listings, guest posts
Report
then the next month
// the yellow dot is your site moving through the steps. The order is mine; the speed depends on your plan.
Why this order? Because each step depends on the one before it. A new title can't help a page that Google can't read, and a link can't help a page that isn't in Google's index. So the repairs come first and the links come later. Plenty of SEO packages start with links anyway, which is a bit like painting a house before checking it has walls.
Google's Three Stages Behind My SEO Process
Google Search works in three stages: crawling, indexing and serving search results. My steps follow those stages, because a page has to pass each one before the next can help it.
Crawling
Google downloads text, images and videos from pages it finds, using automated programs called crawlers. It discovers pages by following links from pages it already knows and by reading sitemaps.
server problems, network issues, robots.txt rules
Indexing
Google works out what a page is about and stores that in its index, a large database. It also groups similar pages and picks one, called the canonical, to show in results.
low-quality content, a robots meta rule, a design that's hard to index
Serving Results
When someone searches, Google looks through its index and returns the pages it judges most relevant and useful. Location, language and device all change what a person sees.
content that doesn't match the search, low quality, a robots meta rule
// source: Google Search Central, "In-depth guide to how Google Search works", fetched 11 Nov 2026. The red lines are the common problems Google lists for each stage.
Two sentences on that page shape everything I do. First, Google states that it doesn't guarantee it will crawl, index or serve your page. Second, Google states that it doesn't accept payment to crawl a site more often or to rank it higher. So nobody can buy a shortcut, and nobody can promise a result. What I can do is remove every reason for a page to fail a stage.
That's how the steps line up. The audit and the repairs deal with crawling and indexing, which is the heart of technical SEO. After that, the page work and the links deal with serving, where Google decides which page deserves the click.
The Seven SEO Process Steps, One by One
Each step below shows three things: what I do, what you get, and what I need from you. The first three happen once, and the last four repeat every month.
step 1 · day one
You Send the URL
What I do: I open your site and look at it myself. No form, and no sales call first.
What you get: A short reply with what I'd fix first, and why.
What I need from you: Your website address, what you sell, and where your customers are.
step 2 · month 1
The Audit
What I do: I crawl every URL the way a search engine does. Then I compare the crawl with Search Console, Google's free tool that shows how your site does in search.
What you get: A clear picture of which pages Google can reach, which it stores, and which it ignores.
What I need from you: View access to Search Console and to your analytics.
step 3 · month 1
The Fix List
What I do: I turn the audit into one page of tasks, sorted by impact. I also map your keywords, so each search phrase gets exactly one page.
What you get: A fix list in plain English and a keyword map you can read.
What I need from you: A yes or no on the priorities, and a note of anything I shouldn't touch.
step 4 · from month 1
Technical Repairs
What I do: I repair what blocks crawling and indexing: broken links, sitemap gaps, stray noindex tags, redirect chains and slow templates. A redirect chain is one address forwarding to another, and then another.
What you get: The fixes made, not just listed, with before and after numbers.
What I need from you: A WordPress admin login, or a contact at your developer.
step 5 · from month 2
On-Page and Content
What I do: I rewrite titles, meta descriptions, headings and opening paragraphs, and I link related pages to each other. Where a page is missing, I write it. More on this is on my on-page SEO page.
What you get: Each key page rewritten and live, plus a before and after sheet.
What I need from you: The facts only you know, such as prices, service areas and opening hours. A taxi firm in Sydney knows its suburbs better than I do.
step 6 · from month 2
Local and Off-Page
What I do: I tune your Google Business Profile and line up your name, address and phone number across the web. Then I write guest posts, which are articles placed on other blogs with a link back to you. I only pitch blogs with real traffic.
What you get: A complete profile and a log of every live link. See local SEO and off-page SEO for the details.
What I need from you: Access to your Google Business Profile, and your correct business details.
step 7 · every month
Report and Next Month
What I do: I write one readable page: the tasks done, what changed in your numbers, and the plan for next month.
What you get: A report you can check against your own Search Console. If a number went down, it's in there too.
What I need from you: Five minutes to read it, and your decision on anything I flag.
// my own process. The month labels show the usual order of work, not a deadline.
The Month Board: When Each Step Happens
The first month is mostly audit, fix list and repairs. From the second month, the page work and the guest posts take over, and a report closes every month.
// this is a work schedule, not a promise of rankings. It shows when I do each job. How much fits into a month depends on your plan.
How long does it take to see results? Honestly, I can't give you a date, and neither can anyone else, because Google doesn't crawl or index on a fixed schedule. In my experience, technical fixes show up in Search Console first, while rankings for competitive searches take months. That's my opinion from doing this work, not a promise. After the audit, I'll give you an honest estimate for your own site.
What I Need From You Before I Start
I need three kinds of access and a few facts about your business. It takes most owners a few minutes, and it's the only homework in the whole SEO process.
The Access Checklist
- Google Search Console. It shows which pages Google has indexed and which searches bring visitors.
- Your analytics. It shows what visitors do once they arrive.
- The WordPress admin. I use it to make the fixes myself, so nothing waits on a third person.
- Google Business Profile. Only if you serve local customers.
The Facts Only You Know
- What you sell, and which service or product earns you the most
- Where your customers are: one city, one country or worldwide
- Two or three competitors you'd like to beat
- Any SEO work done before, good or bad
- Pages or wording I must leave alone
For the audit, view access is enough. Google's own guide to hiring an SEO gives the same advice: start with read-only access to Search Console, and don't hand over write access at that stage. It also says an SEO should explain the changes they make to your site, which is exactly what the fix list and the monthly report are for.
// the access advice comes from Google Search Central, "Do you need an SEO?", fetched 11 Nov 2026.
Common Mistakes, and How You Check My Work
Most failed SEO comes from doing the right things in the wrong order. You can also check every step yourself, because the numbers live in your own accounts.
Where a Process Goes Wrong
- Links before repairs. Fix: make sure Google can crawl and index the page first.
- An audit nobody acts on. Fix: one page of tasks, and the same person makes the changes.
- Two pages chasing one keyword. Fix: a keyword map with one page per phrase.
- Judging the work after two weeks. Fix: compare months, not days.
How You Verify Each Step
- Repairs: open Search Console and see whether more pages are indexed.
- Pages: read the live page and compare it with the before and after sheet.
- Links: click each link in the log. It should be live, on a real blog.
- Report: match my numbers with your own Search Console.
// the mistakes list is my opinion after years of cleaning up such projects, not a survey.
What does the process cost? It runs the same way at every price. My rate is €25 an hour, and the monthly plans are €475, €875 and €1,275. A bigger plan fits more work into each month, so the fix list gets shorter sooner. The full breakdown is on my SEO pricing page.
Common Questions About the SEO Process
Short answers to what people ask before the first step.
What is an SEO process?
An SEO process is the fixed order of steps used to improve a website's visibility in search. Mine has seven: you send the URL, then come the audit, the fix list, technical repairs, on-page and content work, local and off-page work, and a monthly report.
How long does the SEO process take?
The first three steps fit into the first month, and the other four repeat every month after that. Results take longer than the work does. Google doesn't guarantee when, or whether, it will crawl and index a page, so expect months and not days. That timing is my experience, not a promise.
Why do you repair the site before building links?
Because a link can't help a page that Google can't crawl or index. Google has to reach a page and store it before it can show it to anyone. So I remove the blockers first, and then the links have something solid to point at.
What access do you need from me?
I need access to Google Search Console, your analytics and the WordPress admin. View access is enough for the audit. For local businesses I also need access to the Google Business Profile.
Is it safe to give you WordPress admin access?
Yes, if you do it the right way. Create a separate user for me and keep your own password to yourself. Then you can remove my user whenever you like, and I list every change I make in the monthly report.
What if my site is not on WordPress?
The steps stay the same. I'm also a web developer, so tell me which platform you use and what access you can give. If I can't edit the site directly, I hand the fix list to your developer and check the result.
Does this process guarantee a top ranking?
No. Google's own advice says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking. The process guarantees the work: the audit, the repairs, the pages, the links and the report. Rankings are Google's decision.
Send the URL. I'll Take It From There.
Step one costs you one message. I'll look at your site and tell you what I'd fix first. That's the kind of help you should expect from a cheap SEO expert who does the work himself.
// want the checklist of what to send? It's on the contact page. See you there, my friend.
Sources and Last Check
Everything this page says about how Google works comes from Google's own documentation.
- Google Search Central: In-depth guide to how Google Search works (crawling, indexing and serving; no guarantee; no payment for crawling or ranking)
- Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO? (read-only access for an audit; no one can guarantee a #1 ranking)
// last checked 11 Nov 2026. The process and the prices are my own. Opinions are marked as opinions.