I asked agency owners how long they spend onboarding a new client. One said 1.5 hours, a few said 30 days, and the average was 10 hours.
If your process also takes 10 hours, think about this: the first agency is onboarding six times faster. Clearly, they’re doing things differently. When I asked how, they said that after trial and error, they’ve carefully designed a process by automating tasks with different tools.
Imagine how many more clients you would onboard by applying their strategies to your workflow. This post shares proven strategies from agency owners to help you automate your onboarding process effectively.
Ready to save time and automate your onboarding process? Let’s begin.
Why SEO agencies should automate client onboarding?
While saving time may appear to be the most significant benefit of an automated onboarding process, many more side benefits help set your agency up for success.
1. Increase client retention
Smooth onboarding sets the tone of your relationship with the client. However, neglecting it can cause customers to abandon your services within the first week and switch to competitors.
Conversely, an optimized onboarding process encourages customers to stick with brands 86% more and purchase 3x more from the same brand.
So, while poor onboarding drives customers away, a streamlined process can increase your chances of turning them into loyal advocates—without an additional marketing budget.
2. Improved agency image
With a tried-and-tested automated onboarding process, you avoid common mistakes like miscommunication about deadlines and unnecessary back-and-forth with your clients, which make them question their decisions.
Streamlining your process helps you create a positive first impression, instill client’s confidence in your services, and increase your chances of them recommending your agency to others.
3. Charge premium rates
Imagine increasing your rates for every new client you onboard—exciting, right? Your sleek onboarding process will make you more likely to justify premium rates.
For example, when clients experience a seamless onboarding process with clear communication and prompt follow-ups, they see the value in paying a premium for your services.
The difference between good and great service providers lies in their processes. When you onboard clients efficiently—answering their questions and addressing their concerns—you showcase true professionalism.
This builds trust, increases client retention, and helps you grow your business.
How to automate the client onboarding process for SEO agencies
Now that you know the growth potential of optimizing your onboarding process, the question is: how? Start by identifying which parts of your process to automate.
Pre-requisite: Analyze your current onboarding process
Write down your current onboarding process step-by-step, noting whether you and your clients find each part effective. For example, you might want to keep a 30-minute introductory call to connect with clients personally.
But if a 2-hour session to demonstrate asset access feels tedious for clients, that’s a step worth automating.
Ask yourself: Which tasks are repetitive? What feedback have clients given? Are there steps that feel unnecessarily time-consuming? This will help you separate tasks from those that need to be automated.
Once you’ve done this, the next step is to find tools to handle the automation. But let’s be honest—this can be overwhelming, expensive, and time-consuming.
To simplify things, I spoke with SEO agency owners to discover their favorite tools for automating client onboarding.
Below is a step-by-step guide to the onboarding process, packed with insights and tools from pros who’ve perfected it through trial and error.
Should you choose an email marketing tool or client onboarding software?
This is where you decide whether to use an email marketing platform or a dedicated client onboarding software.
An email marketing platform is ideal if you’ve already set up some workflows, your onboarding is communication-heavy, and you need a cost-effective solution.
Choose client onboarding software if you dislike juggling multiple tools and prefer tracking everything in one place.
Client onboarding tools help you scale faster but are generally more expensive than email marketing platforms. Ultimately, the choice depends on your needs and budget.
Deepak Shukla from Pearl Lemon recommends using Dubsado. He shares his experience:
“As soon as clients sign on, they receive a beautifully branded, automated workflow. Every step happens effortlessly, from e-signing contracts, filling out onboarding questionnaires, and scheduling their first consultation. This saves us hours and sets the tone for a smooth client experience.”
For email marketing platforms, consider options that integrate well with your current tech stack, allowing you to connect your favorite tools and automate key onboarding steps.
Once you’ve chosen a tool, set up your onboarding process as a trigger-specific automation workflow. To give an idea, Joshua Uebergang from Digital Darts shared a screenshot of his process:
1. Send a friendly welcome email
A great onboarding process starts with a friendly welcome email. This is your chance to make a solid first impression while ensuring clients have all the information they need to get started.
Start by evaluating your current welcome email’s performance. Are your open rates above 20–30%? Is engagement high enough to drive action?
If not, consider updating your email with more personalized elements, like a video introduction.
Including a video in your email adds a personal touch and ensures clients know the next steps. Tools like Kajabi allow you to embed videos directly in emails, while Loom and Wistia let you record and share videos effortlessly.
Spencer Romenco, from Growth Spurt, uses Loom to record personalized videos for his new clients. He explains:
“This video introduces our team, explains our approach, and walks them through timelines and tools, giving them everything they need to know in a format they can watch (or re-watch) anytime. One client even told us they shared it across their team, so everyone was on the same page before our first official meeting, which saved everyone a ton of time.”
This approach not only saves time but also creates a lasting impression that sets the tone for a smooth onboarding process.
2. Send contract and invoice
Where possible, make sure you’re paid first to avoid delays and ensure smooth operations. To streamline this, send your invoice link and the contract so payment can be made as soon as the deal is finalized.
A great way to automate contracts and invoices is to use DocuSign Gen, especially if you use Salesforce to manage your clients.
It automatically creates and sends client-specific contracts by pulling details from Salesforce. You can set up triggers so that once a client signs a contract, an integrated invoicing tool like QuickBooks or HoneyBook sends the invoice immediately.
If your pricing is based on billable hours instead of fixed project fees, consider using Clientary. It tracks billable hours and sends custom invoices automatically to inform clients about work progress and costs.
Matthew Channel from TSW Training shares his experience with Clientary:
“We create a portal where clients can view billable hours and invoices and track project progress. Clientary took away all that unnecessary back-and-forth.”
Automating these steps saves time, avoids miscommunication, and keeps your cash flow steady.
3. Send a link to book a Kick-Off call
Once the invoice is cleared, it’s time to kick off the project officially.
Start by inviting your clients to a kick-off call where you’ll explain the next steps and align expectations. Address key questions such as:
How do you approach a project?
What’s your typical turnaround time for results?
Who’s in charge of different project areas?
Who will communicate with them, and what’s their preferred communication format (emails, 1-1 calls, or Slack)?
This is also a good opportunity to inform them about upcoming client questionnaires and asset access requests.
Calendly is great for scheduling a kick-off call, but if you like to keep things simple, Google’s Appointment Booking is pretty good.
It’s free and directly connected with Google Calendar and Meet, so you don’t have to worry about integrations. Just create your calendar schedule inside the Google Calendar using the Appointment Schedule feature.
Pro tip: If your clients prefer Slack, consider creating a dedicated Slack channel for each client. Use it to share updates, wins, and project news to keep them informed and engaged throughout the process.
4. Send client questionnaire
A client questionnaire is essential for collecting the information you need to work on the project smoothly.
It helps you understand your client’s goals, challenges, and expectations so you can deliver the best results.
Most onboarding tools, like Dubsado, include customizable templates and intuitive form builders, which make creating professional questionnaires effortless. You just modify a pre-made template and add your preferred questions.
If you’re not using onboarding software, don’t worry. Sean Begg Flint from Position Digital shared his automation workflow using Google Forms and Notion:
“We use Google Forms to gather all the initial client information (business goals, competitors, existing tools, etc.), and the responses are automatically fed into a Notion template we’ve built. This creates a custom client portal on Notion with project timelines, key documents, tasks, and communication logs in one place. Clients love it because they get immediate visibility into the project, saving us hours of setup time.”
Tips for designing your questionnaire:
Include sections for business goals, target audience, competitors, preferred tools, and specific requirements.
Use a mix of question types to capture detailed insights while keeping the form user-friendly.
Pro tip: Create a dedicated Google Drive folder for each client and share access with the client and relevant team members. This ensures everyone can access necessary resources without the hassle of back-and-forth communication.
5. Request access to client’s assets
Requesting client assets is a time-consuming but essential part of onboarding. If not handled well, this step can disrupt the smooth experience you’ve built so far.
However, by simplifying the process, you not only save time but also reinforce your professional brand image.
You don’t have to overwhelm your clients to book the mandatory one-hour (if not longer) call and walk them through sharing their assets access. You can use Leadsie to over-simplify the process.
Leadsie allows you to send clients a link with pre-defined permissions for the necessary assets. Once they approve the request, you will automatically gain access. It’s a win-win—saving both you and your clients valuable time.
Pro tip: Even though Leadsie is easy to use, it’s still a new tool for your client. So, include a Loom video to show them how to grant access. In fact, it’s always a good idea to include a video with each step that requires your clients to follow instructions.
By using tools like Leadsie and videos for clarity, you can make asset-sharing effortless and maintain the seamless onboarding experience your clients expect.
6. Send a link to a strategy call
This is where all your preparation pays off. By now, you’ve gathered client insights through your questionnaire, SEO audits, and account reviews. It’s time to bring it all together and present a roadmap that wows your client.
Start by sharing your SEO strategy plan based on your analysis. Lay out clear goals and timelines, and discuss the expected time frame for visible results.
This is also a great time to agree on a reporting system that suits your client’s style, whether monthly updates, shared dashboards, or quick calls.
To add credibility, highlight your SEO tech stack, such as Semrush for keyword research, Surfer SEO for content optimization, and Linkter for automated internal linking.
Sharing the tools you’ll use not only builds trust but also demonstrates the efficiency of your approach.
Pro tip: Leverage this call to solidify your relationship and get your client hyped about the partnership. It’s not just a strategy call—it’s your first big win in their eyes.
7. Analyze and optimize your process
Congrats, you’ve successfully onboarded your client. Now, take it a step further by creating a reusable client onboarding template.
Document key steps, tools, and templates for emails, questionnaires, and contracts to save time and ensure consistency in future projects.
Don’t stop there—track your process regularly to pinpoint areas for improvement. Collect feedback from clients, monitor how long each step takes, and identify any bottlenecks.
A polished onboarding system evolves to ensure efficiency while continuing to impress your clients.
Final thoughts: Don’t automate client interaction
While automation is a game-changer, don’t automate to the point that there’s a disconnect between you and your client.
Proactive communication and genuine human interaction will help you build lasting relationships and retain clients—balance efficiency with a personal touch to ensure your agency’s success.
