When businesses begin working with an SEO agency, one of the most common questions is: “What actually happens in the first few months?”
SEO is not an overnight switch. It’s a structured process that builds momentum through research, implementation, and continuous refinement. Understanding the SEO onboarding phase helps set realistic expectations and ensures better collaboration from day one.
Below is a clear breakdown of what the first 90 days with an SEO agency typically looks like, along with key deliverables at each stage.
Days 1–30: Foundation, Discovery, and SEO Onboarding
The first month focuses on understanding your business, website, and competitive landscape. This is the most critical phase of SEO onboarding, as decisions made here shape everything that follows.
Key activities include:
- Website and technical SEO audit
- Competitor analysis and market benchmarking
- Keyword research aligned with search intent
- Review of existing content and backlink profile
- Analytics, Search Console, and tracking setup
During this stage, agencies identify technical gaps such as site speed issues, indexing errors, broken links, mobile usability problems, and on-page inconsistencies. They also assess how your site currently performs compared to competitors.
Primary deliverables in the first 30 days:
- SEO audit report with prioritised fixes
- Keyword and opportunity mapping
- SEO roadmap for the next 3–6 months
- Tracking dashboards and baseline metrics
This phase is less visible externally, but it’s where long-term SEO success is built.
Days 31–60: Implementation and Early Optimisation
Once insights are finalised, execution begins. This is where working with an SEO agency becomes more hands-on and collaborative.
Key actions during this phase:
- On-page SEO optimisation (meta titles, descriptions, headers)
- Content improvements or creation based on keyword strategy
- Technical fixes from the audit
- Internal linking structure improvements
- Initial backlink outreach or clean-up
You may not see dramatic ranking jumps yet, but search engines start recognising improvements. Pages begin indexing better, crawlability improves, and relevance signals strengthen.
What businesses typically notice:
- Improved site health scores
- Better keyword alignment across key pages
- Early movement in rankings for low-competition terms
- Increased impressions in Search Console
This period is about consistency and correctness rather than speed.
Days 61–90: Momentum, Measurement, and Refinement
The final phase of SEO in the first 3 months is about building momentum and refining what’s working.
By now, search engines have processed many of the changes. Data starts telling a clearer story.
Focus areas include:
- Performance analysis of optimised pages
- Content gap identification and expansion
- Conversion optimisation recommendations
- Backlink profile strengthening
- Strategy refinement based on results
SEO agencies also begin prioritising pages that show traction and adjusting efforts for those that don’t.
Key outcomes by Day 90:
- Clear visibility into ranking trends
- Improved organic traffic quality
- Stronger content structure
- Defined next-phase SEO priorities
While SEO is ongoing, the first 90 days establish clarity, direction, and measurable progress.
Why the First 90 Days Matter
SEO is cumulative. The work done during onboarding directly impacts results months later. Businesses that understand the process and stay aligned with their agency often see more sustainable outcomes.
Working with an SEO agency is not just about rankings, it’s about building a search-ready digital foundation that compounds over time.
What to Expect Overall
- Transparency in process and reporting
- Structured timelines and deliverables
- Data-backed decisions
- Gradual but consistent performance growth
SEO rewards patience, clarity, and collaboration, and the first 90 days set the tone for everything that follows.
