SEO Roadmap Strategy: How to Create an SEO Roadmap [Free Template]

Updated January 10, 2024

SEO roadmaps are a great tracking tool. On a monthly basis you can clearly record what is currently in progress and what will be worked on in the near future. It gives you something tangible to show key stakeholders in your organization, so you can say “This is what we’ve done, this is what we’re doing, and this is our plan for the next few months.” It also helps you stay on task and track your progress within your own team.

In this article, we’ll show you what an SEO roadmap is, how to use it, and why it’s valuable. We’ve also created a free SEO Roadmap Template (the link to access it is below), which you can customize for your own purposes.

What is an SEO Roadmap?

An SEO roadmap is a strategic document that can be used to keep key stakeholders informed on your progress in a simple and easy-to-understand format. The roadmap will have all of the details of each tactic used in the campaign, broken into basic sections. We recommend planning your SEO roadmap out at least 3 months into the future, but depending on your goals you may even want to extend it further.

How to Create an SEO Roadmap

When creating an SEO roadmap, you should focus on what will drive results to help reach your campaign goals and see progress. A well-crafted SEO roadmap strategy will drive organic traffic, creating long-term success. Below are sections that should be considered to add to your SEO roadmap strategy:

• Technical SEO
• Content Strategy
• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
• Local SEO
• Social Media: Paid & Organic
• Reputation Management
• Marketing Automation
• Link Building

Breaking your roadmap into sections like technical, content, CRO tests, and Email Campaigns helps make it easy to understand and easy to keep track of.

How to Use an SEO Roadmap

When using an SEO roadmap, place all of the strategies in the doc. Based on importance, layer those tactics throughout the doc. Make sure it’s either monthly, weekly, or daily. If it’s a new campaign, we suggest making technical SEO the top priority, since having a healthy website with minimal to no errors is essential for the other elements to be successful.

Below is an example of an SEO roadmap template, or you can make a copy of this Google Spreadsheet here:

For this specific roadmap template example, technical SEO was the focus of the first part of the roadmap, and then we transitioned to content strategy. Every organization will be different, so make sure your roadmap addresses your company’s unique needs and goals.

Building a PPC Roadmap

Building a PPC (Pay-Per-Click) roadmap will involve planning and executing an online advertising campaign to maximize its effectiveness. Identifying the right platforms to use is crucial to the success of your campaign. Our PPC roadmap will assist you in deciding what your top priorities should be and where your budget should be allocated. Make a copy of our PPC campaign template here.

Why is an SEO Roadmap Valuable?

Simply put, an SEO roadmap will lay out the foundation of a successful digital marketing campaign. If anyone in your organization has questions about what is going to be executed in a given period, you can refer them to the roadmap. Most of all, it allows you to know what is required of you each month/week/day of the year. There’s no wondering what to do next because it’s all laid out in the SEO roadmap strategy.

If you’re in need of an SEO, PPC, or content roadmap, contact us at Big Leap. We specialize in creating customized campaigns that will help you reach your goals. We’d love to chat!