SEO Maintenance Checklist: Step-by-Step Guide for 2025

If you want to grow organic traffic and leads, you definitely need a working website. Around 40% of people will abandon the website when the loading time is >3 seconds, so ensuring this doesn’t happen to you is a must-have. But how do you keep your website working? The answer is simple: SEO maintenance.

SEO G.O.A.T.’s team prepared a step-by-step plan explaining the importance of website maintenance, its features, and how it affects your performance. You’ll get expert tips from our team with 7+ years of experience in the industry. Read on for more!

What is SEO Maintenance?

SEO maintenance is the continuous process of optimizing your website to retain and improve search engine rankings. This involves monitoring performance, updating content, managing backlinks, and addressing technical issues. 

Regular maintenance is key to maintaining positions, aligning your website with updated search engine algorithms, and providing users with a high-quality experience. It’s like a car: if you don’t conduct maintenance every once in a while, it will eventually break down.

Why is Monthly SEO Maintenance Important?

Google’s algorithms are updated 100+ times per year, requiring webmasters to stay updated and constantly monitor their SEO results. A single major update can significantly change your traffic. That’s why it’s necessary to constantly adapt your website to keep it on top of the flow. But there’s more to it.

1. Staying updated with search engine algorithms

You must adapt your website to changes and monitor SEO results to prevent ranking drops and ensure you remain visible & competitive. The Search Engine Journal, one of the industry’s most reputable SEO resources, shares how to track Google’s algorithm updates:

• Monitor trusted sources like Google Search Status Dashboard;
• Use SERP volatility tools like MozCast, Semrush Sensor, Similarweb, and others.

This will help you stay ahead of your competitors and adapt quickly to all changes.

2. Outperforming competitors

If your competitors are actively working on their SEO and you’re not, they can easily surpass you in search rankings. Regular maintenance helps you make necessary adjustments to stay competitive and maintain a strong position in your core keywords.

3. Mitigating risks from website updates

All changes on your website affect SEO: content, design, layout, and so much more. Even the slightest alteration can impact your rankings, so you must monitor the numbers to understand whether everything works fine. On-page SEO maintenance allows you to mitigate these risks.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Conduct post-update website audits:
  • ensure there are no broken links, loading errors, and missing meta tags;
• Monitor indexing and crawling issues:
  • avoid accidental “noindex” tags that can impact your crawlability;
• Check content relevance & structure:
  • ensure your content targets the right keywords and maintains readability;
• Preserve backlink value:
  • URL changes and deleted pages can lead to lost backlinks, so protect your links.

There are many other ways to consider, but these are some of the key steps to mitigate risks.

4. Monitoring backlinks

Backlinks are one of the key factors that signal your website’s authority to search engines. High-quality links from websites with a high DA and DR will positively impact your positions. However, low-quality and spammy links damage your SEO. That’s why it’s essential to disavow harmful backlinks.

SEO G.O.A.T.’s guide provides a step-by-step explanation that will help you get rid of low-quality backlinks in a matter of minutes. Make sure to save this guide for your website’s next audit.

5. Ensuring security against malware

Websites that have malware and are infected by a virus are flagged as “unsafe” by search engines, leading to removal from the SERPs. SEO maintenance is important to ensure you don’t have any issues with your website in terms of security. You can try using Google’s Safe Browsing site status to see whether a website is considered unsafe.

6. Content updates & blog strategy

Regularly updating your website’s content and maintaining a strategic blog are crucial components of monthly SEO maintenance. Fresh content appeals to your audience and signals to search engines that your site is active and relevant, which can positively impact your rankings.

Here’s why content updates and a strong blog strategy are essential:

• Keeping information relevant:
  • Nobody wants to read a 2015 guide in 2025;
  • Information can quickly get outdated;
  • Provide updates whenever possible.
• Targeting new keywords and trends:
  • You might want to make a keyword shift to cover more traffic;
  • Some keywords might become trending.
• Improving indexing frequency:
  • Regular updates lead to additional crawls on your website;
  • This speeds up the indexing process for all your content.

Just make sure your information is always relevant, and that’s when your content will be top-tier.

7. SEO Requires Consistent Development

SEO isn’t a one-time effort. It requires steady, ongoing progress to achieve long-term success and adapt to new trends and challenges. That’s why you must constantly work on building your authority. If you keep a continuous effort, then you’ll be able to reap all the benefits.

What Should Be Included in an SEO Maintenance Package?

According to SEO G.O.A.T.’s maintenance experience, a typical package should include all the features required to keep your website alive and successful. Let’s take a closer look at them in the sheet below.

Feature	Purpose	Description
Monitoring Errors in Google Search Console	Quickly identify and fix issues impacting indexing and site visibility.	Regularly checking Google Search Console for any errors: crawl issues, indexing problems, and security threats. This monitoring ensures that any issues that could harm your rankings are detected early and resolved promptly.
Regular Site Audits	Maintain site health and optimize performance.	Weekly automated audits and monthly in-depth assessments keep your site in top shape. These audits address everything from technical SEO to on-page factors, ensuring your website is consistently optimized and free from any performance issues.
Audits After Major Site Updates	Ensure updates don’t harm SEO performance.	Following any significant changes or updates, your muse conduct specific audits to ensure the changes support SEO goals rather than causing disruptions. This process is essential to maintaining rankings after new content, design changes, or technical updates.
Monthly Link Building	Build authority and stay competitive.	Every month, we work on link-building efforts tailored to your website’s needs and goals. Regular link building helps maintain & boost your position in search rankings, moving you ahead of competitors.
Regular Content Updates and Blog Planning	Keep content relevant and attract new traffic.	Content updates ensure your website provides accurate, timely information. We also create a monthly content plan for your blog to engage readers with valuable, optimized articles. Fresh content keeps your website dynamic, attracting both search engines and users.
SEO Reporting with Key Metrics Tracking	Measure progress and refine strategy.	Our SEO reporting includes tracking critical metrics: traffic, leads, inquiries, and sales conversions. This data helps evaluate performance, refine strategies, and demonstrate ROI. Reports provide insights into which aspects are working and where improvements are needed.
Project Vision Alignment	Adapt SEO to changing business goals.	We meet regularly to discuss your project’s direction, especially if your business model or objectives shift. Aligning SEO with these changes ensures the strategy remains effective and continues supporting overall business goals.

This is a typical SEO maintenance package that is provided by SEO G.O.A.T.’s team for our clients. You shouldn’t expect anything less from your partners. If you’re ready to dedicate to SEO maintenance and increase your website’s results, then book a call with us to discuss your needs.

DIY SEO Maintenance Checklist + Tools

If you’re looking forward to conducting maintenance on your own, we prepared an SEO maintenance checklist for your website. However, we recommend that you check the pros and cons of doing this on your own as there may be some significant differences.

Aspect	DIY Maintenance	Agency-Based Maintenance
Cost	Lower upfront costs, mainly software subscriptions.	Higher upfront and monthly costs, covering agency expertise and premium tools.
Time	Requires significant time commitment for ongoing monitoring, analysis, and updates.	Minimal time investment from the client; the agency handles all aspects of SEO maintenance.
SEO Expertise	Relies on personal knowledge and skills, which may be limited.	Access to a team of SEO specialists with deep expertise and industry insights.
Monitoring & Reporting	Tools like GSC and GA4 provide data, but reporting requires manual setup and analysis.	Agencies provide regular monthly in-depth reports with key metrics, insights, and recommendations for further improvements.
Keyword & Competitor Analysis	Limited to basic or mid-level keyword tracking and competitive insights.	Comprehensive keyword research and competitor analysis, using advanced tools and strategies tailored to the market.
Backlink Management	Ability to disavow spammy links and track some backlinks, but may miss harmful links.	Proactive backlink monitoring and cleanup, along with targeted link-building strategies to improve authority and rankings.
Audits & Technical SEO	Requires performing audits manually or via limited software at regular intervals.	Detailed technical audits, including weekly and monthly checks, handled by experienced professionals for optimal website health.
Content Updates & Strategy	May lack a structured content plan; relies on personal judgment for updates and new topics.	Agencies provide a strategic content plan, targeting high-value keywords and trending topics to drive organic traffic.
Overall Effectiveness	Can achieve basic to moderate SEO improvement; requires significant time, effort, and learning curve.	High effectiveness due to expertise, resources, and comprehensive strategy, leading to more sustainable growth.

If you’re still willing to complete this process regularly on your own, then here’s our SEO maintenance checklist for your website.

1. Google Search Console: Your #1 Tool

Google Search Console is a free and powerful tool for tracking & managing key SEO metrics.

The primary way to use it is to see the number of clicks, impressions, and CTR for each page and keyword. This data helps you understand which keywords and pages are performing best and where to focus your efforts. It’s basically your holy grail in SEO.

Source: Google Search Console

Search Console has several other use cases:

• Keyword performance: use it to find keywords driving clicks, which pages they’re linked to, and their CTR. Adjust your content strategy to target high-performing keywords;
• Monitoring indexed pages: check the total number of pages indexed by Google. For pages that aren’t indexed, investigate why and resolve issues such as crawl errors or “noindex” tags;
• Sitemap management: submit and update your sitemap in GSC to ensure new content is indexed;
• Backlink monitoring: find spammy or low-quality backlinks, and disavow them to maintain a clean link profile;
• Manual actions: check whether you have penalties that might be affecting your rankings. GSC will provide you with a list of recovery steps if you’ve got some issues.

2. Google Analytics 4

GA4 provides insights into how users interact with your website, helping you track key events and conversions. While it still doesn’t include heatmaps, you’ll find many other useful features in it.

Source: Google Analytics

Google Analytics 4 is most useful for:

• Setting up key events: define and track events that reflect user actions important to your business. These include leads, subscriptions, and sales.
• User behavior insights: analyze user journeys, popular pages, bounce rates, and average session duration to optimize content and improve user experience.

If you run a service or SaaS business, monitor the number of leads or subscriptions. For e-commerce, track the number of purchases. These are the most valuable metrics for your business models.

3. LookerStudio

Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) allows you to create unified reports by combining data from GSC, GA4, and other sources. It works just like Google Docs, Google Sheets, and all workspace tools. 

Source: LookerStudio

SEO G.O.A.T.’s team developed a custom reporting sheet that includes all necessary metrics & insights for your website. Book a consultation with our experts to get this template for free!

Book a free consultation

4. Semrush

Semrush is an all-in-one tool for in-depth site audits, keyword tracking, and competitor analysis. You can choose the tool’s minimum package for $139/month to conduct a full-fledged audit, pick the most suitable keywords, and get all data to enhance your website’s performance.

Source: SEMrush

SEO G.O.A.T.’s team can help you set up a project to track primary keywords, monitoring performance and adjusting your strategy based on results. Leave this job to our experts and focus on what’s more important: growing your business.

5. Ahrefs

Ahrefs provides similar services to Semrush, but it is particularly effective for monitoring backlinks and tracking keyword performance. The minimum package costs $129/month and helps you get a ton of useful features for your website.

Source: Ahrefs

Ahrefs is most useful for:

• Backlink quality monitoring;
• Keyword position tracking;
• Competitor keyword analysis.

6. PageSpeed Insights

Google’s PageSpeed Insights helps assess and improve your website’s loading speed and overall user experience. Use it to determine technical issues with your website that affect its speed. You’ll see how real users experience the website and get a general report on performance issues for your developers to fix.

Source: PageSpeed Insights

What’s the Average SEO Maintenance Cost in 2025?

The cost of monthly SEO maintenance varies depending on the scope of work, competition level in the niche, and your SEO partner. Here’s a table with approximate average market prices.

Service Level	Average Monthly Costs
Basic SEO Maintenance	$2,500+
Advanced SEO Maintenance	$5,000+
Full-Scale SEO Maintenance	$7,500+

SEO G.O.A.T.’s team provides full-scale SEO maintenance packages for websites in any niche, starting from $3,000 per month. This package brings your business the following benefits:

• Technical audits;
• Content optimization;
• Link building;
• Monitoring and reporting;
• Custom services that you won’t find anywhere else.

We also have specialized link building packages if your goal is to increase your backlink profile with high-quality websites. Get a detailed estimate in your free consultation, where you’ll find answers to all your questions. Book a call today!

Why Choose SEO G.O.A.T. for Your SEO Maintenance Services?

SEO G.O.A.T.’s team is your perfect choice to get a combination of an expert background and modern tools. Our team has 4+ years of experience and 100+ successful projects, proven by our 5/5 rating on Clutch. 

You will stop playing the guessing game with us: we work with real data, experience, and facts. Partner with our professionals today to get maintenance, high-quality backlinks, and all kinds of SEO services.

Start Growing Your Website Traffic Today!

Hop on a call with our SEO expert and get a custom plan tailor to your needs!

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