Getting a service business set up on SEO Autopilot is not a migration and not a dev project. It is a short wizard: tell us where you work and what you want to rank for, find your listing on Google, point one DNS record at our edge, and run a baseline scan. This guide walks through each screen exactly as it appears the first time you open the app, so you know what to expect before you start.
How to set up SEO Autopilot step by step
- Welcome + get started: open the app with your client slug; a new account shows the 5-screen setup wizard instead of the dashboard.
- Where you serve: type your city and pick it from the autocomplete list, then enter the main service you want to rank for.
- Find your business on Google: search your business name and pick your listing; we pull in your website and phone automatically.
- Connect your website: add one CNAME record (Name www, Value the edge target) at your DNS provider, then hit Verify connection.
- Run your first scan: get a baseline of on-page health, live Map Pack rank and load speed, then continue into your dashboard.
Why we ask for your city and keyword first
The second screen asks two things: your city (from an autocomplete list) and the main service you want to rank for, like "emergency plumber" or "AC repair." This is not busywork. The city is how we find your exact Google listing in the next step instead of a business with the same name three states away, and it is what we use to check your live Google Map Pack position. Picking your city from the list, rather than typing it freehand, is what makes the business search accurate. You can add a phone number too, but it is optional.
Finding your listing, or entering it by hand
On the "Find your business on Google" screen you search your name and pick your listing from the results. When you pick it, we read the website and phone Google has on file so you do not retype them. Two things worth knowing: if your business shows up but Google has no website on file, we ask you to add the site address, because that is the set of pages Autopilot will work on. And if nothing matches, there is a plain "enter your details manually" path so you are never stuck. Picking the listing does not touch your Google Business Profile; we only read public details.
The one DNS change, and what it does not do
Connecting is a single CNAME record. Set the Name to www and the Value to the edge target shown on screen (there is a Copy button so you do not fat-finger it), then click Verify connection. If you run on a root domain with no "www," add the same value as an ALIAS or ANAME on @, or tell us and we will handle it. This is worth being clear about: pointing that record puts your site behind our edge as a reverse proxy. We read your existing pages and serve an upgraded copy with schema, internal links and speed fixes baked into the HTML Google actually sees. Nothing is installed on your site. If the edge ever errors, it fails open and serves your original page. Delete the record and you revert instantly, with no data held hostage. SSL is set up for you once the connection is verified.
Ready to point one record and see the baseline?
Open the workspace, run the setup wizard, and get your on-page health, live Map Pack rank and load speed in one scan.
Open SEO Autopilot →Book a free call → New here? See what SEO Autopilot does →The first scan is your starting line
The last screen runs a quick baseline: an on-page health score, your live Google Map Pack position for the keyword and city you entered, and your load speed measured as LCP. Treat these as the numbers you will watch move as Autopilot's modules do their work, not as a guarantee of a specific ranking by a specific date. Nobody can honestly promise that. If DNS has not propagated yet, you can still finish, choose "I'll do this later" on the connect step, and the edge upgrades kick in once the record is live and verified. Either way, once you hit "Go to my dashboard" you land in the full workspace: Overview, Modules, Change log, the content Approval queue, and Measurement.
FAQ
How long does onboarding take?
The wizard itself takes about 3 minutes. The one part outside your control is DNS: the CNAME change usually goes live within minutes but can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate.
Will connecting my site change or break anything?
No. SEO Autopilot sits in front of your existing site as a reverse proxy and reads it to serve an upgraded copy. Nothing is installed on your site, and if the edge ever errors it fails open and serves your original page untouched. Remove the DNS record and you revert instantly.
What if I can't do the DNS change right now?
Every blocking step has an escape hatch. On the Connect screen you can choose "I'll do this later" and still finish setup and reach your dashboard. Autopilot's edge upgrades start once the CNAME is live and verified.
What if my business doesn't show up in the Google search step?
You can enter your business name and website manually. If Google has a listing but no website on file, we ask you to add the site address so we know which pages to work on.
What does the first scan actually measure?
It runs a quick baseline: an on-page health score, your live Google Map Pack position for the keyword and city you entered, and your load speed (LCP). These are your starting numbers to watch improve over time, not a promise of a specific ranking by a specific date.