If you’re a nonprofit communicator juggling 10 tools, 3 hats, and one stressed-out calendar, here’s some relief: SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a smart SEO checklist, your nonprofit website can start ranking higher on search engines—without adding a full-time job to your plate. Remember, 91% of clicks from Google Search go to the results on the first page, so optimizing your site is crucial.
Aspire Catalyst brings extensive experience advising nonprofits on SEO, helping organizations like yours improve their online presence and achieve their missions.
Whether you’re prepping for an upcoming campaign or just want to boost your online visibility, remember that nonprofit SEO is a long-term play that requires ongoing effort and patience. This checklist will cover key strategies to help you create a solid SEO foundation—starting today.
What is SEO for Nonprofits? (A Quick Introduction)
Search engine optimization (SEO) for nonprofits is all about making your organization easier to find online. By using proven SEO strategies—like keyword research, creating high quality content, and optimizing technical elements—nonprofit organizations can improve their search engine rankings and reach more people searching for causes to support. Nonprofit SEO isn’t just about getting more website visitors; it’s about raising awareness for your mission and building trust with your community.
A successful nonprofit SEO strategy starts with understanding search intent: what are people looking for when they search for services or information related to your cause? By answering those questions with quality content, optimizing page titles and meta descriptions, and using internal links to guide visitors through your site, you can boost your online visibility and connect with supporters when it matters most. In short, SEO helps your nonprofit show up in search results, so you can make a bigger impact—one search at a time.
Setting Up Google Services for Nonprofits
Google offers a powerful suite of services designed to help nonprofits boost their search engine rankings and connect with more supporters. Start by setting up Google My Business to ensure your organization appears in local search results and on Google Maps. Next, use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track website traffic, monitor search engine performance, and uncover opportunities to improve your site.
One of the biggest advantages for nonprofits is the Google Ad Grant, which provides up to $10,000 per month in free advertising credits. This allows you to promote your mission, events, and donation opportunities directly in Google search results—driving more targeted traffic to your website. Additionally, Google’s nonprofit program gives you access to tools like Google Workspace for collaboration and the YouTube Nonprofit Program to amplify your message through video. By leveraging these Google services, your nonprofit can strengthen its online presence, reach new audiences, and maximize the impact of every search.
✅ 1. Run a Quick SEO Audit (Free Tools Edition)
Start with a basic SEO audit checklist to spot obvious gaps. Search engines use crawling and indexing to determine which websites to display in search results based on relevance and user-friendliness. Use tools like:
- Google Search Console (track search queries and clicks)
- Google PageSpeed Insights (check mobile usability and page speed)
- Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (analyze backlinks and search performance)
- Yoast SEO or AIOSEO (for WordPress sites)
Google Analytics and Google Search Console can also help you measure progress over time by tracking key metrics and evaluating the impact of your SEO efforts.
Look at things like:
- Missing or duplicate title tags and meta descriptions
- Site speed issues (especially on mobile devices)
- Broken internal links
- Crawl errors or redirects
- Checking your top pages to identify which ones get the most traffic
💡 Want help conducting your audit? Aspire Catalyst offers affordable SEO audits tailored for nonprofit websites.
✅ 2. Optimize Title Tags & Meta Descriptions on High-Impact Pages
Check your top 10 pages by traffic. Are their:
- Page titles short, clear, and keyword-rich?
- Meta descriptions compelling, under 160 characters, and accurately summarizing the page’s content?
- Main search term used naturally? Using keywords naturally in headings, titles, and throughout the content is essential for SEO.
- Page titles short, clear, and keyword-rich?
- Meta descriptions compelling and under 160 characters?
- Main search term used naturally?
This boosts your search engine results pages (SERPs) presence immediately—especially on pages that already get traction and helps improve visibility in organic search results.
🔗 Pro Tip: Let our SEO content team optimize your existing content for better rankings and higher clicks.
✅ 3. Create a Keyword-Optimized Blog Post
Choose one of your key services or campaigns. Now create content by writing a blog post using the right keywords that match your audience’s search intent. High-quality, search-friendly content is essential for attracting the right audience and improving your SEO results.
Your blog post should directly answer the searcher’s query, providing relevant and valuable information that meets their needs.
Try tools like:
- Ubersuggest (for keyword research)
- AnswerThePublic (for question-based queries)
- Google Trends (to monitor topic interest)
Not sure how to write it? We write nonprofit blogs with impact + SEO in mind. Check out our storytelling-first approach.
✅ 4. Add Internal Links to Older High-Traffic Content
Have an old blog that still gets website visitors? Link it to a new donation or volunteer page. Internal links help rank pages higher and guide visitors to action.
Need help with this? Our content audits identify key internal link opportunities.
✅ 5. Compress Images & Add Alt Text
Slow pages = lower search rankings. Fix this by:
- Compressing large images
- Adding image alt text that includes your SEO keywords
Page speed is a definitive ranking factor in Google Search, so addressing these issues is critical. Make sure your site loads quickly by:
- Compressing large images
- Adding image alt text that includes your SEO keywords
This improves page speed and accessibility—a win-win. If your site isn’t loading quickly, it’s time for a technical SEO tune-up.
✅ 6. Make Your Site Mobile Friendly (Especially Donation Pages)
More than 50% of online search traffic comes from mobile. Test your site for mobile usability and make sure it loads quickly, buttons are tap-friendly, and forms are easy to complete. Google’s mobile-first index ranks search results based primarily on the mobile version of a site’s content, making mobile optimization essential.
🌐 Is your site mobile-first? If not, let us help. We build mobile-optimized websites for nonprofits.
✅ 7. Update Your Contact & Location Info (Local SEO)
Want to rank for “food pantry near me” or “free tutoring in San Diego”? Then you need local SEO. Make sure your Google Business Profile is claimed and optimized, and that your address and contact info are consistent across directories, your website, and your social channels. Ensure your contact page is easy to find and well-organized to help visitors quickly access your contact information and improve your site’s SEO. Encouraging reviews from volunteers and donors can also positively impact your local SEO rankings.
Need a local SEO strategy? Book a free consult and we’ll show you how to get found locally.
✅ 8. Add Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Structured data helps Google understand your pages better. It can improve visibility for events, FAQs, donations, and more. Sitemaps also play a crucial role in helping crawlers find and index content in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Not sure how to add it? We handle schema markup and SEO configuration for nonprofits.
✅ 9. Get 1–2 High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks from trusted websites tell search engines your site is reputable. Earning backlinks from other sites and other websites, especially those with high authority, is essential if you want to rank highly in search results. Reach out to partners or submit guest articles to sector blogs. Creating high-quality, trustworthy content is vital for ranking well in search results and attracting these backlinks.
🌍 Aspire Catalyst helps with ethical, white-hat link building through our SEO packages.
✅ 10. Install SSL & Improve Site Security
Google prioritizes secure sites. If your site doesn’t have HTTPS, you’re losing trust and traffic. SEO for nonprofits also requires technical measures such as ensuring accessibility for all users.
Check for:
- An active SSL certificate
- Secure donation forms
- No mixed content errors
🚀 Not sure where to begin? Our team can audit and secure your site fast.
📊 Bonus: Use Google Ad Grants to Amplify Your Reach
Did you know nonprofits can get $10,000/month in Google Ads for free? That’s the Google Ad Grant—and we’re experts at managing it. Nonprofits need to update their content regularly to maintain credibility and improve SEO, ensuring their ads remain effective.
Explore our off-page SEO services and drive targeted traffic to your donation pages.
📃 FAQ: Nonprofit SEO Essentials
How much does SEO cost for a nonprofit?
SEO pricing varies. Free tools can help you start, while agency support like Aspire Catalyst typically ranges from $500 to $2,000/month depending on scope and goals.
Is SEO worth it anymore?
Absolutely. SEO delivers long-term traffic and is one of the highest-ROI channels for nonprofits looking to raise awareness and boost donations. It is a long-term investment that requires consistent effort and adaptation to changes in search trends.
What is the 80/20 rule of SEO?
Focus 80% of your efforts on the 20% of actions that produce results: keyword research, content updates, and ethical link building.
What should an SEO audit include?
It should evaluate:
- On-page elements: title tags, meta descriptions, keyword usage
- Technical performance: site speed, mobile usability, SSL status
- Link structure: internal and external links
- Content quality and accessibility
Why is SEO important for nonprofits?
Because people are searching every day for causes to support, services to access, and communities to join. Strong SEO ensures your nonprofit shows up when it matters most.
🔗 Sources & Further Reading
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
- Donorbox Blog: SEO for Nonprofits
- AIOSEO: Nonprofit SEO Tips
- Candid Blog: Nonprofit SEO 101
- Nonprofit Megaphone: SEM and SEO for Nonprofits
- Content Marketing Institute: SEO Statistics
Check out these resources for more tips on nonprofit SEO.
Final Thought: Start With Quick Wins. Scale With a Partner.
This nonprofit SEO checklist gives you 10 fast, actionable wins to increase online visibility. But if you’re juggling multiple roles, don’t go it alone.
Aspire Catalyst specializes in search engine optimization for nonprofits—from audits to content to strategy. Whether you need a one-time SEO sprint or ongoing growth support, we’re here to help you raise awareness, attract supporters, and amplify your mission.
📅 Ready to build momentum? Schedule a free impact audit today.
Let’s make your mission discoverable—one search result at a time.
