The 40-Point Marketing Channel Checklist

By User Flows Team · March 2026 · 5 min read

Here are 40 things you should be checking across your five core marketing channels. Use this as a quick self-assessment. If you're missing more than a third of these, you're leaving money on the table. For the full scoring framework with rubrics and benchmarks, see our complete marketing audit guide.

Paid Search (8 checks)

• Campaigns organized by intent or product line
• Ad groups have tight keyword themes (15-20 max)
• Covering brand, competitor, and non-brand terms
• Negative keyword lists maintained and reviewed weekly
• RSAs with 10+ unique headlines per ad group
• Dedicated landing pages per campaign theme
• Conversion tracking verified and accurate
• Budget allocated by performance, not legacy

Go deeper: 25-point SEO audit checklist

SEO (8 checks)

• Site crawlable with no critical errors in Google Search Console
• Core Web Vitals passing on mobile
• Target keywords mapped to specific pages
• Publishing new content at least twice a month
• Internal linking structure supports key pages
• Backlink profile competitive for your space
• Schema markup implemented on key page types
• Google Business Profile optimized (if applicable)

Go deeper: Social media audit template with scoring

Social Media (6 checks)

• Active only on platforms where your audience actually is
• Using platform-native formats (Reels, Stories, carousels)
• Responding to comments and DMs within 24 hours
• Running paid social with proper pixel/CAPI tracking
• Retargeting audiences built and active
• Creative refreshed at least monthly

Go deeper: 20-check email marketing audit

Email & CRM (8 checks)

• Email capture on site (popup, embedded form, or gated content)
• List growing month over month
• Segmented beyond just "all subscribers"
• Welcome series automated (3-5 emails)
• Lifecycle flows running (abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back)
• Campaign cadence of at least every two weeks
• SPF, DKIM, DMARC properly configured
• A/B testing subject lines and send times

Conversion Rate Optimization (8 checks)

• Page load under 3 seconds
• Mobile experience is first-class, not an afterthought
• Product/service pages have compelling copy with benefits
• Primary CTA stands out and is above the fold
• Checkout flow has minimal friction and few form fields
• Trust signals visible (reviews, security badges, return policy)
• Personalized content for returning visitors
• Running A/B tests at least monthly

How did you do?

35-40 checks: You're in great shape. Focus on optimizing, not fixing.

25-34 checks: Solid foundation with clear improvement areas.

15-24 checks: Significant gaps. Prioritize by channel impact.

Under 15: Start with the basics. Pick your top 2 channels and build from there.

Want a structured scoring framework for each channel? Use our digital marketing audit template to grade every channel from A to F.