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Alright as promised, here are the abridged 4 lessons l've learned building an SEO program from the ground up.
First, if you helped me along my crazy path of starting an SEO program or mentoring me at all, thank you. A lot of ppl have helped me along the way.
To the lessons...
First, if you helped me along my crazy path of starting an SEO program or mentoring me at all, thank you. A lot of ppl have helped me along the way.
To the lessons...
Context not content is king.
When I started the SEO program at my former company, I’d previously done content strategy/SEO for a Fortune 100 company in a doer role.
I thought I knew everything. While I did know a bit about SEO, I had no context as to how my new organization...
When I started the SEO program at my former company, I’d previously done content strategy/SEO for a Fortune 100 company in a doer role.
I thought I knew everything. While I did know a bit about SEO, I had no context as to how my new organization...
ran and operated. I immediately tried to make sweeping content, technology and organizational changes.
Despite SEO generating millions more in revenue and traffic my first year, I wasn’t regarded as a hero. I had burned a lot of bridges with my peers to get those results...
Despite SEO generating millions more in revenue and traffic my first year, I wasn’t regarded as a hero. I had burned a lot of bridges with my peers to get those results...
because I didn’t take the time to learn how the company functioned, why we did the things we did or how to solve problems through collaboration.
This set our program back probably two years from where it should be, because in year two, I had to focus all of my time on fixing...
This set our program back probably two years from where it should be, because in year two, I had to focus all of my time on fixing...
relationships, not “doing the SEO.”
My advice to anyone starting an in-house program: take the time to understand why your organization thinks the way they do, ask questions instead of dictating answers and get to know your peers across other disciplines first...
My advice to anyone starting an in-house program: take the time to understand why your organization thinks the way they do, ask questions instead of dictating answers and get to know your peers across other disciplines first...
Project Your Impact
One of the most frustrating parts of SEO for a C-Suite or VP is the same old question of “if we do x, what is going to be the ROI?” It depends, right?
Most SEOs aren’t able to answer this question. Because of this, budgets and resources tend to favor...
One of the most frustrating parts of SEO for a C-Suite or VP is the same old question of “if we do x, what is going to be the ROI?” It depends, right?
Most SEOs aren’t able to answer this question. Because of this, budgets and resources tend to favor...
Paid media channels. Senior leaders understand advertising more than they understand SEO.
If you are running an in-house SEO program, you have to get good at projected impact. I credit @JeremyRiveraSEO for for teaching me the value of projections...
If you are running an in-house SEO program, you have to get good at projected impact. I credit @JeremyRiveraSEO for for teaching me the value of projections...
If you haven’t checked out his project on SEOArcade, you should. https://seoarcade.com/
The formula for projecting your SEO ROI is easy:
search volume x average click through rate per position x CVR x value of that conversion x 12 (for annualized projections).
There’s adjustments you can make like seasonality etc, but that’s 70% of the way there and a whole lot..
search volume x average click through rate per position x CVR x value of that conversion x 12 (for annualized projections).
There’s adjustments you can make like seasonality etc, but that’s 70% of the way there and a whole lot..
better than “it depends”. If you rank for x keyword in position 3, you will generate x amount of revenue per year.
That’s what VPs want.
Make a spreadsheet of all of the terms you are trying to rank for and take it to anyone who will listen. That's how you build influence...
That’s what VPs want.
Make a spreadsheet of all of the terms you are trying to rank for and take it to anyone who will listen. That's how you build influence...
Use Keywords to Make Business Decisions
Have you ever seen a preview of a product or a piece of content and knew it wasn’t going to resonate with consumers? I know I have.
As an SEO, you have an incredible opportunity to help businesses understand how people talk...
Have you ever seen a preview of a product or a piece of content and knew it wasn’t going to resonate with consumers? I know I have.
As an SEO, you have an incredible opportunity to help businesses understand how people talk...
about their problems, the intent behind those problems and what your organization can do to fix those problems.
Sometimes the answer is content, sometimes it’s a landing page, but if you are looking for the true payoff look no further than product/service ideation...
Sometimes the answer is content, sometimes it’s a landing page, but if you are looking for the true payoff look no further than product/service ideation...
If you're offering a product that fixes a problem customers don’t even know they have, you aren’t going to have a successful product. If you launch a bunch of content to promote said product, you aren’t going to have a successful content strategy because business intent and...
user intent don’t intersect.
My advice for in-house SEOs: get to know your product and your business development people. Once you’ve established trust, you can bring your observations to the table and help your organization reach a much wider audience by launching products or...
My advice for in-house SEOs: get to know your product and your business development people. Once you’ve established trust, you can bring your observations to the table and help your organization reach a much wider audience by launching products or...
services people will actually crave.
SEO has always been 2 parts psychology and 1 part technical. If you are leaning in too hard on the technical, you are missing an opportunity to have a greater impact on your company.
Thinking this way makes you more than just the head of...
SEO has always been 2 parts psychology and 1 part technical. If you are leaning in too hard on the technical, you are missing an opportunity to have a greater impact on your company.
Thinking this way makes you more than just the head of...
SEO, it makes you a strategic partner across multiple disciplines. You'll become more engrained in your organization's strategic planning.
Hire People Better than You
The quirky brilliance of the person who starts up an in-house SEO program only goes so far. I believe...
Hire People Better than You
The quirky brilliance of the person who starts up an in-house SEO program only goes so far. I believe...
it is your job to hire people better than you.
I’ve learned a lot of leaders are fearful their employees are going to outshine them. This causes them to lead out of fear rather than out love.
What a massive mistake.
I’d argue, if your employees are getting more kudos than...
I’ve learned a lot of leaders are fearful their employees are going to outshine them. This causes them to lead out of fear rather than out love.
What a massive mistake.
I’d argue, if your employees are getting more kudos than...
you, you’ve done your job as a leader.
You need to hire people who are going to grow the discipline far greater than you ever could alone and you shouldn’t be afraid of that.
I was fortunate enough to have a brilliant team of SEOs. Each of them are going to be rockstars...
You need to hire people who are going to grow the discipline far greater than you ever could alone and you shouldn’t be afraid of that.
I was fortunate enough to have a brilliant team of SEOs. Each of them are going to be rockstars...
in this industry.
As a leader of a program, you need to make sure of two things: that you’ve put your people in positions to grow their passions and that they to grow beyond you in each of those areas.
Eventually, if you’ve done your job right, your team...
As a leader of a program, you need to make sure of two things: that you’ve put your people in positions to grow their passions and that they to grow beyond you in each of those areas.
Eventually, if you’ve done your job right, your team...
should be given the keys to the SEO bus. You should be either in a higher position in the same company or you’ve earned the opportunity to go somewhere else and start something new.
In this way, the cycle can start again...
In this way, the cycle can start again...
If you hire people better than you, you leave a legacy rather than a vacancy.
Lastly I want to thank @_aaronc @JeremyRiveraSEO @henshaw @laurentracy_ @BKsearch5 @BriannaMooreSEO @HereForTheSEO @AlexRatynski @Kammie_Jenkins @dohertyjf among others, for helping me become a better SEO.
Hope you enjoyed the read!
Hope you enjoyed the read!
