Although teamwork and collaboration are important parts of any business or enterprise, when it comes to SEO, it’s best to leave it to one person or one team. I’ve had problems in the past with having too many cooks in the SEO kitchen, and it’s made me appreciate the importance of taking a holistic and unified approach from start to finish.
One time, a client wanted some help with their website. They had a long-standing contract with a different web and SEO group, but they needed more results. I thought we could just augment their SEO in a few areas where we are particularly strong, like video SEO and social media.
While it’s worked well most of the time, there were some unfortunate missteps. For instance, I worked hard to get our client ranked for a high-traffic keyword. We had just begun to show up on the front page of Google, when the other group decided to change the way the URLs were optimized. With that link now going to a 404 error, we were soon buried in the search once again.
Frustrating communication failures like these can also occur in other situations. Search engine optimization specialists often have to interface with separate web development and web design teams. Sometimes SEO specialists will find themselves working at cross-purposes with the very clients they are trying to help.
Here are a few steps to avoid the confusion:
1. Establish a chain of command
Decide from the beginning of a project who will have the final say on SEO decisions. This way, you can still delegate tasks and work collaboratively, but if there is a conflict on how to proceed it can be resolved quickly.
2. Develop an SEO strategy document
Have a road map and timeline for what you want to accomplish. Make sure to sit down with all the different groups and gather their input. Write up a detailed SEO strategy for implementation and make sure everybody sees it and feels good about it.
3. Focus on the essential
Some aspects of SEO are cut and dried, but many areas require a much more adaptive stance. Remember that there is more than one way to get things done. If someone from a different group feel strongly about doing it a certain way, and it doesn’t conflict with anything essential, then let them do it. Be flexible whenever possible and keep your focus on the bottom-line for the client.
4. Resolve communication issues quickly
Don’t let things fester and get weird. As soon as something goes wrong, address it in an assertive and sensitive way.
5. Cut the ego out
At every stage, ask yourself if your decisions are in the client’s best interest. Often working with other groups creates a natural sense of competition, which can be detrimental. Keep your ego in check.
If you are a client looking for SEO, this can also be helpful information for you. Make sure you pick groups that can follow these steps and work well together. If possible, try to avoid complicated collaborations all together. Look for web and SEO companies that can provide a holistic and unified approach using in-house people. Make sure to ask your SEO company what programming language they are used to working in and quiz them on their overall strategy and approach. This way you can avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen.