Leading an SEO team is often more than challenging, especially today when there is so much competition and there isn’t much space for making mistakes. Another reason why it’s sometimes difficult to lead this kind of team is that SEO specialists are both technical and creative people, which is a blessing, but it’s sometimes challenging to keep them on the right track.
Still, there is no need to worry since you will be able to optimize the SEO team the same way they optimize a page with the proper skills and strategies. Therefore, let’s get into the do’s and don’ts when it comes to leading a successful SEO team.
Things You Should Definitely Practice
Provide Proper Tools
Every department relies on various tools it uses to get the work done. Still, SEO requires specific tools that it’s impossible to avoid, such as Google Analytics, if you want to make their job much more accessible and far more efficient. Therefore, always be sure that you are spending your money properly, and invest in software that SEO professionals can use to perform at the highest level.
Furthermore, it’s wise to also invest in tools that aren’t so directly connected with SEO, like communication systems and project management. You can use Slack to streamline communication around different marketing strategies and Asana or Clickup to allow them to share project files, status updates, etc. Whether your team is making an eCommerce SEO audit checklist or finding the best way to boost some clients’ sites, it doesn’t matter; they need proper tools in every case.
Make Everyone Focused on the End-Goal
Every time you have to start any project, it’s vital that every member of your SEO team understands the right goal and is on the same page. This focus applies to many things such as objectives, processes, smaller goals, etc.
In a lot of ways, SEO is one of the biggest cross-departmental channels in one company or organization, and all the outputs and inputs affect various departments such as social media, paid media, content, web development, and so on. Therefore, since so many employees are involved in the process, it is sometimes challenging to be sure whether everyone understands the end goal and what has to be done. That’s why having regular meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page is vital for building an excellent SEO strategy.
Give Praise When It’s Deserved
Giving praise to someone who deserves it is more than essential. This aspect applies even more in an SEO environment since results oftentimes aren’t viewable for a couple of months. And everyone likes to receive praise, even when they act like it’s not a big deal. Be sure that once you walk away, they will inform someone important to them that they were being praised for their work.
Furthermore, when you recognize SEO team members for their hard work, they will become even more motivated and achieve even better results. You have to remember that it’s valuable to invest in employee progress, and this attitude shows other team members that if they work hard enough, they will receive recognition as well.
Aspects You Shouldn’t Ever Use
Micromanaging
In essence, don’t micromanage since, as mentioned above, SEO professionals are both creative and technical, which means they take pride in their work. They love to take ownership of their individual work, and if you have been guilty of micromanaging before, now is the time to make a change in your management.
SEO members are independent and intelligent, so they will probably not respond nicely if you are commenting all the time. Therefore, be conscious of this aspect and know when they can run things to avoid tension in the process.
Ignoring Your SEO Team’s Feelings
In many types of businesses, there is a wrong attitude that emotions should be kept out of the working environment, and this is true to a certain level. Still, there is no denying that everyone has feelings about certain aspects of the work.
That’s why it is genuinely a bad idea to ignore your SEO team’s feelings right away, so you should make time to listen to those issues and act on them if there is genuinely a need for that. You always have to remember that your team members are humans, not robots.
Taking Credit for Everything
Last but not least, don’t take all the credit for your team’s success. If your SEO team does well, you mustn’t take personal credit for all of it since most members will realize your bad intentions, and they will resent you and your style of work.
Instead, it would be best to give credit to everyone and always present success as a team working merit, so take time to credit the entire team, and they will appreciate you. Don’t forget that excellent leaders are vital to achieving team success.