Results-Driven SEO Project Management: From Chaos to Cash

4 months ago 32

Making a nett successful SEO relies connected bully task management. That means doing things that get results alternatively than conscionable drowning yourself successful endless tasks.

Below, I’ll locomotion you done a 7-step process to bash precisely that.

1. Set an achievable SEO extremity wrong the project’s budget

Having wide goals keeps your squad unified toward a circumstantial direction. For example, if your brag allocates $5,000/month for the SEO project, you request to construe this into meaningful results and milestones you tin study on. 

A extremity you tin easy acceptable is to summation the website’s integrated postulation value. This is simply a metric unsocial to Ahrefs that estimates a dollar worth of SEO traffic. 

Ahrefs' integrated  postulation   worth  metric

If you put $5,000/month successful SEO for six months, you could purpose to summation your website’s integrated postulation worth by $30,000 ($5,000 ✕ 6 months). 

This isn’t the astir close method due to the fact that postulation worth doesn’t needfully correlate with real-world revenues, but it works arsenic an casual starting constituent for mounting targets. 

A amended solution is to usage conversion information and mean bid oregon woody worth to acceptable goals astir delivering a instrumentality connected investment. You tin find these metrics successful your analytics tool, similar Google Analytics, if conversion tracking is set up: 

Tracking conversion complaint   and mean  bid   worth  successful  Google Analytics.

Sidenote.

If you don’t person entree to conversion metrics similar this, to beryllium conservative, usage 1% arsenic a ballpark conversion complaint and the cheapest merchandise oregon work terms for the mean order value.

Using these metrics, you tin cipher the fig of income needed to interruption adjacent connected the SEO campaign.

# of monthly income to interruption adjacent = monthly SEO outgo mean order value 

Since this project’s monthly SEO outgo is $5,000, we’ll request to turn income from integrated postulation by 32.25 for each period of the project’s duration. 

Here’s the look to observe astir however overmuch postulation oregon projected integrated sessions you’ll need: 

projected integrated sessions = transactions needed to interruption adjacent conversion rate

So successful this example, we disagreement 32.25 transactions by the conversion complaint of 0.86% to larn that we request astatine slightest 3,750 integrated monthly sessions to interruption even. Of course, not each postulation is created equal, truthful support that successful caput going forward. 

So far, truthful good! (Save this number, we’ll request it successful a moment). 

2. Make definite you tin realistically present ROI implicit the task timeline

In galore cases, the timeline volition beryllium decided for you by your brag oregon client. For instance, if you instrumentality connected a lawsuit with a six-month contract, that’s the timeframe successful which you mostly person to present results. 

The question astatine this signifier is whether it’s imaginable to scope your show extremity successful that time. 

Truthfully, there’s nary mode to cognize for sure, but you tin look to your competitors for an idea. 

Sure, you person nary thought what their SEO budgets are (they could beryllium spending 10x what you are), but if you spot aggregate competitors of a akin caliber getting akin results implicit a akin timeframe, that’s a good sign. 

For instance, successful its archetypal six months of SEO, Webflow reached conscionable shy of 24,000 integrated monthly traffic, with a postulation worth of $76,510 (according to Ahrefs). 

Webflow's SEO show  successful  the archetypal  6 months.

By comparison, Duda’s first-year show is besides reasonably adjacent to Webflow’s.

Duda's SEO show  successful  the archetypal  6 months.

So, if these are your competitors and your people is to scope a postulation worth of $30,000 successful six months oregon to summation monthly postulation by 3,750 sessions, it surely seems achievable. 

If you don’t spot competitors hitting your people successful your timeframe similar this, you’ll request to rethink your goals and pass them to cardinal stakeholders. Communication is captious for mounting the close expectations with your brag oregon clients. 

3. Plan wide actions that straight lend to success

Now that you’ve acceptable an achievable extremity for the task timeline, the adjacent measurement is to program what tasks really request to beryllium done to get you there. 

You’ll request to walk immoderate clip connected strategical tasks to assistance you find the close implementations for the project. 

Don’t beryllium tempted to skip this part!! 

If you don’t walk capable clip connected strategical tasks similar rival analysis, keyword research, and auditing the existent website, nary substance however overmuch enactment you take, it’ll beryllium useless if you’re heading successful the incorrect direction. 

But don’t overdo it, either. You request to equilibrium strategy with implementation to get results. 

For example, there’s mostly a notable quality successful show betwixt a task that spends 1 period connected strategy and publishes contented ASAP compared to a task that front-loads strategical tasks and implements contented a fewer months later. 

SEO task  absorption   strategy   differences

I urge spending ⅙ of the task timeline connected strategy and ⅚ connected implementation for the champion balance. 

As for what circumstantial tasks you tin plan, determination are galore things you could absorption connected here. The close things for your website volition alteration depending connected your disposable skills and resources, positive what’s moving champion successful your industry… but here’s wherever I’d start, fixed that the people is to summation traffic. 

a) Fill contented gaps

Start by uncovering pages that present postulation to competitors that your website doesn’t have. 

Using Ahrefs’ Competitive Analysis tool, marque definite you prime the “keywords” tab and past participate your website on with a fistful of your apical competitors, like so: 

Adding competitors to Ahrefs' Competitive Analysis study  .

Then cheque retired the results to find topics your competitors person written astir that you haven’t. Make definite you suffice the topics according to what has concern worth for you. 

For instance, let’s look astatine design-related keywords that Wix oregon Squarespace fertile for but Webflow doesn’t.

Finding keywords competitors fertile  for that your website doesn't.

Many of these keywords clasp precise small concern worth for a institution similar Webflow, similar immoderate related to logo makers and generators. However, keywords related to plan trends and principles mightiness beryllium topics Webflow tin see for its blog since designers are a staple portion of its assemblage demographic. 

For topics that person concern value, make caller contented targeting these keywords. 

There tin beryllium a batch of information to sift done here, truthful I urge my contented spread investigation template for a faster and smoother process 😉 

b) Boost authorization of top pages

This task is astir identifying which of your contented is already performing good and sending much interior links and backlinks to those pages. 

You tin find the champion pages to beforehand by utilizing the Top Pages report successful Site Explorer. Here you’ll spot which pages connected your tract get the astir traffic: 

Using Ahrefs' Top Pages study  to rapidly  place  pages with the astir   postulation   connected  your website.

Then, navigate to the Internal Link Opportunities study successful Site Audit. You tin acceptable an precocious filter to constrictive down the opportunities to the pages you attraction astir about. Check retired the suggested anchor substance and keyword contexts and instrumentality each the interior links that marque consciousness successful your content. 

Ahrefs' Internal Link Opportunities report.

You should besides physique backlinks to these pages. You tin usage the Competitive Analysis study again, but this time, acceptable it to referring domains or pages. 

Sidenote.

Setting it to referring domains volition springiness you a database of websites you tin adhd to an outreach list. Setting it to referring pages volition springiness you the nonstop URLs wherever the links to your competitors are. These links tin beryllium included successful outreach messages to marque them much customized.

Also, alternatively of utilizing the homepage, adhd the nonstop leafage you privation to nexus to and comparison it to your competitors’ pages connected the aforesaid topic. Make definite you acceptable each pages to “exact URL” to get the page-level (instead of website-level) backlink data. 

Using Ahrefs' Competitive Analysis study  to find   backlink gaps.

There are galore antithetic backlinking techniques you tin see implementing. Check retired our video connected however to get your archetypal 100 links if you’re unsure wherever to start: 

c) Update contented with low-hanging effect opportunities

For an established website with a decent magnitude of existing content, you tin besides look for opportunities to rapidly update existing contented and boost show with small effort. 

In Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, cheque retired your pages that are already ranking successful positions 4-15 by utilizing Opportunities > Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords: 

Finding debased  hanging effect   keyword successful  Ahrefs.

Find pages with galore keywords successful this scope and effort to adjacent taxable gaps connected those pages. For example, let’s instrumentality our station connected affiliate marketing and look astatine its low-hanging effect opportunities. 

We could isolate akin keywords that don’t already person a dedicated conception successful our article, similar the pursuing astir becoming an affiliate. 

Example of debased  hanging effect   keywords to adhd  to an article.

These are already hovering astir the mediate of leafage 1 connected Google. With a small, dedicated conception astir this topic, we tin apt amended rankings for these keywords with minimal effort. 

4. Create a room of repeatable task templates

Most tasks aren’t a one-time thing. For example, you’ll astir apt make oregon update aggregate pieces of contented during an SEO project. 

So, the adjacent measurement is to make a room of repeatable task templates that you tin duplicate successful your project. 

Example of SEO task   templates utilizing ClickUp.Source: Screenshot taken successful ClickUp

If you don’t bash this and conscionable presume your squad knows what to do, it tin origin chaos, and there’s a precocious accidental your task won’t succeed. 

Here’s what you should adhd to each task template: 

  • Who → assignees, reviewers, watchers, cardinal stakeholders
  • What → what’s the extremity of the task + what precisely needs to be done
  • When → dates to commencement and decorativeness a task, estimated hours to complete
  • Where → what tools should beryllium used, wherever should deliverables beryllium added, wherever tin templates/relevant info be found
  • Why → link the task to a strategical objective
  • How → SOP oregon process outlined successful a wide and elaborate brief

Obviously, the nonstop details for immoderate of these volition request to beryllium filled successful connected a task-by-task ground arsenic you duplicate them into your project. For example, alternatively of assigning the template tasks to a circumstantial person, bespeak the relation that is liable for the task until you’re acceptable to delegate it to someone. 

Likewise, with the owed dates. In the template, alternatively of adding nonstop owed dates, bespeak an estimated magnitude of clip each task should instrumentality and a wide regularisation for erstwhile the task is owed aft it’s been assigned. 

Not each task volition request each task, truthful the thought is to propulsion successful what’s required arsenic needed and person the bulk of the info pre-filled to trim the clip it takes to little the task. 

5. Give your squad ownership of their tasks and processes

With your tasks acceptable and templates created, it’s present clip to commencement doing.

This is wherever things tin often autumn isolated unless you administer work and ownership of tasks and processes passim your team. 

SEO task absorption doesn’t neglect due to the fact that determination aren’t SOPs and processes successful place. It fails due to the fact that the radical executing the processes aren’t fixed ownership of them.

Mads Singers

Here are 3 reasons wherefore this tin happen: 

  1. Without wide ownership, each squad members trust connected you for approvals earlier they tin implicit a task oregon commencement another. It slows everything down, and precise small gets done efficiently.
  2. A “not my job” mentality tin instrumentality basal successful your team. Unless squad members instrumentality ownership of their tasks, you volition beryllium liable for micromanaging everything to guarantee your squad is doing what it’s expected to be.
  3. The radical champion placed to determine upon and update processes aren’t the ones doing so. They’re conscionable doing immoderate “management” tells them to bash adjacent if they spot a amended way.

You tin lick the archetypal 2 problems by intelligibly identifying who is liable for circumstantial tasks and processes and allowing them to get connected with those tasks without having to tally each tiny happening done you. 

You tin lick the 3rd occupation by letting the radical connected the crushed determine however their tasks are done and giving them work for updating SOPs and applicable task templates. This again frees up your clip and attraction to absorption connected strategy, not micromanaging. 

PRO TIP

It besides helps to interruption up bigger tasks into sub-components erstwhile aggregate radical are involved, like: 

  • Briefing → SEO Strategist oregon Account Manager
  • Implementation → often, a non-SEO nonrecreational similar a writer, developer, oregon designer 
  • Review → Senior SEO
  • Final support → Client
Example SEO task  absorption   timeline

6. Choose tools with scalable features and automation

For the emotion of each things good, delight don’t negociate SEO projects via email. It’s horrible. 

Invest successful mounting up a due task absorption instrumentality to standard with you. Consider your needs earlier you commencement readying each your tasks and projects. 

There’s nary instrumentality that’s champion for everyone, but I urge you cheque retired Asana, ClickUp, oregon Monday to get you started. 

In immoderate of these tools, you tin easy acceptable up abstracted projects and task templates. For example, here’s a basal setup of the archetypal month’s tasks you tin see successful Clickup: 

Example of Month 1 SEO tasks created successful  ClickUp.

Within each task, you tin pre-fill definite fields and adhd a description, like so: 

Example of a task   template for SEO task  management.

This is wherever you tin adhd your brief, applicable links, and the indispensable details needed to crook the task into a template. Of course, determination are nuances of however this works betwixt antithetic task absorption tools, but the basal thought remains the same. 

It’s worthy spending clip mounting up your tasks and templates correctly truthful you tin prevention clip down the way arsenic your task oregon team grows. 

7. Measure your resources and results

The past portion of this model is tracking resources spent and results achieved. 

Tracking resources

The easiest mode to way resources is to make customized fields successful your task absorption instrumentality that measurement circumstantial resources allocated for each task. Some tools besides fto you physique retired reports to spot however your assets allocation is going crossed antithetic clip frames, teams, oregon projects. 

The types of resources you mightiness see tracking include: 

  • Cost of the task
  • Planned clip allocated
  • Actual time spent
  • Cost of tools required to bash the task
  • Credits the task is worthy (if you usage a recognition system)
  • Sprint points (if you enactment successful sprints)

For much in-depth insights connected wherever your resources are going, see tagging tasks according to whether they’re strategic, implementation, oregon administrative. This way, you tin rapidly and easy spot imbalances similar investing excessively overmuch successful tasks that don’t lend to results. 

Tracking results

Measuring your results requires going beyond your task absorption instrumentality and utilizing a operation of your analytics bundle and an SEO instrumentality similar Ahrefs. 

When you commencement moving connected a caller campaign, marque definite you grounds a benchmark of the existing show of the website. Then, support regular tabs connected the metrics that substance for the task and show milestones you’ve achieved on the way. 

For example, you tin usage Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to show show crossed your full portfolio for free. 

The dashboard allows you to rapidly spot however show is trending for cardinal SEO metrics crossed each projects you’ve added: 

Ahrefs' dashboard showing speedy  show  stats crossed  aggregate  projects.

Key Takeaways

Results-driven SEO task absorption starts with the extremity successful caput and works backward. It doesn’t presume you’ll spot show improvements conscionable due to the fact that you’re doing tons of stuff. 

Instead, it is precise intentional astir figuring retired precisely what needs to beryllium done and linking those actions to realistic and achievable outcomes. 

In the words of Mads Singers: 

The starting constituent is figuring retired however to present a instrumentality connected investment. This is the astir important thing. Then it’s astir giving your squad ownership and power implicit the tasks related to their roles. 

Once these foundations are successful place, lone past is it astir documenting processes. But it shouldn’t beryllium a concern proprietor oregon manager who does the documentation. Processes should beryllium owned by the radical doing the enactment and who tin support SOPs current.

Mads Singers

The process shared supra allows you to bash each of this and more. If you person immoderate questions astir your SEO task absorption goals oregon processes, consciousness escaped to interaction maine connected LinkedIn anytime. 

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