Master the 21 Skills to Boost Your In-House SEO Efforts
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Building Relationships
- 2.1 Importance of Building Relationships
- 2.2 Strategies for Building Relationships
- Winning the Engineering Team
- 3.1 Understanding the Engineering Team
- 3.2 Speaking the Language of Engineers
- Understanding Your Technical Stack
- 4.1 Importance of Understanding Your Technical Stack
- 4.2 Mapping CMS Fields to the Front-End
- 4.3 Utilizing APIs and Automation
- Developing Technical SEO Skills
- 5.1 The Rising Importance of Technical SEO
- 5.2 Understanding JavaScript Frameworks
- 5.3 Using APIs for Optimization
- 5.4 Embracing Automation
- Selling Your Projects
- 6.1 Aligning Projects with Company Goals
- 6.2 Finding an Advocate for SEO
- 6.3 Starting with Quick Wins
- 6.4 Breaking Down Big Projects
- 6.5 Showing Value through Dollar Signs and KPIs
- Developing Analytical Skills
- 7.1 Understanding Google Analytics
- 7.2 Creating Custom Dashboards
- 7.3 Incorporating SQL and A/B Testing
- 7.4 Gaining Approval from Analytics Teams
- Establishing an SEO Process
- 8.1 The Importance of an SEO Process
- 8.2 Integrating SEO into Existing Workflows
- Leveraging Hidden Resources
- 9.1 Collaborating with PR Teams
- 9.2 Utilizing Freelancer Budgets
- Increasing Team Visibility
- 10.1 Benefits of Team Visibility
- 10.2 Reporting Bi-Weekly or Monthly
- 10.3 Tailoring Training to the Audience
- Developing Centers of Excellence
- 11.1 Creating Centers of Excellence
- 11.2 Sharing Knowledge and Best Practices
- Planning for the Future
- 12.1 Importance of Future Planning
- 12.2 Staying Up-to-Date with SEO Trends
- Conclusion
21 Skills to Supercharge Your In-House SEO Efforts
In today's digital landscape, SEO plays a crucial role in the success of any business. Whether you're a small team within a larger organization or part of a big enterprise brand, having the right skills is essential to supercharge your in-house SEO efforts. In this article, we will explore 21 skills that can help you make a significant impact on your SEO strategy and drive results. So buckle up and get ready to take your SEO game to the next level.
Building Relationships
2.1 Importance of Building Relationships
When working in an enterprise company, it's common to find yourself as the sole SEO professional or part of a small team. In such cases, building relationships becomes crucial for the success of your projects. By establishing connections with key stakeholders within the company, you can ensure that your ideas and projects get the attention they deserve. Building relationships facilitates getting your projects to the top of the queue, as every relationship you create acts as a facilitator. Don't just rely on emails; go the extra mile and schedule regular meetings or even have informal coffee chats. Small gestures like providing donuts to the development team can help break the ice and establish fruitful relationships.
2.2 Strategies for Building Relationships
Building relationships with stakeholders requires a strategic approach. Start by identifying the main stakeholders within the company and getting to know them personally. Look for opportunities to collaborate and offer assistance that aligns with their goals. Show genuine interest in their work and find ways to make them successful. Additionally, take the time to understand their pain points and challenges, and offer solutions that can alleviate them. By building strong relationships and becoming a trusted partner, you increase your chances of gaining support for your SEO projects.
Winning the Engineering Team
3.1 Understanding the Engineering Team
The success of your SEO efforts heavily relies on the collaboration with the engineering team. Whether you view them as allies or potential roadblocks depends on how well you understand their needs and challenges. To effectively work with the engineering team, it's essential to speak their language. When presenting SEO-related issues or recommendations, focus on the problem and desired outcome rather than dictating how they should implement it. Respect their expertise and craft while conveying the value and impact of SEO. Showing empathy and understanding towards their workload and processes can go a long way in winning their support.
3.2 Speaking the Language of Engineers
Bridging the gap between SEO and engineering requires effective communication. Engineers are not concerned with the intricacies of SEO but rather the desired outcome. When discussing technical recommendations, emphasize the impact on performance, site speed, or user experience. Instead of providing specific implementation details, communicate the overarching goals and allow engineers to devise the best solutions. Showing respect for their expertise and involving them in the decision-making process will foster a collaborative environment and increase their willingness to work closely with you.
Understanding Your Technical Stack
4.1 Importance of Understanding Your Technical Stack
To make effective SEO recommendations and drive implementation, you need a deep understanding of your company's technical stack. Familiarize yourself with the content management system (CMS), frontend technologies, APIs, and other technical components that power the website. Knowing the different fields in the CMS that content creators can utilize and how they translate to the frontend enables you to provide targeted recommendations. Understanding the technical stack also helps you identify opportunities for optimization and automation, ensuring that your SEO efforts are seamlessly integrated into the existing infrastructure.
4.2 Mapping CMS Fields to the Front-End
One crucial aspect of understanding your technical stack is mapping CMS fields to the frontend. By identifying which CMS fields correspond to specific frontend elements, you can optimize the display and accessibility of your content. This mapping allows you to align the CMS fields with SEO best practices, such as meta tags, headings, and structured data. By bridging the gap between the CMS and frontend, you empower content creators to optimize their content with minimal technical assistance, streamlining the SEO process.
4.3 Utilizing APIs and Automation
In the ever-evolving world of SEO, utilizing APIs and automation can significantly enhance your efficiency and effectiveness. APIs allow you to access and analyze data from various sources, such as search console data or third-party tools. By leveraging APIs, you can automate repetitive tasks, generate custom reports, and gain deeper insights into your SEO performance. This level of automation not only saves time but also enables you to make data-driven decisions and prioritize your SEO efforts effectively.
Developing Technical SEO Skills
5.1 The Rising Importance of Technical SEO
As SEO continues to evolve, technical aspects have gained significant importance. While you don't need to be a coding expert, having a solid understanding of technical SEO is essential to optimize your website's performance. Familiarize yourself with JavaScript frameworks like React and Angular and understand their impact on SEO. Explore how APIs can be utilized to improve site functionality and automate various tasks. Embracing technical SEO ensures that you can navigate the complexities of modern websites and drive meaningful results.
5.2 Understanding JavaScript Frameworks
JavaScript frameworks play a crucial role in modern web development but often present unique challenges for SEO. Familiarizing yourself with the workings of popular JavaScript frameworks, such as React or Angular, is key to optimizing their implementation. Understand how these frameworks render content and how search engines perceive and interact with them. By understanding the nuances, you can devise strategies to ensure that search engines crawl and index your JavaScript-driven content effectively.
5.3 Using APIs for Optimization
APIs hold immense potential for SEO optimization. They enable you to fetch data from external sources, automate tasks, and gather insights for informed decision-making. Explore different APIs that can augment your SEO efforts, such as keyword research tools, ranking trackers, or content analysis platforms. By integrating APIs into your workflows, you can streamline processes, leverage external data, and gain a competitive advantage in the search landscape.
5.4 Embracing Automation
Automation is a game-changer in the world of SEO. With the right automation tools, you can tackle repetitive tasks, free up time for strategic initiatives, and scale your efforts. Utilize automation to generate reports, monitor key metrics, perform technical audits, and identify optimization opportunities. By embracing automation, you can maximize efficiency, maintain consistency, and stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving SEO landscape.
Selling Your Projects
6.1 Aligning Projects with Company Goals
To gain support for your SEO projects in a competitive business environment, it's crucial to align them with company goals. Understand the company's overarching objectives, whether it's launching a new product, increasing revenue, or improving user experience. Position your projects as enablers of these goals and highlight their potential impact. By showcasing the alignment with company priorities, you increase the likelihood of securing resources and support from decision-makers.
6.2 Finding an Advocate for SEO
In every company, there are individuals who understand and value the importance of SEO. Identify these advocates, whether it's the CMO, CTO, or a member of an influential team. Collaborate with them, provide data-driven insights, and demonstrate how SEO can contribute to their success. By leveraging these advocates, you can gain valuable support, drive organizational buy-in, and establish SEO as a vital component of the company's strategy.
6.3 Starting with Quick Wins
When starting your SEO journey, focus on quick wins that deliver tangible results. Rather than overwhelming the team with large-scale projects, begin with small, impactful initiatives that demonstrate the value of SEO. By accomplishing these quick wins, you build trust, establish credibility, and create momentum for future undertakings. Gradually expand your efforts to bigger projects, breaking them down into manageable phases for seamless execution.
6.4 Breaking Down Big Projects
Large projects can be daunting, so it's crucial to break them down into smaller, more manageable components. Structure your projects into distinct phases, allowing teams to work on them incrementally. By avoiding long-term, monolithic projects, you maintain agility, foster collaboration, and improve the likelihood of successful implementation. Breaking down big projects also allows for continuous improvement and adaptation based on ongoing feedback and evolving business needs.
6.5 Showing Value through Dollar Signs and KPIs
When presenting your SEO projects, it's essential to demonstrate their value in a language that resonates with stakeholders. Translate your initiatives into tangible outcomes, such as revenue growth, increased organic traffic, or improved conversion rates. Use dollar signs and key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the company's objectives and show how SEO can contribute to its success. By showcasing measurable value, you make a compelling case for investment in SEO initiatives.
(Continued in Part 2...)
