As search marketers, we face many challenges in our line of work. We are tasked with increasing traffic, generating more leads, achieving higher rankings, obtaining better links, and improving sales. While reaching these goals is challenging, it’s the reason clients hire us.
However, another challenge we face is dealing with people, which can be just as difficult, if not more so. Even after 13 years in the industry and 35 years on earth, I still haven’t fully figured them out. I thought it would be easier!
One thing I have figured out is that certain challenges occur more frequently than others, such as employee turnover, management changes, and executive requests. These can significantly impact any program, especially for agencies, and being unprepared can increase the risk of losing clients.
To ensure you’re prepared for these “people” challenges, I’ve compiled some tips on managing management and dealing with common issues.
### Understand Roles & Expectations
As an account manager, you likely work with Marketing Directors and VPs. Their focus tends to be on traffic, leads, sales, and general site improvement. They possess a strong understanding of program goals and existing programs, as well as the nuances of keywords and content marketing.
Then there’s the VP of Product, who may search for a specific keyword and wonder why the site isn’t ranking, or the CEO who notices a significant line item in the marketing budget and starts asking about results.
The way you address these questions must consider that their goals may differ from yours, but they are still important.
For the VP of Product, we can illustrate why they aren’t ranking and what steps can be taken to improve it. For the CEO, tying our program back to sales is crucial. Attribution remains a challenge for many organizations, but proving the program’s worth is vital.
Key Tips:
– Understand the various players involved and their goals. Even if you aren’t working directly toward those goals, you’ll know what questions might arise.
– Set KPIs at the program’s start to showcase results now and in the future.
– Stay organized so you can answer questions promptly. With many moving parts in an SEO program, organization is crucial.
### Be Prepared to Educate
Over recent years, I’ve been fortunate to work with marketing managers, VPs, and directors with solid knowledge of SEO and content marketing. However, this hasn’t always been the case and might not be the case with future clients.
I have also encountered individuals who don’t understand SEO or possess incorrect information. It doesn’t always end well.
As marketers, it’s our job to ensure clients understand the program and its goals, and know that buying 100 directory links is not a solution anymore.
Consider this example: At Client A, a new marketing manager is hired with no existing knowledge of the program and outdated SEO knowledge. They begin to question your methods and reasons.
While it can be frustrating to constantly justify your work, the new manager is doing their job. Our role is to prove value and educate them. Whether onboarding a new client or a new contact at an existing client, keep these questions in mind:
– What are we doing?
– How are we doing it?
– Why are we doing it?
– What can we show?
Additionally, when a new program manager starts or internal changes occur, ensure your contact has:
– An overview of the SEO strategy and steps involved
– An outline of deliverables and high-priority objectives
– Recent results and successes
– Next steps and how to build on the program
### Focus on Results
As mentioned at the beginning, we get paid to drive results and need to demonstrate them, specifically recent results.
The marketing space relies heavily on “What have you done for me lately?” Increasing traffic 100 percent last year doesn’t mean you can rest on your achievements.
Always have something positive ready. Even small positive outcomes should be shared. If the VP of Product is improving a keyword, show how their efforts are paying off. If a lead turns into a significant sale, be prepared to take credit.
How to Prepare:
– Check results daily/weekly/monthly. Know where things stand based on KPIs. Don’t wait until the end of the month to realize the site’s performance dropped two weeks ago.
– Showcase results as they come in. Recently, a blog post for a client drove a significant lead. We promptly shared this information.
– Small wins matter. Results take time, especially when starting a program. Look for small wins, especially those aligning with client goals.
### Final Thoughts
Running an SEO program comes with various challenges, and dealing with people can be the toughest. By understanding these common issues and preparing to face them, you increase your chances for success. You may also learn a lesson in patience and understanding.
