As search engines become more sophisticated, the factors influencing SEO performance have grown more complex and are increasingly beyond the direct control of the brand or agency. Historically, agencies could easily boost search results through authority link-building without relying heavily on client input. Now, however, many more factors are at play, making optimization a more challenging task.
If the primary goal of an SEO agency is to enhance their client’s SEO performance, the engagement model with clients should facilitate this objective. Failing to deliver performance gains risks losing business, as the agency cannot justify its fees otherwise.
The SEO industry did not transition smoothly to content marketing-based strategies, and it is crucial to learn from past experiences to avoid future disruptions.
Lessons from the Past
Prior to 2010, SEO was relatively straightforward, with links being the most significant ranking signal. Agencies excelled at building these links and often operated independently of their clients. This was possible because search engine guidelines were less strict, and compliance was comparatively lower. Agencies could justify their retainers by maintaining control over their client’s performance largely through link-building efforts.
The Transition to Content Marketing-Based Strategies
As the SEO industry matured, brands began to adopt content-based strategies. The success of an agency during this transition depended heavily on how well they adapted. Agencies now depended on clients to upload content that they could then distribute and build links around.
Agencies who navigated this transition effectively recognized the following:
- The importance of strategy. SEO content had to fit into broader communication strategies and be “on brand” to gain approval from various departments, including brand teams.
- The importance of stakeholder management. With more approvals needed within client organizations, agencies had to build relationships and educate stakeholders to get content approved.
- The importance of business cases. Content needed prioritization from teams outside marketing, requiring commercial business cases to justify putting content live on the client website.
- The need to work with PR & social. Successful content distribution required strong relationships with a brand’s PR and social media functions to ensure content visibility and link-building.
Challenges during this period often resulted in content either not going live or being too branded for effective link-building, making performance delivery difficult and fees hard to justify.
This shift towards content marketing-based strategies occurred as search engines grew more sophisticated, necessitating a broader role for SEO. The industry now faces a similar transition.
Transitioning to a New User Experience Approach
Google has always valued on-site experience, and its importance is growing with the application of machine learning. User signals such as search sequence are logical evolutions for search engines to better evaluate user experience.
SEO needs to broaden once more. Many SEO agencies must start leading conversations about UX and multivariate testing.
The challenges with multivariate testing are similar to those encountered during the shift to content marketing:
- Getting budget/prioritization. Testing has significant potential for business improvements, but securing budget for these initiatives can be challenging. SEO agencies, through business cases and stakeholder management, are well-positioned to drive these changes forward.
- Getting buy-in from developers. Collaboration and cooperation are essential for running tests and serving page variations. Strong relationships with development teams are crucial for SEO agencies to succeed.
- Getting changes made. While software like Optimizely makes test variations simple, implementing them permanently requires close coordination with development cycles and processes.
How Agencies Need to Evolve
The increasing importance of machine learning and user signals means SEO is expanding again. If agencies do not adapt, the factors critical to improving SEO performance will slip out of their control, rendering them ineffective and jeopardizing the agency model.
SEO agencies should revisit lessons learned from the transition to content marketing-based strategies. By adopting an owned media approach, agencies can better mandate and drive SEO performance for clients.
As philosopher George Santayana reminds us, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
