Is My Manager Out of Touch with SEO Best Practices?
As a newcomer to the fields of SEO and content marketing, having recently stepped into a specialist role after graduating, I’ve been eager to soak up knowledge and improve my skills. However, during my short time in this position, I’ve uncovered some practices within our team that raise eyebrows about our approach to SEO.
One notable concern is our complete reliance on free tools without any investment in paid seo software. While I understand that smaller clients might not necessitate advanced tools, our agency manages around 50 accounts, including some major players in our country’s market. This makes it puzzling that we don’t utilize industry standards like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Surfer to enhance our strategies.
In terms of keyword research, our sole resource is Google Keyword Planner. My understanding is that this tool is primarily designed for paid advertising, which raises questions about its effectiveness for SEO-related keyword analysis. The insights we gain from it seem inadequate for effectively optimizing our clients’ content.
Moreover, the absence of a backlinks strategy is particularly alarming. When I approached my manager about our lack of focus in this area, he responded, “Backlinks are something that we can’t control, so we shouldn’t focus on it.” This perspective seems misguided, as the importance of backlinks in enhancing domain authority and search rankings cannot be understated.
To further complicate matters, we outsource our content creation to freelancers on platforms like Fiverr. Once the content is delivered, our job as specialists is merely to “optimize” it using the free version of Yoast. Unfortunately, this doesn’t allow for a strong alignment with search intent, nor does it foster a unique voice for our clients.
Although we have the potential to enhance existing content, it’s a rare occurrence. In fact, a majority of our articles struggle to rank within the top 30 search results. When we do update content, it typically involves adding fresh information about the client rather than addressing the underlying issue of search intent—happening only once every few months.
I recognize that my experience in seo is still limited, but these practices leave me questioning whether my manager is truly knowledgeable in this field. Am I simply misunderstanding the nuances of seo, or is there cause for concern regarding our current strategies?
2 responses to “Could My Manager Be Ineffective at SEO?”
Your concerns about your manager’s approach to SEO seem valid, especially given the fundamental practices that are essential for effective SEO management in today’s digital landscape. While it’s natural to wonder if your critical observations stem from your inexperience, the gaps in strategy you’ve identified do suggest some potential issues that are worth exploring.
Understanding SEO Tools and Their Importance
First, it’s important to acknowledge the value of using comprehensive seo tools. Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz offer functionalities that go beyond what free options provide, such as extensive backlink analysis, competitor insights, and advanced keyword research capabilities. Google Keyword Planner, while useful for PPC campaigns, does not deliver the same level of insight for organic search strategy. Relying exclusively on this tool could limit your team’s ability to identify high-value keywords and understanding searcher intent effectively.
When managing multiple client accounts, especially for significant companies, leveraging these tools becomes critical. They provide data-driven insights that help prioritize efforts and allocate resources effectively. If budgeting is a concern, consider proposing a small pilot investment in one of these tools to demonstrate its ROI through improved rankings or traffic for a specific client.
Backlink Strategies Are Vital
The notion that “backlinks are something we can’t control” reflects a misunderstanding of the role backlinks play in seo. While it’s true that you cannot directly control whether another site links to you, you can certainly implement strategies to encourage backlinks. These might include creating high-value content that others want to link to, leveraging relationships with industry influencers, and conducting outreach to relevant websites or blogs.
A solid backlink strategy involves active engagement with the digital community, whether through guest posting, partnerships, or creating shareable resources. It’s also essential to monitor existing backlinks for quality and relevance. Ignoring this crucial aspect could hinder your clients’ ability to rank favorably, especially against competitors who are actively seeking backlinks.
Content Production and Optimization
Outsourcing content to Fiverr can be a cost-effective solution, but it often results in content that lacks nuance, depth, and alignment with specific target audience needs. Effective optimization involves more than just minor adjustments using Yoast. It requires a thorough understanding of target keywords, search intent, competitor analysis, and content performance metrics.
Encouraging your team to refine this process might involve a combination of in-house training on content strategy and search intent or developing a checklist that ensures content aligns with the questions potential customers are asking online. Regularly updating content is also necessary, but simply adding information is not enough—you’ll need to analyze metrics to understand why certain pieces are underperforming and adjust accordingly.
Regular Performance Reviews
Content that doesn’t rank well often needs a more strategic approach to both creation and optimization. Instead of waiting several months to fix underperforming content, consider advocating for regular performance reviews and a commitment to iterating content based on real-time data.
Establish KPIs that reflect the overall goals of your clients and your agency, such as targeted traffic increases, improved engagement rates, or enhanced conversion metrics. Use these KPIs to justify taking a more agile approach to content strategies, ensuring that your team is responsive to both performance metrics and changing market dynamics.
Conclusion
Your instincts raise valid points about the importance of a comprehensive seo strategy. While you should approach your manager with constructive feedback rather than direct criticism, it might benefit the agency to review current practices collectively. Share resources, insights, and perhaps even suggest a workshop or training session to explore modern SEO strategies. By framing your observations with data from reputable sources and a willingness to learn and adapt, you can foster a collaborative environment that promotes growth and effectiveness in SEO practices. Keep building your knowledge and confidence—you’re setting the stage for valuable contributions that can enhance your team’s overall performance.
It’s great to see your proactive approach to understanding SEO best practices, especially as a newcomer in the field! Your concerns are valid, and it’s crucial to recognize the evolving nature of SEO, which increasingly demands a strategic and multifaceted approach.
You mentioned the reliance on free tools, which can certainly be a limitation as they often lack depth and insights compared to comprehensive paid tools like Ahrefs or Semrush. Investing in these tools not only helps in more robust keyword research but also provides valuable competitor analysis and backlink tracking features crucial for developing a sound SEO strategy.
Regarding your manager’s approach to backlinks, it’s a common misconception that they are beyond one’s control. While it’s true that you can’t directly ‘control’ backlinks, you can strategically build relationships, create shareable content, and engage in outreach that encourages backlinks. It might be worth suggesting a workshop or a peer discussion that highlights the importance of backlinks and how they can be cultivated.
As for the content creation process, your point about aligning content with search intent is vital. It’s not just about optimizing the existing text; it’s about ensuring that the content truly meets the needs of the audience searching for those keywords. Perhaps proposing a collaborative brainstorming session with your team can help align the content creation efforts with effective seo practices, ensuring that the content reflects both the brand’s voice and the target audience’s intent.
It’s commendable that you’re questioning and seeking to improve the current strategies rather than simply accepting the status quo. This kind of critical thinking is