Is My Manager Lacking SEO Expertise? A Fresh Perspective
As someone just starting my journey in SEO and content marketing, I’ve recently taken on a specialist role after completing my degree last year. While I’m eager to learn and grow in this fast-paced field, I’ve begun to question whether my manager truly understands the nuances of SEO, based on some practices I’ve observed.
One major red flag is our team’s total reliance on free tools. We don’t utilize any popular paid seo platforms like Ahrefs or Semrush, which I find concerning, especially considering we manage around 50 client accounts, including several prominent companies in my country. In a competitive landscape, off-the-shelf, free solutions may not provide the depth of insight we need to achieve our objectives.
For keyword research, we solely rely on Google Keyword Planner. While this tool can be beneficial for PPC campaigns, it’s less valuable for organic search strategy, making it puzzling why it’s our only resource. If we aim to enhance our clients’ visibility, an extensive keyword analysis is crucial, and the lack of diverse tools raises my eyebrows.
Another alarming aspect is the absence of a backlink strategy. When I raised this concern during a discussion, my manager’s response was disheartening: “Backlinks are something we can’t control, so we shouldn’t focus on them.” This dismissive attitude contradicts widely accepted seo best practices, which emphasize the importance of earning and building quality backlinks for organic growth.
Content creation also raises questions. We frequently outsource our content briefs to freelance writers on Fiverr, and while this can be effective, our approach seems inefficient. Subsequently, us specialists are left to optimize these pieces using the free version of Yoast. However, I’ve noticed that a significant portion of our content—around 95%—fails to rank well, often landing outside the top 30 search results. When we do make updates to existing articles, they are typically minimal and infrequent, lacking a strategic focus on matching user intent, thus further diminishing their chances for success.
As a newcomer in the seo field, I recognize that I have much to learn, but these observations make me question my manager’s expertise. Am I misinterpreting our working methods due to my inexperience, or do these practices genuinely suggest a knowledge gap in effective SEO strategies?
In my pursuit of professional growth, I’m eager to overcome these challenges and develop a more robust understanding of what drives successful SEO campaigns. If you find yourself in a similar situation, questioning the strategies employed by leadership, it might be time for a constructive conversation about SEO best practices and potential improvements. After all, staying ahead in the SEO game requires continuous learning and adaptation.
2 responses to “Could my manager be lacking in SEO skills?”
It’s great to see your enthusiasm for SEO and your dedication to improving your skills. Your observations about your manager’s approach raise valid concerns, and it’s important to critically assess strategies, especially in a field as dynamic and impactful as SEO. While it’s difficult to definitively label someone as “bad” at their job based on your description alone, there are definitely some red flags that could indicate a need for improvement in both strategy and understanding.
1. Tool Utilization
The absence of paid SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Surfer is concerning. These tools provide valuable insights into keyword performance, competitor analysis, backlink profiles, and content optimization metrics that are often essential for achieving success. Relying solely on Google Keyword Planner, which is primarily designed for PPC, doesn’t give the full picture necessary for a comprehensive seo strategy. Consider suggesting to your manager that a small investment in these tools could yield significant returns in terms of improved rankings and traffic.
2. Keyword Research Limitations
Effective keyword research is foundational for seo. While Google Keyword Planner can be useful, it does not reflect the nuances of search volume for organic optimization as well as other tools might. Additionally, it often underrepresents long-tail keywords, which can be incredibly beneficial for targeting specific audiences. Online resources and courses can help you learn alternative methods for keyword research, such as analyzing competitors, using search intent-based tactics, or exploring tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic, which are often free or lower-cost options.
3. Backlink Strategies
Your manager’s attitude towards backlinks is particularly concerning. Backlinks are a crucial element of seo as they signal trust and authority to search engines. It’s true that you cannot control backlinks directly, but you can implement strategies to encourage them, such as creating high-quality content that people want to link to or establishing relationships with influencers in your niche. Suggesting a small pilot project focusing on building relationships for backlinks may demonstrate the potential effectiveness of this approach.
4. Content Optimization Process
The practice of outsourcing content creation without a thorough review of the quality and relevance doesn’t seem conducive to a successful SEO strategy. While using platforms like Fiverr can be cost-effective, it’s crucial to ensure that any content produced is aligned with the target audience’s search intent and SEO best practices. I recommend discussing the importance of creating well-researched, detailed content that incorporates keyword optimization, proper structure, and user-engagement elements. You might consider proposing a workshop or a collaborative brainstorming session to improve content quality.
5. Content Updates and SEO Maintenance
Updating content with fresh information is good practice, but it seems your team may not be fully leveraging this opportunity. If the majority of your content is not ranking well, analyzing what’s lacking—be it keyword fundamentals, content length, or user engagement—could vastly improve your SEO results. Implementing a more regular content audit process might help identify successful topics and areas for improvement, allowing for more strategic fixes rather than sporadic updates.
6. Seeking Constructive Conversations
Given the disparity between your understanding of effective SEO strategies and your manager’s approach, consider initiating a constructive dialogue. Share insights you’ve learned from your studies and think critically about how they can be applied to your current projects. Approach the conversation from a place of curiosity, rather than confrontation. Propose testing a few new strategies based on best practices you’ve researched, and express how you believe these could provide value for the clients your agency supports.
7. Continued Learning and Development
As a newcomer to SEO, continuing to educate yourself is vital. Engage with blogs, podcasts, and online courses that delve deeper into modern SEO practices. Connecting with mentors or peers who are well-versed can also provide you with insights that you can bring back to your agency.
In conclusion, while your frustrations are valid, the situation presents an opportunity for you to grow and potentially influence change within your team. Be proactive and resourceful, and you may find ways to encourage improvement, not just for your own benefit, but for the overall success of the agency as well.
Thank you for sharing your insights and experiences in your new role! It’s certainly a challenging position to be in when you start to notice potential gaps in your team’s SEO strategies. Your concerns about relying solely on free tools, using Google Keyword Planner for organic search, and neglecting backlinks are all valid points that many in the industry face.
In today’s SEO landscape, a multi-faceted approach is essential for driving real results. Considering using a combination of both paid tools and free resources can provide a more comprehensive view of keyword opportunities, competition analysis, and backlink profiles. For instance, platforms like Ahrefs and SEMrush not only enhance your keyword research but also offer powerful site audit features that can identify technical issues affecting your clients’ rankings.
Additionally, the perspective on backlinks is interesting and reflects a common misconception. While it’s true that you can’t directly control who links to you, a proactive strategy for outreach and relationship building can significantly impact your site’s authority and visibility. Perhaps suggesting workshops or training sessions to improve understanding of these aspects at your company could foster a collaborative learning environment.
Lastly, the way you approach content creation also resonates deeply. Collaborating with experienced freelance writers is great, but aligning their outputs with a clear SEO strategy is crucial. It may be helpful to involve your team in creating content briefs that include target keywords, suggested topics based on user intent, and insights from performance analytics.
Ultimately, fostering an open dialogue about these practices with your manager could lead to meaningful improvements and demonstrate your initiative as