When evaluating your SEO teams productivity there are 3 factors you will always come back to. So why not start there in the first place?
While the role of project management is commonly overlooked within the industry there are a few posts written discussing how project management is a key role for any effective SEO campaign.
Because search optimization often finds itself seated at the table of PR, Social, Web Development, Business Development and even PPC—efficiency in both communication and implementation is major. This is true more than ever as digital influencers continue to recognize the importance of a more complete approach in content marketing. The following factors are those that any project manager should focus on to be sure their SEO team and campaigns are thriving.
Clarity
Team Roles – If your company doesn’t yet have each positions responsibilities, tasks and overall role defined this is a good place to begin in effort to increase productivity. Without a clear understanding of this essential factor any team will get muddled overlapping efforts.
Goals – The best way to ensure simplicity in your SEO approach taken is to create project goals and regularly revisit these to track and gauge progress.
Processes – Goals and milestones are useless without a distinct outline of how these items will be accomplished. The best definition for processes is accomplished when defined on two different horizontals = individual and time.
When approaching the project an umbrella perspective of processes should be defined predicated upon the upper level goals with a timeline in mind. From this more finite approaches and goals can be defined to navigate the teamwork in shorter time frames:
Trade – When forming and training a team it’s important to ensure each member does not only understand specific tasks within SEO to achieve results but the trade as a whole. This comes handy when your team needs to coordinate with other departments. Without that holistic understanding it can be difficult to see just how SEO can work cohesively on all marketing fronts.
This is also why when hiring employees most companies will require not just a degree but about 4 years experience. (4-5 years = nearly 10,000 hours of experience). There is a common found idea that it takes 10,000 hours to master any trade.
To accomplish this important factor regular training, collaboration and infusion of departments are the best approaches.
Metrics
Individual – The project manager should regularly measure and track the tasks completed by each team member. When evaluating the team altogether this process of individual metrics will assist in locating quick indicators for holes in productivity as well as quality.
Team – Regular revisits to your teams goals, tracking their progress and revising processes as needed are essential.
Project/Campaign – When all is said and done, whether your team completed all the tasks outlined under any goal if it did not take you any further toward the projects purpose (measurable brand awareness, ROI, conversion, traffic, rankings etc.) revision is needed.
Desire
With all things considered, a team is only as strong as its weakest member. If there is a lack of desire and drive within the team this can become a virus ready to spread into any project.
It is key to ensure your team has a desire to be there, achieve results and have influence.
In order to ensure your team has these desires the environment cultivated is vital. Be sure opportunities for fun, flexibility and contribution are provided. A team where each member feels valued, respected and enjoys each other will be one where each has desire to remain there and put their best work into any project.