Working with an SEO company can feel a bit like trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces keep changing shape. But when you get it right, the rewards are worth it—higher search rankings, more traffic, and, ultimately, more customers. So, how do you make sure your collaboration with an SEO company is as effective as possible?
In this article, we’re going to break down the best ways to work with your SEO team. We'll cover topics like setting clear goals, maintaining open communication, and ensuring that both parties are aligned in their strategies. By the end, you should have a solid roadmap for a productive partnership.
Setting Clear Goals
Imagine setting off on a road trip without a destination in mind. You might enjoy the ride, but you’ll probably burn through a lot of gas without getting anywhere meaningful. Working with an SEO company is similar. Without clear goals, you’ll end up wandering aimlessly through the vast digital landscape.
So, what should you do? Start by defining what success looks like for your business. Is it more organic traffic? Better conversion rates? Perhaps it's ranking on the first page of Google for specific keywords. Whatever your goals, make sure they are SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Once you’ve established these goals, communicate them clearly to your SEO company. This ensures everyone is on the same page and working towards the same objectives. Plus, it gives your SEO team the information they need to create a tailored strategy for your business.
- Specific: Be clear about what you want to achieve.
- Measurable: Define how you will measure progress.
- Achievable: Set realistic expectations.
- Relevant: Align goals with your business objectives.
- Time-bound: Set deadlines to maintain momentum.
Maintaining Open Communication
Think of your relationship with your SEO company as a two-way street. For it to function smoothly, communication needs to be open and continuous. This means regular updates, feedback sessions, and being available to discuss any concerns or questions that arise.
Schedule regular meetings or calls to keep everyone in the loop. This could be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on the complexity and scale of your project. During these meetings, review progress, discuss any challenges, and adjust strategies if necessary.
Open communication also means being honest about your expectations and any limitations your company may have. If budget constraints or resource limitations exist, make sure your SEO team is aware so they can adjust their strategies accordingly.
- Regular Updates: Keep the lines of communication open with consistent updates.
- Feedback Sessions: Provide and receive feedback constructively.
- Availability: Be accessible for discussions and decision-making.
Aligning on Strategy
Alignment on strategy is crucial to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals in the same way. This means that both your internal team and your SEO company need to agree on the tactics and channels that will be used to achieve your objectives.
Start by having a strategy session where you discuss your goals, target audience, and industry landscape. This helps your SEO team understand your business and tailor their strategies to your specific needs. It’s also an opportunity to align on the approach and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Remember, SEO is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one company might not work for another, so be open to suggestions and adjustments. Your SEO company should be able to provide insights and recommendations based on their experience and expertise.
- Strategy Session: Collaborate to develop a tailored strategy.
- Understanding the Audience: Align on target demographics and personas.
- Flexibility: Be open to adapting strategies as needed.
Trusting Their Expertise
When you hire an SEO company, you’re bringing in experts with specialized knowledge and experience. Trusting their expertise is crucial for a successful partnership. This doesn’t mean you should blindly follow their advice, but rather, have confidence in their skills and insights.
Remember, your SEO team has likely worked with various industries and businesses, giving them a broad perspective on what works and what doesn’t. Be open to their suggestions and willing to implement their recommendations, even if they’re different from your initial ideas.
However, trust is a two-way street. Your SEO company should also trust your knowledge of your business and industry. It’s essential to have a collaborative relationship where both parties respect each other’s expertise.
- Confidence in Expertise: Rely on your SEO team's skills and knowledge.
- Openness to Suggestions: Be willing to consider new ideas and strategies.
- Mutual Respect: Foster a collaborative relationship based on trust.
Monitoring Progress
Monitoring progress is essential to ensure that your SEO efforts are on track and delivering the desired results. This involves regularly reviewing metrics and KPIs to evaluate performance and make adjustments as needed.
Work with your SEO company to identify the most relevant metrics for your business. Common metrics to monitor include organic traffic, conversion rates, keyword rankings, and bounce rates. By keeping an eye on these metrics, you can assess whether your strategies are effective or if changes are needed.
Your SEO team should provide regular reports that highlight progress and any areas that need attention. Use these reports as a basis for discussion during your regular meetings and make data-driven decisions to optimize your strategies.
- Identify Metrics: Determine the most relevant KPIs for your business.
- Regular Reporting: Review reports to assess progress and performance.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Use data to inform adjustments and optimizations.
Being Patient and Realistic
SEO is not a quick fix; it’s a long-term investment that requires patience and realistic expectations. Results may not be immediate, but with consistency and persistence, the benefits will come.
Be prepared for fluctuations in performance, especially in the early stages of your SEO efforts. It’s normal for rankings and traffic to vary as search engines adjust to changes on your site. Trust the process and give your SEO company the time they need to implement and refine their strategies.
Set realistic timelines for achieving your goals and be patient as your SEO efforts gradually take effect. Remember, the ultimate goal is sustainable growth, not short-term gains.
- Long-Term Investment: Recognize that SEO takes time to deliver results.
- Expect Fluctuations: Be prepared for variations in performance.
- Patience and Persistence: Trust the process and stay committed to your goals.
Providing Constructive Feedback
Feedback is an essential part of any collaborative relationship, and working with an SEO company is no different. Providing constructive feedback can help improve strategies, enhance communication, and strengthen the partnership.
When giving feedback, focus on specific areas that need improvement and offer suggestions for how things could be done differently. Be honest and direct, but also respectful and supportive. Remember, the goal is to work together to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Similarly, be open to receiving feedback from your SEO company. They may have insights or suggestions that can help improve your strategies and drive better results.
- Specific Feedback: Address specific areas for improvement and offer suggestions.
- Honesty and Respect: Communicate openly while maintaining a respectful tone.
- Openness to Feedback: Be receptive to input from your SEO team.
Celebrating Wins Together
Celebrating wins, big or small, is an important part of maintaining motivation and morale. Acknowledge and celebrate successes with your SEO company to foster a positive and collaborative relationship.
Whether it's achieving a new ranking milestone, increasing traffic, or improving conversion rates, take the time to recognize these accomplishments. Celebrating wins can boost team morale and reinforce the effectiveness of your partnership.
Remember, SEO is a team effort, and celebrating achievements together can help strengthen your collaboration and drive continued success.
- Acknowledge Success: Recognize and celebrate achievements with your SEO team.
- Boost Morale: Foster a positive and motivated team environment.
- Reinforce Collaboration: Strengthen the partnership through shared successes.
Final Thoughts
Collaborating effectively with your SEO company is all about clear communication, trust, and a shared vision for success. By setting clear goals, maintaining open communication, and aligning on strategy, you can create a powerful partnership that drives meaningful results.
At Pattern, we specialize in helping ecommerce brands and SaaS startups grow by driving more traffic from Google and turning that traffic into paying customers. Unlike most SEO agencies that focus only on rankings, we care about results—creating programmatic landing pages that target hundreds of search terms and crafting conversion-focused content to turn visitors into customers. We understand SEO as part of a bigger growth strategy, viewing it through a performance marketing lens to ensure every dollar invested delivers real ROI. Our approach makes SEO a growth channel that drives sales and lowers customer acquisition costs. By partnering with Pattern, you can transform SEO from a guessing game into a reliable growth strategy.