How do you keep a great SEO partner for the long haul?

Keeping a great SEO partner for the long haul involves a combination of effective communication, collaboration, performance evaluation, and maintaining a strong working relationship. Here's a guide on how to achieve this: Clear Communication and Expectations: Regular Performance Evaluation: Flexibility and Adaptability: Education and Training: Long-Term Strategy: Results-Oriented Approach: Trust and Respect: Regular Updates and Reporting: Recognition and Appreciation: Feedback Loop: Fair Compensation and Incentives: Remember that building a successful long-term partnership takes time and effort from both sides. Regularly assess the relationship to ensure that it remains beneficial for both your business and the SEO partner.

Always get clarity on what you are paying for. Agencies like to add in SEO without telling you what they are doing. A company that "does SEO" but does not backlink is not "doing SEO." It is never the wrong time to ask the question about what work is being done.

Maintaining a strong and productive relationship with an SEO partner for the long term requires effective communication, collaboration, and a shared commitment to achieving your SEO goals. Here are some strategies to help you build and sustain a successful partnership: 1)Clear Communication 2)Transparency 3)Mutual Understanding 4)Regular Reporting and Analysis 5)Adaptability 6)Feedback Loop 7)Shared Resources 8)Long-Term Vision 9)Continuous Education 10)Celebrate Wins 11)Regular Check-Ins 12)Problem Resolution 13) Long-term Goal Alignment 14)Value Their Expertise I hope it helps.

It's like caring for a blossoming garden. Just as you would if you were tending to your plants with love and care. You start a garden with a clear vision of the flowers you want to see bloom and set transparent goals and expectations for your SEO strategy. Establish a shared understanding of your website's objectives, target audience, and key performance indicators (KPIs). This foundation will guide your partner's efforts in the right direction.

Collaboration is key to any successful relationship. It is important to view your SEO team as a 'vendor partner' in your business. The more you can share with your SEO team about the changes and challenges in your business the better.

Consider engaging in regular knowledge-sharing sessions with them. This collaborative approach can lead to innovative ideas and strategies to improve your SEO efforts. Furthermore, embracing a data-driven approach can enhance the trust and accountability in your partnership. Establishing regular performance reviews based on measurable KPIs ensures that both you and your SEO partner are consistently working towards tangible results. This approach empowers your SEO team to focus on delivering outcomes that matter, such as increased revenue, lead generation, and improved online visibility.

Absolutely, trust is a cornerstone of any successful long-term SEO partnership. By recognizing and respecting your SEO partner's expertise and established processes, you can build a solid foundation for collaboration and achieve better results over time. Open communication and a willingness to listen to their recommendations also contribute to fostering trust and a successful working relationship.

The results are how you hold the partner accountability. You measure results in dollars, leads, visibility, awareness, and rank. Let the SEO team worry about DA and and HTML-to-text ratio.

Trust is key. If you have done your due diligence in selecting your SEO partner, then you have to trust and allow them to exert their expertise. There is no cookie cutter strategy, and a good SEO strategy will shift over time in response to search engine algorithms and market factors. While, it is important to not 'micromanage' you should be expect monthly reports showing you what work they are doing and how it is impacting your traffic, leads, CTR and more.

Collaborating with a SEO Expert is a lot like getting your hair cut by a stylist. Questions and clearly communicating what you expect or what your concerns may be are more than welcome; however, one must remember they hired such a specialist for a reason. You wouldn’t try to direct each cut your stylist makes on your hair, would you? It would be counterproductive and frustrating for everyone involved. Whereas explaining what you’re looking for and trusting the person you hired to help you get there will ensure fewer mistakes and quicker results.

Scope creep is an inevitable part of any business partnership. Clear it up quickly. Agencies who let you leverage them need the relationship more than you do. If you are asking for more than you are paying for, and they do not say so, that is not your fault. It is shrewd business.

Consider conducting periodic performance assessments to ensure that your SEO strategy remains aligned with your evolving business goals. Emphasize the importance of scalability in your partnership. As your business grows, your SEO requirements may change, so having a flexible approach that allows for adjustments in the scope of work can be invaluable. Furthermore, fostering a transparent and collaborative atmosphere when addressing scope changes or budget adjustments can strengthen the partnership and lead to more effective problem-solving. This ensures that both parties can adapt to unforeseen challenges while maintaining a healthy, long-lasting relationship.

It is a human tendency to ask for more or squeeze out the maximum for every dime we spend. Now that you have done your due diligence before onboarding your SEO partner and going through the budget and contract. Be kind enough not to ask for tasks and services which are not part of the contract. It mostly leads to a waste of time and effort which could be utilised more effectively to work mutually on the things we signed up for. Always remember, you are running your business and so are they.

Paying for SEO is one of those things that can feel like you are buying 'vaporware'. We always inform the client that SEO is a long game and can take 9-12 months or more depending on the market. It is not uncommon for me to receive a phone call from a client at the 6 month point asking to cancel services because they 'feel it is not working'. SEO is not a feeling, we look at hard data and trends. If you are an SEO client, you need to look at the date with your SEO manager, and evaluate the trends. Then you must stick to the plan. Most times the rewards are right around the corner.

Respecting your SEO partner's time and budget is vital. SEO is ongoing; instant results are unrealistic. Stick to the agreed scope, avoid extra demands, delays in payments, or approvals. Be patient; SEO takes time. Acknowledge their expertise and commitment for long-term digital success.

Companies without well-defined brand voices and approved resources will need to collaborate with the agency instead of being too hands off with content. You know your business more than the agency does.

Look for a partner that demonstrates strong cross-functional collaboration with design, engineering, research, and content teams. If you can hire an SEO team that's embedded with a product team even better. SEO's recommendations are far more reliable when they can actually design, implement, and test the very recommendations they propose. In addition, product-led SEOs like this will be much more rooted to your underlying business goals and the needs of your audience.

Also consider investing in ongoing training and skill development for your in-house teams, especially those involved in content creation and web development. A well-rounded, knowledgeable internal team can complement the efforts of your SEO partner and contribute to a more effective SEO strategy. Additionally, emphasize the importance of content quality and relevance in your collaboration. Regularly updating and optimizing your content based on keyword trends and user intent can significantly impact your SEO success. Lastly, consider establishing a structured feedback loop to exchange insights and experiences, allowing both parties to continuously refine their strategies and stay ahead in the ever-changing landscape of SEO.

First of clear your task and target than make Strong Strategy according to business Traffic and implement and than also good result

Sharing your big-picture marketing and business strategies with your SEO agency is a smart move. It helps them understand the goals of the business and how they can help you achieve them with an SEO strategy. Also, consider inviting your agency to join in on your marketing or business planning days if you can. This way, they can get to know other stakeholders in your company. And when it's time to put their SEO strategies into action, these relationships can really come in handy.

Establish a performance-based incentive system. This can motivate your SEO partner to consistently exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results. Explore opportunities for joint marketing efforts, such as co-authored case studies or webinars highlighting your successful collaboration. This not only showcases your partner's expertise but also promotes your business. Involving your partner in strategic discussions and decision-making processes can make them feel like a valued partner rather than just a service provider, further solidifying your relationship. Also, consider offering educational opportunities, like access to industry conferences or training sessions, to keep your partner engaged and continuously expanding their skills.

SEO, at its core, is a marathon and not a sprint. With that in mind, throughout this often arduous journey to visibility, celebrating the small wins can go a long way. A simple act of recognition, even a heartfelt thanks, can go a long way to bolstering motivation and improving morale with your SEO partner. Additionally, when you do cross significant milestones, be sure to take the time to enjoy them to the degree they deserve to be celebrated.

Acknowledging your SEO partner's efforts is crucial. Reward them with bonuses, referrals, and testimonials. These incentives drive motivation and results. Recognize their work with praise, feedback, and recommendations, boosting morale and credibility. Celebrate achievements together to strengthen your bond. In the digital marketing world, a rewarded and recognized SEO partner is a motivated and loyal one, committed to your online success.

When they deliver their SEO reporting it should ladder up to your business goals and true KPIs. If it doesn't ask them to do so! But once you start seeing success, feedback is key--especially when the wins start piling up.

Consider conducting regular performance audits and competitor analyses. This approach can help you identify opportunities for improvement and stay ahead of the competition. Explore emerging SEO technologies and automation tools that can streamline your SEO efforts and boost efficiency. Collaborating with your SEO partner on these innovations can lead to more effective strategies. Encourage knowledge sharing through internal training sessions or knowledge transfer meetings to ensure that your team is informed about SEO advancements. Finally, consider setting up a structured feedback system with your SEO partner to share insights and lessons learned from both successes and challenges, enabling continuous improvement in your SEO strategies.

A good SEO partner will keep you up to speed on the shifting landscape of Search. In 2023 alone we're seeing advancements around AI, both in how SEO teams can leverage it to improve their own work velocity but also major changes coming with Google SGE and Bing's ChatGPT integration. Ask questions! They should have a perspective, predictions of what's to come, and you should expect innovative, thought-provoking answers. In addition, your SEO partner should be training your content team on best practices around writing for users while optimizing for Search. Embedded SEOs in your product team will also recognize when features are being developed that could have SEO implications, and educate engineers how to build something with SEO in mind.

I often describe SEO work like a game of 3-D Chess where the rules keep changing. If you collaborate regularly with your SEO manager, you will be able to identify how they are adapting your strategy. You will learn a-lot along the journey of your relationship that will enrich your partnership.

Never stop learning. There are tons of great websites and news letters you can subscribe to. Stay on top of the most recent changes and trends and learn how to future proof your SEO strategy. It's critical to understand that some of last years techniques, or even those from a few months ago, may not longer work. Always shy away from anything that could be considered black-hat.

Your agency can get frustrated with you as much as you get frustrated with them. I have experienced this on both the client and agency side. Healthy conflict early in a relationship can be good to set boundaries and expectations.

I have a trick that never fails...when you find someone good: Make sure you value them! That means paying them well, giving them autonomy and listening to what they have to say.

You do not want SEO partners for a long run You want SEO knowledge for a long run Do this: - Partner with an agency/consultant for 3-6 months - Let them walk you to SEO success - Learn what needs to be done - Start doing in all in-house - Hire in-house if needed - Stop with your partner Do all in-house for 12-24 months. Then hire an outsource SEO partner again for 3-6 months. You will be the best client. They will be the best partner.

To understand the effectiveness and success of SEO efforts, it is necessary to define key KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Without constant monitoring and analysis of search engine performance metrics, it is impossible to assess the progress of the work. SEO KPIs, which are determined by the client and the service provider, enable the establishment of a workflow, tracking of data, and the adjustment of relationships between the parties involved.

My main blocker currently is clients not implementing recommendations or taking ages to do so. A page that doesn't exist can't rank. Pages are just webpages, not tattoos - you can launch a V1 and then continue polishing. Rank first, optimise second.