Has your company recently made the decision to handle your SEO strategy in-house? If so, you might be wondering where to start.
While SEO has grown in visibility over the past few years, there’s so much data swirling around that topic that it can sometimes be challenging to determine which aspects are the most critical.
As you move forward with this important corporate initiative, it’s important to develop an effective training strategy so everyone is on the same page.
Today, we’re delving into the elements that this training should cover.
As you seek to build your website traffic and rank higher in search results, you’ll want to make sure the employees at the helm of that program are up to the task.
Here are a few tips to get you started!
Gain Executive Approval
Any SEO training strategy should be backed by your organization’s executive staff.
As you perform the training, you’ll likely be requesting access to myriad corporate data, and it’s essential to state your case so everyone in the C-Suite understands your motives.
Though SEO has become more of a common buzzword lately, there’s still a chance you may have to sell your leadership on the importance of such training.
This is where a powerful presentation is key.
Highlights to hit include:
- What SEO is meant to accomplish
- The relationship between SEO and website traffic
- How SEO can build the bottom line
- Using SEO to boost customer satisfaction and loyalty
- The departments involved in SEO training
- A high-level roadmap for the future
Remember that this is a two-way street.
Be sure to ask questions at the end of your presentation and actively listen to feedback and concerns.
Perform an Audit of Your Current SEO Practices
There’s no way to know how to roll out your new, in-house SEO training strategy if you don’t know where your current SEO efforts stand.
If you’re totally new to SEO, then you can skip to the next step.
However, chances are you’re already practicing at least some form of SEO, even if it wasn’t intentional.
If you have a web presence and you’re actively trying to use it to attract your target demographic, you’re likely using elements of SEO to do so.
To that end, it’s helpful to schedule an SEO audit to see where your efforts are succeeding and where you’re missing the mark.
To do this, simply go through your website page by page and mark down anything that jumps out at you.
Is there a broken menu link on one subpage? Is the design wonky on your blog site? Is something misspelled on your contact page?
Even the slightest error or inconsistency can result in a lower SEO rating, so check for accuracy and note areas that need improvement or a second look.
Then, you’ll be ready to start putting your ideas to paper (or on a screen).
Planning Your SEO Training Strategy
Developing an SEO training strategy begins with answering a few key questions.
Before you start delegating tasks, creating outlines, and conducting formal instruction, you should make sure you have a clear understanding of what SEO entails, and how your company plans to use it.
To this end, it’s helpful to meet with your executive team to determine:
- What is our brand identity?
- Which demographic(s) are we trying to reach?
- How much content can we effectively deliver, and at what frequency?
- How much can we afford to spend on SEO-related initiatives?
- How will we analyze and quantifiably measure our success?
Only after you’ve answered those questions will you be able to create an SEO training plan that works.
You can’t expect others to find and resonate with your company if you’re not headed in a clear direction yourself, so invest in that pre-training research time.
Consider How SEO Fits into Marketing
An SEO training strategy will need to clearly delineate how the initiative fits into your company’s overall marketing approach.
To this end, it’s helpful to consider how you’ll integrate it into outreach programs and activities that are already in place.
How will you bring SEO tactics to your email marketing strategy?
What about your social media accounts? How will your blog be impacted?
It’s usually in your best interest to integrate SEO into all of these sectors, as it’s a wide-reaching approach that affects everything from your standard PR measures to tech-savvy considerations such as mobile responsiveness.
So, as you create your SEO training materials, think not only about new goals and projects but also how you’ll insert SEO strategies into ongoing ventures that are currently already in place.
Analyze Your Tools and Resources
Today, there are many tools you can purchase to aid in your SEO activity.
While many are free and quick to access (think Google Analytics, Keyword Planner), some software solutions will cost you.
Consider which programs you already have in place, and what’s in your budget and timeframe to implement.
Do you need an enterprise-wide SEO software strategy, or will the addition of a few no-cost online resources be enough to spur change?
If you anticipate needing to purchase new solutions, make sure you engage your IT department at the onset to prepare them.
Find the Content Creators
While your SEO training strategy will affect departments across your organization, it should be directed primarily toward those responsible for its implementation — your content creators.
Do a quick audit of your online presence.
Who is responsible for creating and distributing the data that’s on your website, blog, or social media account?
Who is posting Twitter updates and guest blogging? Who is writing your web pages?
Locating those persons is key to ensuring that every new measure is understood and put into practice.
When you find them, make sure they understand the basics of SEO first, then move on to the more technical aspects.
The initial SEO training strategy should cover:
- The foundations of SEO (title tags, meta descriptions, keywords)
- Google search algorithms
- Top things to avoid (keyword stuffing, broken links, etc.)
- Site organization and layout
It won’t help to train your customer service or sales staff on your new SEO training if your content creators aren’t up to speed.
Start with them to set the tone for the remainder of the plan.
Extend the Training to Everyone Else
Your content creators should be one of the first departments in the SEO training loop.
Yet, you’ll also want to extend the training to everyone else in your company, especially those who have any influence at all on how your website operates.
From designers and programmers to project managers and copywriters, there are likely myriad personnel across your company who touch your website in some form every day.
Ensuring that these in-house teams understand your new SEO guidelines is an essential first step toward building cohesion among employees and putting forth a unified brand image.
Create and Maintain an SEO Training Resource
As SEO is a moving entity, there are many parts to it. As such, it can be difficult to remember every single aspect of its deployment.
A key part of an SEO training strategy should be to create a central database of instruction that employees can access whenever they need to as they navigate the SEO terrain.
Did you come up with a keyword plan for blog posts?
Do you have guidelines for internal and outbound linking?
Are there page layout specifics that your designers should keep in mind when creating new site sections?
All of this information and more should be collected and assembled into an organized and indexed training document.
Depending on your organization and use case scenario, a bound, paper-based training manual that’s stored in a central office location might be the best solution.
Or, you may benefit from uploading the document to a file-sharing site so everyone can access it from anywhere.
Gather Employee Feedback and Analyze Results
Once the SEO training is complete, it’s helpful to check back in with your teams to ensure everyone is up-to-speed on the new changes and comfortable moving forward.
Request employee feedback at regular intervals, not just immediately after the presentations and discussions end.
Are they understanding the new requirements? Are they finding some aspects more difficult than others?
You’ll also want to create a plan of action for analyzing the results of your SEO training strategy.
By quantifying your website visitors, conversions, dwell times, bounce rates, and more, you can show your executive team the exact ROI on the SEO investment.
SEO Support and Expertise You Can Trust
Are you ready to make a change? Are you tired of your outdated website that isn’t drawing in any quality traffic?
If so, you’ve come to the right place.
As a digital marketing expert, I possess the industry knowledge and professional background you need to turn SEO from three little letters into the greatest project you’ll ever take on.
To learn more insider tips, be sure to check my blog often. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Marketing doesn’t have to be stressful — let’s take this first step together!
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