How to Better Sell SEO to the C-Suite- MozCon 2015

Editor's Notes

1. There is a way to win the C-Suite over. It's with strategic planning. It's with clear direction. It’s with talking the talk of the C-people, applying methods they use day in and day out, helping them to expand their comfort zone to include SEO and showing them how you'll impact the bottom line and overall company profit and loss statements
2. To earn their trust, we have to show them that we can think like them and drive toward the same goal to grow their company.
3. Since the C-suite is familiar with business plans, I’ve found that taking sections of a business plan to create an SEO Strategy Plan document has proven incredibly effective.
4. Not only does it set out a clear direction you're steering the SEO ship in to the C-suite, it keeps you focused on execution- and helps you analyze your progress at any stage in case you need to course correct.
5. This document answers the 5 key questions- who, what, when, where and how. It serves as a conversation starter, allowing you to share explanations as needed and then dive deeper into demystifying SEO and explaining what you’re going to be doing.
6. It’s simple, straight-forward and easy to digest. In other words, it's music to the C-suite's ears, and also helps keep the SEO team on track. Everyone's a winner.
7. It’s really a wonderful way to effectively sell to your audience….Firstly, the benefits are crystal clear. Secondly, we can share the why behind what we’ve picked. Meaning the C-suite feel a little more involved in the SEO process and are therefore more likely to have confidence in our strategy. Having the C-suite on your side in this way definitely counts as a "win," right?
8. Sharing a solid thought process for where we believe the growth will come from is very valuable in once again communicating the value of the different strategies, especially the content and outreach ones.  It can show that SEO has value even outside just the SERPs and can bring in revenue growth even without a drastic movement up in the rankings.
9. Here’s our chance to explain the probability levels and get everyone on the same page for ensuring proper execution of the plan. If these risks were to manifest, then we’d be closer to the 80% or have even poorer performance than predicted in the 80% probability levels. If things go without a hitch, then we’re more likely to be closer to our 60% probability levels.
10. By sharing this list of potential issues, you've subtly made the case for getting the web dev teams to fix technical issues, for getting PR teams to help with pitching and for copy writers and design to work on the content… which would be pretty awesome outcomes, right?   It’s crucial to alert management well ahead of time of potential risks, so we don’t look defensive in future should any of them occur. This way we’re well-planned, have thought things through from the start, and we're vigilant about the possibility of these risks coming up- Meaning we're ninja-prepared to course correct should the need arise.
11. This will help show the C-suite that you can think like them and aren’t just asming for more people to make your life easier. It’s well-thought out and planned and you can’t argue with numbers.
12. As result, we can be fully focused on execution, with the support, resources and trust we’ve always wanted. We’ll love what we do sooooo much more, and we’ll have the media guys’ drooling over our budgets! 