1. Stakeholder Salad: Communication Skills For SEOs –
Talk Your Way Into Getting Shit Done
Kayleigh Töyrä
Timehouse Oy

2. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
What, like it's hard?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2016/07/13/legally
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3. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Do you feel like 50% of the
time your work is just trying
to get things done?
You’re not alone!

4. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
META WORK
ISTHE WORK

5. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Main communication blockers
LOW VALUE
UNCLEAR
BRIEF
CONFLICT
OF
INTEREST
LANGUAGE
STYLE
SILOS

6. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Unblocked
EDUCATION
SCOPING
RELATIONSHIPS
ADAPT
CULTURE OF
SEO

7. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Top 3 SEO
comms skills
Relationship-building & ‘branding’
Ability to adapt language
& reflect context
Learning how to communicate value

8. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
AVOID
Audience mismatch
Leaning on stereotypes
Tunnel vision
Overcomplicating
Oversimplifying
Frustration

9. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Comms styles

10. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Stakeholders
•Developers & tech team
•Marketing managers/brand
•Creatives, copywriters
•C-suite & owners
•PR teams
•Internal team

11. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Focused
Direct Actionable
Backed up with
data & resources
Tangible ROI-driven Interdisciplinary
Role-oriented Focused
Collaborative Networked
Value-driven Interdisciplinary
Curiosity-drive
n
Developers
Marketing managers
Creatives, copywriters
PR teams
C-suite
Internal teams
Practical
Knowledge-sharing
Top-line
Creative Data

12. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
You’re actually doing SEO in a
specific technical and
organisational context

13. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Caveats

14. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•This can be only be achieved if we do X and X by X.
Otherwise, we risk losing momentum (timeline)
•Within this timeframe, only X will be feasible
•We don’t have resources for scenario A right now,
but I actually think we can go with B and build on that

15. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•We can shoot for X, but it’s likely that X and X will
impact our ability see results from X
•I need the X team to confirm that X will be
implemented by X before I can commit to any
performance estimates

16. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•The SEO work will only be effective if we also
combine it with X
•We’re likely to see a X% drop in performance if we
go ahead with/without X

17. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Always
offer
alternatives
Communication hack
Communication hack

18. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
“It’s already
got SEO”
“SEOs just go on
about headings
and fixing small
details”

19. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Content
Speed
Accessibility
UX

20. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
User advocacy

21. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Scoping is caring

22. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
But not specifying whether it’s a mansion,
garage, or dog kennel.
Ordering a house…

23. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
EXPLAIN the PURPOSE of what you’re
ordering.

24. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•Get to know
development lifecycles
•Respect the process
•Share knowledge
•Speak their language
•Know the blind spots
•Listen, don’t assume
•Have tangible examples
Developer communication

25. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Bring developers in earlier than
you think they are needed…
Especially true for seniors
and architects
Than they think they are needed…

26. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
A good tech spec will save you pain.

27. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•Often go wrong
•SEOs get called in too late
•Retrospective fixes
MIGRATIONS
a communication case study

28. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
MIGRATIONS
a communication case study
•Developer/SEO collaboration from day one
•Shared knowledge base
•Joint success

29. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Getting SEO buy-in
Workshops
& training
Sharing
best
practice &
successes
Clear
guidelines
Resource
management
& SEO
advocates

30. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Structured data
Content hierarchy
Navigation & pagination
Structure & architecture
Links & canonicals
Speed
Tracking & analytics
JavaScript/CMS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

31. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
The automation
conundrum

32. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Outcomes
Concrete
examples
Purpose
Audience
How to offer (the right kind of) SEO training

33. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Sync up with the rest of the technical
roadmap
(don’t become an island)

34. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•Will come up during the
product lifecycle
•Saves headaches later
•Leaner, faster, better apps
and tech environments
Why SEO is better ”baked-in”

35. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•Manage expectations
•Sync up with their teams
•Be active
•Understand their org
•Get background data
•Provide value
Client communication

36. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Preemptive comms

37. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Reframing
We have to push back the launch by 2 months
=
If we launch now,
we are risking a 60% downturn in traffic

38. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Reframing
Multiple subdomains are bad for SEO
=
We should try to maximise our subdomains and clarify
where they fit in the user journey

39. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Reframing
This product page is thin on content
=
I have some ideas on how we can increase traffic and
conversions on this page, want to see?

40. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Reframing
This is something that you don’t currently do with your content
=
I would love to contribute to a documented content
strategy, I have some useful seasonal keyword research

41. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Reframing
We are targeting the wrong sort of keyword vocabulary and
getting the wrong sort of traffic
=
I spotted a few new keyword opportunities, I think we
should try to go after X and X

42. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Lots of small things
make up
a SEO strategy

43. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo

44. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
You don’t just do SEO once

45. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Continuous development

46. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
No two SEOs are
the same….

47. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
A word on language
•Analogy & metaphor = cool
•No need to be obscure
•Develop your own frameworks
•Find your own style

48. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
New ways of saying
the same things?
Audit
Analysis
Benchmark
Strategy
Reporting

49. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Become
the resource
Communication hack

50. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Huge appetite for SEO data....
Shame nobody knows
what any of it means

51. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Getting
out of
the
reporting
rabbit hole
•Set the KPIs yourself
•Don’t become data blind
•Data storytelling
•What's beyond the report?

52. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
•Performance metrics & growth
•Sharing a narrative &
interpretation of data
•Digital asset management
VALUE
•User advocacy
•Proactive comms
•Knowledge sharing
•Getting things done

53. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Don’t limit what SEO is
Internal
comms
Employee
advocacy
Funding

54. #BrightonSEO
@KayleighToyra
https://timehouse.fi/bseo
Thank you!
•timehouse.fi/bseo
•kayleigh.toyra@timehouse.fi