SEOs in agencies (and sometimes even in-house!) often find themselves putting up a fight against marketing teams, board of directors, developers and other departments when it comes to them seeing the value in SEO. We know it's important, and we know that exactly what we're doing is going to benefit the business, but getting buy in and breaking down those barriers can be tough without months of back & forth. This talk will summarise how you can effectively position yourself as the 'expert' in your field and get that buy in.

1. 5 Steps To Position Yourself As An
Expert: How To Break Down Barriers &
Get Buy In
Sophie Brannon
Absolute Digital Media
@SophieBrannon

2. What the talk is about
today.

3. Speak With Authority
STEP 1:

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First
impressions
really do count

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Avoid phrases &
words that can
make you sound
uncertain

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Phrases like:
I think
I feel
Maybe
Won’t
Hopefully
Sorry

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Don’t Overcomplicate It!

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Project Your
Excitement &
Enthusiasm

9. Portray Empathy & Passion
STEP 2:

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Empathy is the ability to cognitively
and emotionally understand another
person’s experience.

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Empathy is the
ultimate form of
customer insight
Don Peppers

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Through empathy you can understand
their world,
their motivations & their constraints

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Connect with the
parts of people
who
are perhaps
unsure

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You’re trying to market yourself to the
person you’re trying to get buy-in from

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You are
the Ferrari!

16. Consider Other’s Time &
Resources
STEP 3:

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02. Lack Of
Understanding
01. Lack Of
Time

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Do you need to reconsider your
approach?

19. Are they being
pulled in 20
different
directions?
@SophieBrannon 19

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Can you streamline what you’re
trying to achieve?

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Collaboration
is key to
get buy-in

22. Show Value & Create
Mutual Trust
STEP 4:

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Having a
track record

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Showing real
business value

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Objective
Goals
Strategy
Measurement

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Communicate
Your Process

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I’ll say it again

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30. Know When To Say No
STEP 5:

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Saying no doesn’t
always mean not
doing something –
sometimes it means
doing to more
efficiently

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As the expert, you should know where
resource should be allocated to
achieve the
best result.

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But don’t over-
explain yourself

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Speak With Authority
STEP 1:

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Portray Empathy &
Passion
STEP 2:

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Consider Other’s Time &
Resources
STEP 3:

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Show Value & Create
Mutual Trust
STEP 4:

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Know When To Say No
STEP 5:

40. Thank You
Follow me - @SophieBrannon