How to manage 1000 SEO Clients - BrightonSEO April 2013

Editor's Notes

1. Assume you can deliver SEO performance, We’re going to talk about ‘managing’ 1000 clients……
2. In 15 minutes…Hopefully you will have some takeaways InhouseFreelanceAgency looking to expand customer baseOr help better manage your existing customers
3. • You’re probably wondering• We’re not the only duel presentation• Together over 6 years at Creare• Journey Together
4. Should result in retention of clients and allow your business or department to grow.
5. Thanks,
6. • Know your Threshold and stick to it. • industry, area or budget.• It’s difficult to manage clients on a full spectrum. • Our threshold.
7. • Don’t be afraid to turn away business.• SEO has a big early investment
8. • Know what you’re going to be working with. • Are they under penalty, competitive industry is communication going to be difficult?• When we started in SEO• When we started, client’s first sites, • Today, everyone has SEO
9. • Work with your client to understand their customers,• What does the SEO need to achieve?Once you have this information…
10. • Work together!
11. • The Sales/Acc Manager, Designers, • SEO’s should be talking at the start.
12. • Manage your client’s expectations• How do they measure success?• Are they looking for the trophy listing, for golf club..
13. • We used to have a lot more of these guys• They still exist• Most clients want their SEO to work, Ferrari
14. • Delivery, design, what I’m all about.• Importance of a great website.• Not just SEO friendly architecture.• Design, usability.
15. • Delivery is traffic AND conversion• Driving traffic through search is only half of delivery• So bad design
16. • Ling Valentine Dragons Den• So bad it’s good.• She does alright though, and it’s a cult classic
17. • A real life example, didn’t have to look far.• DBS Bathrooms, existing SEO with us, good traffic.
18. • New Magento Site• Trust, Delivery, Samples, Design
19. •Conversion Rate 0.67 > 2.64
20. • Monthly Sales increased by 500%• Better trust, higher value sales too• Better ROI against existing SEO spend.
21. • So rankings and traffic…• It’s easier to build links if the site looks great.
22. • If not good enough, it’s your job.• No access? Make recommendations.• Get the onsite SEO & conversion perfect.
23. • We have the luxury of building 90% of client sites we optimise.• We’re twice as likely to loose a site we have no influence on.
24. • Standardize good practice• Includes offsite SEO, but particularly onsite.
25. • Collate your standards• htaccess files for each open source platform, speed & rewrites.• to Social Sharing, we’re playing with Yoast’s new..• 80 / 20
26. • Finally for delivery• learn from mistakes and successes.
27. • Are we the baddies• Favourite Mitchell & Webb sketch• Relaise when things no longer work or are negative or even bordering black hat.• For us, 6 years ago directories = results, writing content for sake.
28. Most important element of our equationCan’t manage 1000 customers on your own
29. Right people for the right jobGood communicates should be account managersDetail and tech’s should be responsible for deliveryRand fishkin touched on this exact point at searchlove last year and it’s importance
30. Keeping your team motivated will mean they are more productive and will produce better quality workIt’s not all about money, condsider positions, public recognition, side projects or even as simple as finding some common ground
31. Why?..... To Keep your team engaged with their role.
32. Really important to managing a load of SEO clients0- 60 team members over 5 yearsPromote from within to gain loyalty and commitmentTailor recruitment to your needs – remember right person right job.
33. We love gradsYoung people a chance to work in an exciting, expanding and growth industry
34. Something that Jason Woodford touched on at last years brighton SEOOur recommendation is sniff out the talent by getting involved in local universities, DMU, Aston, Coventry – Jobs fairs, lecture to relevant courses, Grad schemes whatevers possible
35. Training & ongoing investment in the teamSEO academy initial – all team members to standardize good practiceWeekly workshop allowing them to develop and discuss onsite, offsite, CRO, design, ROI, content marketing – any factorShare blogs, info, develop tools & encourage targeted side projects
36. Hard work shouldn’t be overlookedEncourage the individuals who build on your training as they will drive evolution, standards and processes forwardNeeded in a changing SEO landscape
37. Reminder to tailor your recruitment to your rolesRoles needed to manage 1000 customersDiscuss the roles (Onsite, link builders and content)
38. If you can use a system to help manage your customers then do it.
39. Whether it’s a google doc, off the shelf CRM system or a 80’s supercomputer use them to manage WorkflowsStructure delivery timingsStructure communications
40. You can’t scale your business without ensuring your delivering on a mass basis so spot check, preferably through systems.Monitor consistency, productivity and quality.
41. Key things are workflows, structure, communication and delivery.
42. Customer need to appreciate the value they’re getting for their investment and value the work your team is doing, you can only do this from talking to them. Align your perception and ensure your team are contacting clients. If you don’t someone else will….
43. If a client doesn’t received communication, they assume no work have been completed.
44. Add in 80 / 20 rule.