Search engine optimization (SEO) is constantly changing. Search engines continuously introduce tweaks to their ranking algorithms, find new ways to rank or index website content and develop new data sources. Monitoring your visibility and traffic on a regular basis and adapting to changes where possible is key.
You’re also going to be wrong a lot of the time. That’s just how it works. For all of the powerful SEO tools out there that can help you get a sense of the competition and traffic in your vertical and what it will take to build search traffic, there will always be surprises. Accept this before you get started: you won’t always come away with success. What you will come away with, though, is more data to work from.
Every site has a unique:
- Vertical
- Market of users
- History
- Authority
- Technical platform
- Internal link structure
- External link profile
So there’s no “one size fits all” in SEO. Every solution will look different, have unique components and require it’s own level of time and attention. That said, the SEO workflow cycle is, in general, the same or quite similar across all situations.
In light of the unpredictable nature of SEO, it makes sense to take measured steps over time and regularly evaluate the impact of actions taken. In the interest of a simple approach to organization, I use a 4-phase cyclical workflow that informs nearly every campaign I manage.
The Four-Phase SEO Workflow
- Research - collect and analyze relevant and available data such as
- Keyword referrals
- User behavior
- Keyword data from external sources (average monthly usage, seasonality, emerging trends, competitive data)
- Competitor data
- Market data
- Strategize - prioritize and select opportunities for improvement, set modest hypotheses about the results of tactics, link hypotheses and tactics to specific and reasonable metrics and goals and allocate the resources you’ll need (time, in most cases) to implement these tactics
- Implement - Get it done!
- Observe - Monitor the effects of your work, making adjustments or correcting mistakes where necessary (but keep corrections minimal or you’ll convolute the data)
In my experience, the life of this cycle should usually be around 3 months. Any less (i.e. 1 month) and you’re not allowing enough time for the engines to reevaluate your code/content and adjust rankings (and thereby traffic) accordingly. Too much more and you could be missing opportunities to react to changes and trends, and you may simply be wasting time.
I should add a slight disclaimer here: if you’re managing a site with a significant amount of traffic, you’re going to need to shorten the cycle quite a bit. For websites in the upper traffic ranges, changes to site code/structure/content can be reflected in the search results in less than a day.
The idea here is to refine your tactics over time based on the actual results your efforts achieve. For example, if you create/optimize content to target a given keyword and then observe that the improvement in ranking was minimal at best, your strategy will have to change. It may mean a reevaluation of the link profile of the website and using new tactics for building authority in that regard (i.e. link building). It may mean reassessment of your goals altogether - you may have been too optimistic. This flexibility to make changes to your expectations, strategy and tactics as results come in is crucial to achieving success.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
IgniteMedia 11.03.08 at 1:56 pm
Great post. I think that the life cycle drawn out here is perfect for most of the businesses that my company deals with; small to medium size businesses. I think that #2 (strategize) is where most firms fall short. They do the research and then jump right into the optimization. Taking the time to come-up with a solid strategy is extremely important, as it gives goals to works towards and allows for measurability within the results.
The tough thing I think that comes to mind is quoting a potential client without having come-up with the strategy first. I think this is one of the biggest stumpling blocks. You don’t want to necessarily give them exactly what you are going to do before you’ve signed them on as a client, but how do yo come up with an appropriate budget if you don’t figure out your strategy first?
Mike Tekula 11.03.08 at 2:18 pm
@IgniteMedia Definitely a good point - quoting for a prospective client without getting into the meat of the research and strategy development can be tricky. I think the ability to do it with any kind of precision is always going to be elusive. At the end of the day, probably the best we can do is either 1) set a retainer model for ongoing contracts that is simply going to lack a precise match-up with [# of Hours] x [Hourly Rate] or 2) set a cyclical contract model that meshes with what you think the client needs (i.e. an initial optimization period of six months with two quarterly reviews - at the second and final review as per the contract, reevaluate goals and tactics required to reach them).
At some point we’ve just got to admit that we’re flying by the seats of our pants in some respects. We can spend all the time we want estimating costs and likely achievements, but we’ll never get it perfect because it isn’t a closed system. With that in mind, I like building flexibility into the contract model. I think at the end of the day what is most important is being honest with your clients about the results of your efforts - not stubbornly standing by an initial assessment of needs and goals that proved to be wrong.
Singapore SEO 11.04.08 at 1:35 am
Great article! Your SEO workflow reminds me of Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Mike Tekula 11.04.08 at 11:43 am
@Singapore SEO That’s interesting - I honestly haven’t dealt with the SDLC before. But you’re right, it is quite similar. Thanks for the reference.
DazzlinDonna 11.13.08 at 12:28 pm
Really glad I ran across your blog. It has definite heart! Looking forward to reading more posts like this one. I stumbled and sphunn it, btw. Just to prove I liked it!
Mike Tekula 11.13.08 at 12:50 pm
Thanks Donna! Coming from someone of your talent and experience, that means a great deal.