Outsourcing SEO can be a smart move for your business, especially when scaling or filling skill gaps. An external team brings expertise, saves time, and improves ROI. However, managing them effectively is key to maximizing your results.
Curious how to get the best out of your outsourced SEO team? This guide is for you. Below, we’ll walk you through actionable tips to manage your team efficiently from setting clear goals to navigating cultural differences.
Defining Clear Goals and Expectations for Your SEO Team
Every successful partnership starts with clarity and open communication. If your outsourced SEO team doesn’t fully understand your business objectives, target audience, and key goals, the strategies they implement are unlikely to deliver the results you’re hoping for. Misaligned expectations can lead to missed opportunities, wasted resources, and disappointing outcomes. Clear collaboration ensures everyone is on the same page and working toward measurable success.
Be specific about your goals
Avoid vague directives like “rank higher on Google.” Instead, outline precise objectives such as:
- Increasing organic traffic by 20% within six months by implementing a targeted content strategy, optimizing SEO, and improving website performance.
- Improving domain authority to 40 in the next year through high-quality backlink building, consistent content creation, and technical SEO enhancements.
- Generating X number of qualified inbound leads monthly by refining lead capture methods, optimizing landing pages, and aligning content with audience needs.
The more defined your goals, the easier it is for your SEO team to align their strategy with your vision.
Align on KPIs and metrics
Agree on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will measure progress. These could include:
Keyword ranking improvements: Track how well your target keywords are performing in search engine results over time. Improved rankings can lead to increased visibility and attract more visitors to your site.
Organic traffic growth: Measure the increase in visitors coming to your website through unpaid search results, indicating the effectiveness of your SEO strategies.
Click-through rates (CTR) from search results: Analyze the percentage of users clicking on your site from search engine results pages, giving insight into how well your meta titles and descriptions are engaging users.
Bounce rates or time on page for specific content: Monitor how long users stay on your site or specific pages and whether they leave immediately, helping you understand content relevance and user engagement.
Discuss these KPIs with your team upfront to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Share your business context
Your outsourced team should understand your company’s overall goals, target audience, competitors, and industry insights. This context helps them develop strategies that align with your brand voice and market needs.
Establishing Transparent Communication Channels
Strong communication is the backbone of successful collaboration, ensuring everyone stays aligned and focused on shared goals. Without it, even the most skilled SEO team can feel disconnected, leading to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and an inability to deliver optimal results. Clear and consistent communication fosters trust, streamlines processes, and helps teams adapt to challenges effectively.
Choose the right communication tools
Ensure you have reliable tools to communicate effectively and keep your team on the same page. Here are some popular options to consider:
- Slack or Microsoft Teams: Perfect for daily updates, quick questions, and real-time chats. These platforms allow for direct messaging, group conversations, and file sharing, making collaboration seamless.
- Zoom or Google Meet: Ideal for regular check-ins, team meetings, and strategy reviews. Both tools offer video conferencing with screen sharing and recording options to ensure everyone stays aligned, no matter where they are.
- Project management tools like Trello or Asana: These platforms help you stay organized by tracking progress, assigning tasks, and setting deadlines. They provide visibility into ongoing projects, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
With these tools, you can foster clear communication, improve productivity, and keep your projects moving forward.
Define communication protocols
Set clear expectations for how and when to communicate. For instance:
- Weekly or bi-weekly video calls to review performance, discuss key metrics, and address any immediate concerns or questions.
- Monthly reports providing a detailed summary of progress, challenges faced, and actionable insights for future improvements.
- Daily updates to keep everyone informed about the status of ongoing tasks or campaigns, ensuring transparency and alignment across all teams.
Also, establish who the point of contact will be on both sides. This prevents miscommunication and keeps things streamlined.
Encourage open feedback
Create an environment where both teams feel comfortable sharing feedback openly and constructively. Encourage a culture of trust where individuals can address challenges, like missed deadlines, without fear of judgment and suggest actionable ways to improve processes or efficiency. By fostering honesty and transparency, you help everyone grow, build stronger collaboration, and ultimately achieve better results together
Regular Performance Reviews and Feedback
Your SEO strategy won’t succeed without regular performance tracking and actionable feedback. Here’s how you can maintain momentum:
Review progress frequently
Schedule performance reviews at consistent intervals. Depending on your campaign goals, you could opt for monthly or quarterly evaluations. Discuss whether targets are being met and identify areas for improvement.
Analyze reports together
Ensure your outsourced team provides comprehensive and detailed reports on key metrics such as:
- Current keyword rankings and their movements over time, so you can track progress and identify trends.
- Updates on technical SEO fixes, including which issues have been resolved and any outstanding tasks that need attention.
- Traffic splits across organic, paid, and referral sources, offering a clear picture of where your website visitors are coming from and which channels are performing best.
Take the time to review these reports collaboratively with your team. This allows you to ask questions, clarify any points of confusion, and make informed decisions about whether to stick with your current strategy or pivot where necessary to achieve better results.
Offer constructive feedback
Instead of vague critiques, provide specific, actionable feedback. For example:
- Instead of saying, “Our traffic hasn’t improved enough,” say, “Can we focus on optimizing content for X keyword? It aligns with our target audience’s recent search trends.”
Providing the Right Tools and Resources
Your outsourced team can perform better with access to the right resources. Think of it as equipping them with the right gear for the task at hand.
Grant access to essential tools
Your team will need access to tools to manage SEO efficiently. Make sure they have accounts or permissions for:
- Google Analytics and Google Search Console
- SEO tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz
- Content management platforms like WordPress
Supply company assets
Share any internal resources they may need, like branding guidelines, your content calendar, or customer personas. This helps them create tailored, consistent strategies for your business.
Provide relevant training opportunities
Encourage your team to stay ahead of the curve by investing in industry training or certifications. For instance, Pro-level courses on platforms like HubSpot or Google may benefit both you and your outsourced team.
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Understanding Cultural Differences and Time Zones
One challenge with outsourced teams, especially international ones, is navigating cultural differences and time zones. But these hurdles are manageable and can even be turned into strengths.
Address time zone differences upfront
If your team is in a different region, it’s important to establish a schedule that works for both sides to ensure smooth collaboration. Identify overlapping hours that can be used for meetings, discussions, or real-time problem-solving. Clearly agree on timelines for delivering updates, reports, or completed tasks to avoid confusion. Additionally, consider using tools like shared calendars or project management platforms to keep everyone aligned and informed, regardless of time zones.
Be mindful of cultural nuances
Cultural differences can influence how your outsourced team approaches work or communication. For example, some cultures may value direct orders, while others might appreciate a more collaborative approach. Take the time to understand their work culture and adapt accordingly.
Build strong relationships
Go beyond surface-level business conversations to build genuine trust and camaraderie with your colleagues or clients. Taking small yet thoughtful steps, such as acknowledging their local holidays, showing interest in their traditions, or asking about their culture, can create a positive and lasting impression. These gestures demonstrate respect, curiosity, and a willingness to connect on a deeper level, making your professional relationships more meaningful and collaborative.
Conclusion
Successfully managing an outsourced SEO team requires clear expectations, open communication, and trust. Set goals, provide tools, and build collaboration to maximize the benefits of outsourcing. Remember, outsourcing SEO isn’t just about saving time; it’s about building a partnership that drives your business forward.
