While SEO is an important part of marketing strategies, it requires support and input from your IT team, which is responsible for the search engine access to the company website, as well as putting necessary redirects in place and fixing any server errors. We discuss four simple methods to involve IT in SEO projects and develop a smooth working relationship.
1. Inclusion and Education
For every SEO project you run, ensure a member of the IT department is included in it. This means all stakeholders are fully aware of what is happening and required from each team and helps to foster stronger relationships between departments.
Also, take the opportunity to talk to IT team members you interact with and help them understand your approach to SEO. While they may already have a grasp of SEO concepts – which is something to ask them about – there are several ways to implement them, and it’s worth making sure everyone is clear on your methods.
2. Tracking
The IT team are likely to have regular meetings to track their multiple projects. Either get an invitation to such meetings to discuss SEO-related feature requests or bug reports or arrange a separate meeting that concentrates on SEO-specific issues if that suits all parties. Various companies such as Elevate UK provide professional SEO services in London; if you’re outsourcing SEO, you may want to include them in such meetings.
3. Requirements
As Forbes points out, successful SEO campaigns are an ongoing process, and you’ll have a continuous stream of requirements. To get IT to build anything for you, you’ll need to learn how to write requirements that clearly state what you need and how it should look once built. This is where fostering relationships helps you: there will be some back and forth between you and the IT team as you fine-tune your requirements. If you’re using professional SEO services in London, they can help you develop clear requirements.
4. Project Prioritie
You have your project priorities, but unless they line up with IT’s resources they won’t get done on your schedule. That means defining each project by value and size so it’s clear what is required and its benefit to the business. Communicate this well, and continue building relationships with IT, and you’ll create an integrated team that drives SEO success.