Selling SEO transformations to leadership
When I share how Product-led SEO transformation might be effective in various companies, I frequently face pushback due to its unfamiliarity. Here's how to sell it.
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When I share how Product-led SEO might be effective in various companies, I frequently face pushback due to its unfamiliarity. For the last two decades, most SEO has followed a straightforward playbook of researching keywords, writing content, and building links. ]Product-led SEO is an entirely novel way of creating SEO that is unfamiliar to most SEO budget holders, and many times, it creates a strong response.
(In the interest of space and not throwing too much information at readers, I will not reiterate what Product-Led SEO is. For that, check out this post or read my book. )
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Additionally, I advocate for SEO being placed within a product team, which is easy enough to implement if you are the CEO but not so much if you are the SEO or marketing manager reporting to a marketing or company leader. These are certainly barriers to implementing SEO change, but they aren’t insurmountable.
Yet, I am often successful at advocating for a changed approach, so I want to share some of what I learned in this newsletter.
Change begins with the leadership
From my experience, I have seen that there are four types of managers within a company when it comes to SEO, and only some of them will be receptive to a novel approach that requires a fundamental change. When change is not adopted, you, as the advocate for change, can choose to give up or move on to another company/role.
As an outside consultant, when my approach to SEO isn’t a fit, it is far easier for me to choose not to engage, but if you are in an SEO/marketing role within a company, that is a much more challenging choice.
The first step in advocating for change is to identify the personalities, and only then can you adopt a strategy to sell that change. These personality types apply to any function with any level of background in SEO.
Persona 1: The rankings-obsessed SEO wizard
These are the toughest nuts to crack. They have direct experience with SEO or have read/learned something that convinces them they have a high level of SEO knowledge. As an SEO manager, your role is to execute their strategy.
These leaders insist on obtaining links with high domain authority, flooding sites with keyword-heavy content, and caring very much about their rankings.
Getting this leader to see another point of view on SEO is challenging because they already know how SEO needs to be done. The best you can do in this scenario is to go along with their plans, but you can try to leave them a seed of doubt that one day, on their own, they may realize that there is more to SEO than they realize.
I might suggest that they continue their shady link acquisition efforts but ask if it's OK if I check back in a few months to analyze how those links might have worked out. Lately, the conversation I have had too often in the last few months is to suggest that their activities around high volumes of AI content have led to penalties on other sites. Rather than try to convince them when they stubbornly insist on their playbook, I ask for permission to check in again in a few months to see how their content is performing.
And then, leave it there. Just check back; if things have changed, there might be an opportunity to try something new. If not, so be it.
Persona 2: I used to do SEO, but I am curious
This type of leader might also feel very confident in their SEO strategic wisdom, but they are open to trying new things. Rather than telling them what they are doing is obsolete with SEO, I try to merge the two ideas so I can guide them on traditional SEO and Product-led SEO. I pull together before-and-after case studies from competitors or other companies. I show them the exact numbers: traffic patterns, conversion rates, and revenue growth. I frame it as an addition to their current strategy, not a replacement.
Another effective tactic is to connect Product-led SEO to their existing KPIs. If they care about rankings, show them how addressing user intent and product integration actually improves ranking: just to a different page. If they're focused on traffic, demonstrate how Product-led SEO content captures more qualified visitors who stick around longer. Ideally, I want them chasing revenue, but that might be too much to ask at that point. The goal is to get them to try something new.
Persona 3: I am skeptical, but I will give it a shot
These managers are easier to work with but don’t take their flexibility as an open invitation to gamble on their traffic. They're skeptical but willing to be convinced with solid evidence.
You might only have one shot, so don’t screw it up.
I propose a small-scale test on a site section or a specific product category. Set clear metrics for success, but include both traditional SEO metrics they trust and Product-Led SEO metrics that show the fuller picture. I would suggest something like: "Let's try this approach on our top three products for three months. We'll track rankings and revenue; if they don't outperform your current approach, you can switch back."
I attempt to document everything meticulously. When I pivot to a new approach, having solid data showing why it worked will help make the case for more budget. (It’s also great for case studies.) If this is a small-scale pilot, I build a strategy for scaling it if they go all-in on this approach.
Again, the goal is to not screw it up by proposing more than I can ever get done.
Persona 4: I need a pivot
For now, this manager is a unicorn. Their prior SEO strategy or agency has burned them, and they need no convincing to try a different approach. These are usually the companies I work with as a consultant because they proactively seek a different direction.
Consider yourself lucky if you meet one of these as a client or manager. There are no tips to convince this person because they are convinced already. They are ready to work with you to unleash SEO success.
Product-led SEO is the future
I may be biased, but I strongly feel that as traditional SEO begins to decline in its predictable outcomes, there is a massive opportunity for new paradigms of SEO to be utilized. Product-led SEO is an excellent fit because it naturally aligns with the future of information discovery. As users change, the effort to attract those users will similarly change when the user is the focus rather than the engine.
I believe we will be Googling for many more years, but if users switch to ChatGPT or Claude, SEO, especially Product-led SEO, will always have a role. (see past newsletters on these topics).
Many companies may struggle to realize that their traditional SEO is less effective, and that’s just fine. You can’t win every client/job. Move on from them and focus on the companies and leaders open to change.
Those who are resistant will eventually be forced to change, and hopefully, someone will help them when they are ready. Until that time, focus on those who want to work with you.
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