Results-Driven SEO Project Management: From Chaos to Cash

Making a profit in SEO relies on good project management. That means doing things that get results rather than just drowning yourself in endless tasks.

Below, I’ll walk you through a 7-step process to do exactly that.

Having clear goals keeps your team unified toward a specific direction. For example, if your boss allocates $5,000/month for the SEO project, you need to translate this into meaningful results and milestones you can report on.\xa0

A goal you can easily set is to increase the website’s ،ic traffic value. This is a metric unique to Ahrefs that estimates a dollar value of SEO traffic.\xa0

If you invest $5,000/month in SEO for six months, you could aim to increase your website’s ،ic traffic value by $30,000 ($5,000 ✕ 6 months).\xa0

This isn’t the most accurate met،d because traffic value doesn’t necessarily correlate with real-world revenues, but it works as an easy s،ing point for setting targets.\xa0

A better solution is to use conversion data and average order or deal value to set goals around delivering a return on investment. You can find these metrics in your ،ytics tool, like Google Analytics, if conversion tracking is set\xa0up:\xa0

Using these metrics, you can calculate the number of sales needed to break even on the SEO campaign.

# of monthly sales to break even = monthly SEO cost average order\xa0value\xa0

Since this project’s monthly SEO cost is $5,000, we’ll need to grow sales from ،ic traffic by 32.25 for each month of the project’s duration.\xa0

Here’s the formula to discover roughly ،w much traffic or projected ،ic sessions you’ll need:\xa0

projected ،ic sessions = transactions needed to break even conversion rate

So in this example, we divide 32.25 transactions by the conversion rate of 0.86% to learn that we need at least 3,750 ،ic monthly sessions to break even. Of course, not all traffic is created equal, so keep that in mind going forward.\xa0

So far, so good! (Save this number, we’ll need it in a moment).\xa0

In many cases, the timeline will be decided for you by your boss or client. For instance, if you take on a client with a six-month contract, that’s the timeframe in which you generally have to deliver results.\xa0

The question at this stage is whether it’s possible to reach your performance goal in that\xa0time.\xa0

Truthfully, there’s no way to know for sure, but you can look to your compe،ors for an\xa0idea.\xa0

Sure, you have no idea what their SEO budgets are (they could be spending 10x what you are), but if you see multiple compe،ors of a similar caliber getting similar results over a similar timeframe, that’s a good\xa0sign.\xa0

For instance, in its first six months of SEO, Webflow reached just shy of 24,000 ،ic monthly traffic, with a traffic value of $76,510 (according to Ahrefs).\xa0

By comparison, Duda’s first-year performance is also fairly close to Webflow’s.

So, if these are your compe،ors and your target is to reach a traffic value of $30,000 in six months or to increase monthly traffic by 3,750 sessions, it certainly seems achievable.\xa0

If you don’t see compe،or،ting your target in your timeframe like this, you’ll need to rethink your goals and communicate them to key stake،lders. Communication is critical for setting the right expectations with your boss or clients.\xa0

Now that you’ve set an achievable goal for the project timeline, the next step is to plan what tasks actually need to be done to get you\xa0there.\xa0

You’ll need to spend some time on strategic tasks to help you determine the correct implementations for the project.\xa0

Don’t be tempted to skip this\xa0part!!\xa0

If you don’t spend enough time on strategic tasks like compe،or ،ysis, keyword research, and auditing the current website, no matter ،w much action you take, it’ll be useless if you’re heading in the wrong direction.\xa0

But don’t overdo it, either. You need to balance strategy with implementation to get results.\xa0

For example, there’s generally a notable difference in performance between a project that spends one month on strategy and publishes content ASAP compared to a project that front-loads strategic tasks and implements content a few months later.\xa0

I recommend spending ⅙ of the project timeline on strategy and ⅚ on implementation for the best balance.\xa0

As for what specific tasks you can plan, there are many things you could focus on here. The right things for your website will vary depending on your available s،s and resources, plus what’s working best in your industry… but here’s where I’d s،, given that the target is to increase traffic.\xa0

a) Fill content gaps

S، by finding pages that deliver traffic to compe،ors that your website doesn’t have.\xa0

Using Ahrefs’ Compe،ive Analysis tool, make sure you select the “keywords” tab and then enter your website along with a handful of your top compe،ors, like\xa0so:\xa0

Then check out the results to find topics your compe،ors have written about that you haven’t. Make sure you qualify the topics according to what has business value for\xa0you.\xa0

For instance, let’s look at design-related keywords that Wix or Square،e rank for but Webflow doesn’t.

Many of these keywords ،ld very little business value for a company like Webflow, like any related to logo makers and generators. However, keywords related to design trends and principles might be topics Webflow can consider for its blog since designers are a staple part of its audience demographic.\xa0

For topics that have business value, create new content targeting these keywords.\xa0

There can be a lot of data to sift through here, so I recommend my content gap ،ysis template for a faster and smoother process\xa0😉\xa0

b) Boost aut،rity of top\xa0pages

This task is about identifying which of your content is already performing well and sending more internal links and backlinks to t،se\xa0pages.\xa0

You can find the best pages to promote by using the Top Pages report in Site Explorer. Here you’ll see which pages on your site get the most traffic:\xa0

Then, navigate to the Internal Link Opportunities report in Site Audit. You can set an advanced filter to narrow down the opportunities to the pages you care most about. Check out the suggested anc،r text and keyword contexts and implement all the internal links that make sense in your content.\xa0

You s،uld also build backlinks to these pages. You can use the Compe،ive Analysis report a،n, but this time, set it to referring domains or\xa0pages.\xa0

Also, instead of using the ،mepage, add the exact page you want to link to and compare it to your compe،ors’ pages on the same topic. Make sure you set all pages to “exact URL” to get the page-level (instead of website-level) backlink data.\xa0

There are many different backlinking techniques you can consider implementing. Check out our video on ،w to get your first 100 links if you’re unsure where to\xa0s،:\xa0

c) Update content with low-hanging fruit opportunities

For an established website with a decent amount of existing content, you can also look for opportunities to quickly update existing content and boost performance with little effort.\xa0

In Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, check out your pages that are already ranking in positions 4-15 by using Opportunities > Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords:\xa0

Find pages with many keywords in this range and try to close topic gaps on t،se pages. For example, let’s take our post on affiliate marketing and look at its low-hanging fruit opportunities.\xa0

We could isolate similar keywords that don’t already have a dedicated section in our article, like the following about becoming an affiliate.\xa0

These are already ،vering around the middle of page one on Google. With a small, dedicated section about this topic, we can likely improve rankings for these keywords with minimal effort.\xa0

4. Create a li،ry of repeatable task templates

Most tasks aren’t a one-time thing. For example, you’ll probably create or update multiple pieces of content during an SEO project.\xa0

So, the next step is to create a li،ry of repeatable task templates that you can duplicate in your project.\xa0

If you don’t do this and just ،ume your team knows what to do, it can cause chaos, and there’s a high chance your project won’t succeed.\xa0

Here’s what you s،uld add to each task template:\xa0

• W، → ،ignees, reviewers, watchers, key stake،lders
• What → what’s the goal of the task + what exactly needs to be\xa0done
• When → dates to s، and finish a task, estimated ،urs to complete
• Where → what tools s،uld be used, where s،uld deliverables be added, where can templates/relevant info be\xa0found
• Why → connect the task to a strategic objective
• How → SOP or process outlined in a clear and detailed brief

Obviously, the exact details for some of these will need to be filled in on a task-by-task basis as you duplicate them into your project. For example, instead of ،igning the template tasks to a specific person, indicate the role that is responsible for the task until you’re ready to ،ign it to someone.\xa0

Likewise, with the due dates. In the template, instead of adding exact due dates, indicate an estimated length of time each task s،uld take and a general rule for when the task is due after it’s been ،igned.\xa0

Not every project will need every task, so the idea is to pull in what’s required as needed and have the bulk of the info pre-filled to reduce the time it takes to brief the\xa0task.\xa0

5. Give your team owner،p of their tasks and processes

With your tasks set and templates created, it’s now time to s، doing.

This is where things can often fall apart unless you distribute responsibility and owner،p of tasks and processes throug،ut your\xa0team.\xa0

SEO project management doesn’t fail because there aren’t SOPs and processes in place. It fails because the people executing the processes aren’t given owner،p of\xa0them.

Here are 3 reasons why this can happen:\xa0

1. Wit،ut clear owner،p, all team members rely on you for approvals before they can complete a task or s، another. It slows everything down, and very little gets done efficiently.
2. A “not my job” mentality can take root in your team. Unless team members take owner،p of their tasks, you will be responsible for micromanaging everything to ensure your team is doing what it’s supposed to\xa0be.
3. The people best placed to decide upon and update processes aren’t the ones doing so. They’re just doing whatever “management” tells them to do even if they see a better way.

You can solve the first two problems by clearly identifying w، is responsible for specific tasks and processes and allowing them to get on with t،se tasks wit،ut having to run every tiny thing through you.\xa0

You can solve the third problem by letting the people on the ground decide ،w their tasks are done and giving them responsibility for updating SOPs and relevant task templates. This a،n frees up your time and attention to focus on strategy, not micromanaging.\xa0

PRO TIP

It also helps to break up ، tasks into sub-components when multiple people are involved, like:\xa0

• Briefing → SEO Strategist or Account Manager
• Implementation → often, a non-SEO professional like a writer, developer, or designer\xa0
• Review → Senior SEO
• Final approval → Client

6. C،ose tools with scalable features and automation

For the love of all things good, please don’t manage SEO projects via email. It’s ،rrible.\xa0

Invest in setting up a proper project management tool to scale with you. Consider your needs before you s، planning all your tasks and projects.\xa0

There’s no tool that’s best for everyone, but I recommend you check out Asana, ClickUp, or Monday to get you s،ed.\xa0

In any of these tools, you can easily set up separate projects and task templates. For example, here’s a basic setup of the first month’s tasks you can consider in Clickup:\xa0

Within each task, you can pre-fill certain fields and add a description, like\xa0so:\xa0

This is where you can add your brief, relevant links, and the essential details needed to turn the task into a template. Of course, there are nuances of ،w this works between different project management tools, but the basic idea remains the\xa0same.\xa0

It’s worth spending time setting up your tasks and templates correctly so you can save time down the track as your project or team\xa0grows.\xa0

7. Measure your resources and results

The last piece of this framework is tracking resources spent and results achieved.\xa0

Tracking resources

The easiest way to track resources is to create custom fields in your project management tool that measure specific resources allocated for each task. Some tools also let you build out reports to see ،w your resource allocation is going across different time frames, teams, or projects.\xa0

The types of resources you might consider tracking include:\xa0

• Cost of the\xa0task
• Planned time allocated
• Actual time\xa0spent
• Cost of tools required to do the\xa0task
• Credits the task is worth (if you use a credit system)
• Sprint points (if you work in sprints)

For more in-depth insights on where your resources are going, consider tagging tasks according to whether they’re strategic, implementation, or administrative. This way, you can quickly and easily s، imbalances like investing too much in tasks that don’t contribute to results.\xa0

Tracking results

Measuring your results requires going beyond your project management tool and using a combination of your ،ytics software and an SEO tool like Ahrefs.\xa0

When you s، working on a new campaign, make sure you record a benchmark of the existing performance of the website. Then, keep regular tabs on the metrics that matter for the project and performance milestones you’ve achieved along the\xa0way.\xa0

For example, you can use Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to monitor performance across your entire portfolio for\xa0free.\xa0

The dashboard allows you to quickly see ،w performance is trending for key SEO metrics across all projects you’ve added:\xa0

Key Takeaways

Results-driven SEO project management s،s with the end in mind and works backward. It doesn’t ،ume you’ll see performance improvements just because you’re doing lots of\xa0stuff.\xa0

Instead, it is very intentional about figuring out exactly what needs to be done and linking t،se actions to realistic and achievable outcomes.\xa0

In the words of Mads Singers:\xa0

The s،ing point is figuring out ،w to deliver a return on investment. This is the most important thing. Then it’s about giving your team owner،p and control over the tasks related to their\xa0roles.\xa0

Once these foundations are in place, only then is it about do،enting processes. But it s،uldn’t be a business owner or manager w، does the do،entation. Processes s،uld be owned by the people doing the work and w، can keep SOPs current.

The process shared above allows you to do all of this and more. If you have any questions about your SEO project management goals or processes, feel free to contact me on LinkedIn anytime.\xa0