7 Best Project Management Tools for SEO Agencies

SEO agencies are always moving fast. Each working day is either on pro-active mode or reacting quickly to Google algorithm updates or new guidelines. For this reason, counting on a project management tool that can help you to get things done efficiently is crucial.

Project management tools are known for improving accountability, providing clarity, and enforcing deadlines. But do you know what solution to choose for your SEO agency? To answer, we put together the seven best options available and their particularities so that you can make the correct decision.

Trello: The most visual

Trello is a favorite project management tool for visual learners. With it, you can manage your SEO activities through appealing boards and cards, move them around, and play with colors. You can also follow your projects on the move with apps for iOS and Android.

Some say that this solution is more suitable for personal projects, such as planning family holidays or weddings. Non-visual learners may find it silly. But many companies are happy with Trello – and if you have no idea how it can help your SEO agency, you can try a free template to get started.

seo project management tool

Be aware that Trello doesn’t suit advanced project management. It will give you attachments, comments, and due dates. Integration with Slack, GDrive, Evernote, and MailChimp are also available, but only one per board in the free version. If you want more, or to use the calendar feature or advanced admin permissions, you will need the paid membership.

Asana: Good for small teams

Asana has been the choice of many project managers looking for something both simple and resourceful. It might take some time to learn how to use it – expect a slight learning curve – but once you do, it’s a good tool for small teams.

You can map out priorities, progress, and status. Organizing tasks per goal is another interesting feature that will help your team to understand the relevance of what they are doing. File sharing tools can be integrated, such as GDrive, Dropbox, and One Drive, and the comment box is efficient. A calendar is available, and there are reports to keep you on track.

seo project management tool

As usual, some of the most exciting features aren’t included in the free Basic plan. One of them is the timeline, which shows all tasks and due dates together, giving you a better view of your current workload. And only the Business plan offers Portfolios, a view where you can check more than one project at the same time.

QuickBase: Focus on data sharing

QuickBase offers solutions for businesses looking to minimize the use of spreadsheets. This tool was initially created to focus on data sharing, so it will help you to set up forms, fields, tables, and reports for your SEO projects.

seo project management tool

Besides that, you can customize your project, manage roles and permissions, and make the most of document management in the cloud. To decrease the time you spend setting it up, you can load a template or duplicate an existing project.

The Portfolio view allows you to track progress across all your projects on the same screen. The task management tool comes with alerts, reminders, and notifications to keep everybody on track. You can also add a task to multiple projects. But there is no free version – you have to sign up for a free 30-day trial to test it. Also, you may need developer assistance to add integrations.

Wrike: Powerful with a paid plan

Wrike aligns goals across teams, automates assignments with Request Forms, and lets you use templates to inform your team of the expected standard of your project. It comes with board view, task management, file sharing, real-time activity stream, and spreadsheet view. But to enjoy its best features, you will need to sign up for the paid plans.

As an SEO agency, you will like the possibility of organizing client projects into categories. You can also manage client requirements and requests, and use Write Proof to document proofing and approval tracking. In addition, you will be able to plan and allocate resources, plus upload and edit documents without saving files to your computer.

seo project management tool

The live activity stream keeps you posted about all activities in real time. Integrations with Zapier, Adobe Creative Cloud, GitHub, and JIRA are available – the last two only for a limited period. The free version allows you to add five users but comes with disappointing 2GB of storage space.

Basecamp: The all-inclusive solution

Basecamp claims to have the best all-inclusive plan, putting together functionalities from other tools in one package. It gives you unlimited users, unlimited projects, 500Gb of file storage, real-time chat, to-do list, and schedules for US$99/month. There is a 30-day free trial, but it might not be long enough to test all features.

It can be a good deal if the alternative is to sign up for the pro versions of Slack, Asana, GSuite, and Dropbox to have access to the same features. However, if you don’t need some of the above, or if you already have them, the cost-benefit might disappear. Also, if your SEO agency is a small business, the fee can seem expensive.

seo project management tool

One of the most popular functionalities is the Check-in Questions, which allows you to chat to your entire team together without having to hold a meeting – all replies will be there for you in one single thread. You can also give access to guests to your chat room, in case you want a client to join the conversation.

Monday: The newbie

Monday has become popular thanks to its easy and flexible starting point. Templates make set up faster and allow for plenty of customization. Each workflow can look different from the other so that you can adapt it to the needs of each project or team. For instance, you can have one for content planning, another for client management, and a third for social media.

seo project management tool

This project management tool comes with over 20 column types, Kaban view, embedded forms, and iOS and Android apps. Storage is up to 5GB, users limited to five with the Basic plan (there is no free version, but a 30-day free trial), and you can count on two-factor authentication to add another security layer to your project.

Moving up to Standard plan, which is a bit more expensive, you get access to advanced search – a crucial feature for complex projects. You will also have calendar, map, and chart views. Monday can also be integrated to Slack, GDrive, and Dropbox, or even competitors, such as Trello and Asana.

Gryffin: The most complete

If you are looking for a powerful, comprehensive SEO project management software, Gryffin is the best option for you. With it, you only need to upgrade your plan when: your team grows, you have a large number of projects, or you need increased storage space. In other words, you spend more only when you are making more money.

With Gryffin, each project has a hub where you can see your files, emails, chats, calendars, milestones, invoices, and expenses together in one place.

Tasks can be created within a project, and you can also automate your workflows—making it easy to streamline repetitive and ongoing SEO projects such as content creation and link building.

And, thanks to Gryffin’s email integration, you can send or attach emails to your projects without any hassle, something you won’t get with any other competitor.

Project managers can easily see what’s pending at a glance, and team members can work on projects simultaneously without overwriting each other, or missing a piece of the conversation.

The free version gives you up to five users, 10 workspaces, and 5GB of storage—an ideal package for small SEO agencies. But Gryffin allows SEO agencies to easily scale by offering unlimited projects within those workspaces.

seo project management tool

The Takeaway

Choosing the best project management tool to your SEO agency is all about understanding your needs first. List what features are essential to you, the size of your team, and the number of your projects and clients. You should also consider the best way to communicate with your team and the tools you already have in place.

Those looking for an easy-to-use, affordable, and robust solution will see that Gryffin is the best option available.