Whether your team is working on blog articles for clients, guest posts, infographics or pitches to influencers, managing all those projects involves numerous delegated tasks. All of these many tasks may be delegated to different team members, while the bigger picture of the project may be focused, written and driven by SEO keywords and analytics.
For marketing agencies, SEO project management software may be the key to keeping campaign data organized and updated while providing the necessary tools to measure success and boost rankings.
There are four pillars of SEO, and your software needs to manage all of them. So what are the four pillars of SEO?
- Technical SEO
- Content Creation
- Outreach/Link Building
- Reporting/Analytics
Each pillar is necessary to build a strong foundation for success, and comprehensive software simplifies processes and keeps the agency on target to meet (and exceed!) project goals.
The Importance of Using Project Management Software
Maybe you assume your agency can use multiple programs and platforms to manage different aspects of your campaign. Not an issue, right? There might be a content management system, SEMRush to measure and watch those SEO stats, maybe a spreadsheet that lists assignments, plus another doc for the editorial calendar.
Let’s not forget email, too. And let’s add a messaging platform via devices…maybe Slack? Let’s also assume that the entire agency is virtual. Everyone works from home! So now everyone has to have all these different platforms and programs. Maybe a few team members don’t need to review SEMRush, so they’re down one program.
But everyone else? They’re checking different programs, opening up tons of windows to keep it all together. Alongside their computer screen is their phone. For convenience. And to, of course, access the messaging app so that everyone can communicate effortlessly.
This is effortless, right? Maybe not. Why does your agency need project management software? To stay focused, organized and to avoid the absolute insane screen clutter of multiple screens and platforms.
SEO project management software isn’t focused just on those three letters: S-E-O. The software is beyond search engine optimization; it optimizes performance, time and the entire team. The four pillars of the software hold everything together, like a strong foundation.
What to Look for in an SEO Project Management System
An SEO project management system has to hold up your agency…support it. To ensure the management system your agency chooses offers a strong foundation, look for features that offer the four pillars of support.
Pillar 1: Technical SEO Capabilities
Software should include features and benefits that address issues related to technical SEO functions like site speed and GSC errors. Is the client’s page taking 10 minutes to fully load? That’s going to be a problem. And that snail of a page isn’t going to keep the attention of visitors. Software that syncs with or is compatible with SEMRush is what your agency needs to monitor speed.
Get ready for the page to be minimized and closed. Stats will fall, and, yes, the SEO will suffer. Look for tools within the software that can address site speed and show data for every page.
SEO software also should help agencies quickly identify GSC errors? There are many different GSC issues, but you won’t know about them quickly or easily if your SEO software isn’t compatible or doesn’t sync up with Google Search Console.
Ensure Pillar One is set within your foundation, and look for software that syncs with or is compatible with both SEMRush and GSC.
Pillar 2: Content Creation
Without content, a site is meaningless. SEO project management software needs to offer a content management system to create, edit, manage and publish all types of content. Software should allow for all stages of creation and implementation, and tasks should be automated to minimize time waste and ensure continuous workflow.
Agencies should look for software that allows for personalization for each client’s needs and project goals. This includes setting project workflow and timelines within the system. For example, a blog article task can be created and sent to the writer, with the workflow automatically programmed to then move to editing, graphic design, client approval and, finally, site publication.
Email also should sync with the system. The client might send an email that gives directives on content. That email account shouldn’t be a separate entity completely. Software that syncs to email enables users to attach emails to tasks and projects so that everyone has the info needed.
However, the content itself also should link within the editorial calendar on the system. As a content task is created, it also should appear on the program’s editorial calendar function. Content isn’t simply about the creation and publication, but the management and scheduling of the content must be tracked, too.
If the software has a great CMS component but doesn’t offer an editorial calendar function (or the ability to even create an edit cal), move on and look at other programs.
Why is an editorial calendar such a necessary content tool? It includes all the content for each client, the target site, the audience, and the keywords associated with that task. Not only does it keep the timeline in check, but it also serves as a reminder about the audience, the reach and the keywords that are targeted.
The best software also should offer the option of editorial calendar customization. Sometimes a template is the best choice, but, often, a client’s needs demand a custom approach.
Pillar 3: Outreach & Link Building
The strength of project management software can also be measured in its ability to track outreach and link building. These capabilities point back to the editorial calendar component of the program.
While the editorial calendar keeps track of all content in development, it also is the place to drop in SEO keywords and the personas for every piece of content. This linked data can be accessed and analyzed so that the agency always understands the status of all content.
Opening up the editorial calendar will show updates regarding an article’s publication on a targeted site, or it may show that the article was rejected. All data is hyperlinked so that additional info can be opened and viewed with a simple click. If an influencer is included in content data as a key audience, the calendar will show the ongoing dialogue.
The editorial calendar also lets the agency track the writer, stage and keyword. The editorial calendar is a GPS for the content journey. Without it, the agency is left to fumble with numerous programs that end up feeling like a cumbersome paper map…except instead of the crinkled folds, there are many open windows.
Pillar 4: Reporting & Analytics
Your agency found software that can handle all the techy SEO issues (like GSC errors), it can create content, and, yes, it can help with outreach and link building (hooray…there’s an edit cal!), but can the software create reports and analyze all that data?
Software must have the fourth pillar for a sturdy foundation. The best software should feature an executive dashboard that shows all the data your agency needs to audit a project or campaign. This data should include Google Search Console analytics, the click-through rate, and keyword rankings.
At a glance, on one page, agencies should be able to view everything about their clients. Metrics are important, and, if overnight, a page suddenly drops to the bottom of the rankings, the agency needs to know in the morning. But no one should have to search out the information.
The digital space changes fiercely fast. One day, a page may be the top of Google…the next day, it crashes low. Hesitating or needing to research analytics wastes time, and, in that time, clients are losing traffic. Agencies need reporting and analytics tools that work for them, not against them.
Reporting all the results, the success and even the digital data should be easy, too. Make sure the software offers reporting capabilities. This tool should allow team members to create reports for clients and send them through the system.
Reports shouldn’t be one-size-fits all, either. The agency shouldn’t have to deal with a basic template. Software should allow for reports to be customized by projects, tasks, expenses, accounts payable and time tracking.
Does Your Software Have the Four Pillars?
If your agency is shopping for SEO project management software, look for capabilities that represent the four pillars. The best software should hold up your agency with a strong sturdy foundation. Software should work for you, saving the agency time and money.
These four pillars work together to help ensure your clients see results. With the right software, you can address all those GSC errors, create impactful content with a seamless workflow, create efficient link building strategies and better understand the impact of your work. The right software lets you create customized editorial calendars and report the results of all campaigns with customized reports, too.
What software offers the strength of these four pillars? Choose Gryffin as the strong foundation to elevate and hold up your agency’s clients and projects. Try Gryffin for free and find out how one SEO project management software optimizes…everything.