Last Month we covered these areas:
• Your Monthly Call with SEO Vendors
• Work Accomplished Since Last Phone Call
• Results
• Technical Changes
• Any Major Changes in Rankings?
• What’s Working/Not Working?
• Monitoring
• Any Content to Prune or Delete? Now let’s continue…
Competition
This is something that seems to be so often left to the wayside: are you monitoring what my competition is doing each month?
If your competition starts making changes in their strategy and begins outpacing your rankings…you need to know about it quickly so you can respond to secure your positions. This is a critical part of your monthly review. Look at their Google listings, backlinks, rankings, and more.
Any New Developments in SEO You Want to Incorporate?
It’s easy to get caught in the flow of a client relationship and not implement things you see work elsewhere because things are moving along fine. I recommend asking that question each month. Just because there are new developments does not mean that you should be changing anything.
It all comes down to having a continued dialogue to get the most out of your investment.
Updates from the Law Firm
So often, lawyers are slow in involving the vendor in the news, changes, and relevant information that can affect the SEO strategy. Update your vendor each month (and as it happens) about the news that could be used (e.g., a big trial win or a new attorney). Not everything will or should be leveraged, but by having the conversation, you enable your SEO team to look for more opportunities to maximize your results.
Outstanding Requests from your Law Firm
Is there anything you’ve requested from the vendor that hasn’t been done? When you have your vendor on the phone, this is a great time to review all requests. It also helps remind the vendor, if something slips, of what is important to you.
This isn’t about nagging. This is about a methodical and highly productive relationship. Once you get used to this dynamic, you’ll have much greater influence over your SEO, rather than just hoping it all works.
Upcoming Work
Tying back to the first item, a plan for what is to come allows you to both hold your vendor accountable and offer possible insights and direction. It’s also a good check to make sure that they have everything on their to-do list that they should.
What do you need from me?
This is important as your vendor will struggle to deliver high-quality results if you are not getting them what they need in a quick, efficient manner. Make sure your list of items they need has everything and agree on when things should be done for the vendor.
Questions for the Vendor
This final part of the call is for any remaining questions you have. It’s a pretty wide catch-all given your questions could be about anything. Mark down your questions, ahead of time, so that you ensure you get answers.
You might be wondering how a particular strategy fits into your goals or if you should shift focus. If you’re feeling uncertain about your vendor’s ability to deliver results and that they might not be particularly competent, ask your questions and make notes.
After the Call: Fact Check if Necessary
Taking notes throughout the entire phone call is valuable so that you have a record.
Sometimes your vendor might say something you don’t agree with. There is nothing wrong with going out and asking other SEO professionals if your vendor is on the right track.
If you have a good relationship with your vendor, bring your findings back to them, and have a discussion. The core thing you want to look for is that your vendor is being methodical and paying attention to the data. As long as they are not blatantly ignoring Google’s rules, and they are willing to shift courses when the data says their method isn’t working, you’re in good hands.
Taking Action
This probably seems like a LOT to talk about in a call every single month, but it’s important! Plan on spending about an hour on the phone the first few times with a little time to spend on follow-up research afterward. However, once your vendor gets used to what you want to know, and you get comfortable with this process, it will go more quickly. And yes, it will take time and effort.
Remember, this is not about micromanaging your vendor. Instead, this process will allow you to move forward with greater confidence, maximizing a quality vendor, and giving ample reason to discard a low-quality vendor.
Use this article and schedule a call. Ask your vendor questions.
Not all vendors will like it. And those that don’t, well, they probably aren’t overly confident in their work if they have issues with the person paying them having a bit more involvement.
