Q1
— Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO (@lisaschneider64) December 21, 2023
What do you wish product managers and leaders knew about seo or working with SEOs?#SEOChat
A1 – I have actually had SEO be part of the product team – that way when we’re talking about ideas and planning, search is baked in as a consideration from the get-go.
Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO
A1: Product titles, esp. as H1s, and Descriptions matter. Yes, both can be “overwritten” via Meta Titles & Descriptions, but experiences b/w pre-click & post-click LP/PDP experience should be aligned. Draft as consumers 1st, brand advocates 2nd. Publish consciously. #SEOChat
travis
That SEO is like Marketing,
and should be involved from the start.That it’s multi-faceted, and covers Technical, UX, Content and Promotion.
That different parts have different impact times and values.
That some changes have different scopes/reaches.
Darth Autocrat
How imp it is to incorporate SEO at the onset! #SEOchat
Mordy Oberstein *Buckle Up*
Q2
— Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO (@lisaschneider64) December 21, 2023
How have you seen the product/seo collaboration go terribly wrong? What did you learn from it?
Remember, we’re here to learn, not bash anyone – keep horror stories anonymous!#SEOChat
A2 – ok, one of mine is a junior marketing team claimed we were doing well in search because we ranked 1st on the searches they did that were aligned with what was on the product page.
Of course, those searches had no other volume, so…
Lisa Schneider
A2: Generally speaking, it’s a painfully common situation:
Teams work in silos, get mgmt approvals, & resist any “unraveling” that comes with subsequent cross-team reviews.The best solution is reworking a publishing/launch process with mgmt approval at the very end.
travis
A2. Typically – it boils down to: a) different priorities b) misunderstandings What’s important to one may have no value to another, so gets ignored (despite it being important for traffic etc.). And not quite grasping what was asked for, and misimplementing it hurts.
Darth Autocrat
Q3
— Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO (@lisaschneider64) December 21, 2023
What is the best product/seo collaboration you have seen or been a part of? How would you replicate that elsewhere?#SEOChat
Any time we had one leader over product, content, and search – the shared mission and strategic planning broke the silos.
I know this is only possible in small-midsize orgs, but there has to be other good case studies?
Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO
A3: Situationally, it’s during website rebuilds. Done well, everything is appropriately called into question, incl. product naming/positioning. Doors open to new thinking. This is often when SEO folks have a real opportunity to interject & inject solid fundamentals.
travis
A3 When there is open communications and shared knowledge. This is either due to someone in Team A with experience from Team B, or Leaders of A+B are in frequent contact, and listen/learn. And the same applies for ALL departments. Marketing, Sales, Support etc.
Darth Autocrat
Q4
— Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO (@lisaschneider64) December 21, 2023
Given the state of search, if you were launching an entirely new product today (new brand name) when or how would you approach and prioritize an seo content acquisition plan?
When would you want seo to be brought in to the product strategy discussion?#SEOChat
A4 – For example, I’m working on a 0-1 fintech, most of the app will be gated, and I de-prioritized content acquisition as it’s so $$$ and long TTV. We’ll do it later, have other acquisition efforts first.
Obvs highly context dependent. Thoughts?
A4: SEO from Day 1, then two paths: 1. With a significant marketing budget, naming can be freer. Strategy can be more adventurous. SEO complements. 2. With a finite budget, focus on where consumer wants/needs/problems converge with active search volume. SEO leads.
travis
A4 Depends entirely on the Market. Sometimes there isn’t a lot of Organic Search, or the competition is very strong/established, or other channels are more leverageable. But … SEO should still be “in” from the get go.
Darth Autocrat
Q5
— Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO (@lisaschneider64) December 21, 2023
What are the most important things for product people to know about search (like, really understand)? Do you prefer to teach/train them or refer them to sites or courses? Which ones do you recommend?#SEOChat
A5: Two things CAN coexist: a) Freedom to name/describe a product creatively b) Optimizing a page for search engines It’s not a zero-sum game. Revisions to PDP templates & LPs requires work, but this can satisfy both camps. This is more so realization than education.
travis
A5 That Search isn’t simply “keyword”. It ties to the funnel/journey, and that having a single page for a single term seldom cuts it (instead, you have to build a stack, cover each step etc.). I like to point to the Webmaster Guidelines, so they get a rough idea.
Darth Autocrat
A5: If you start out in a bad neighborhood (re: product category / naming / related search terms), it will be very difficult to get out of it when it comes to search (e.g. when you mentioned pharma names).
Try to start with as much of a clean slate as possible.
Sweepsify
ok, folks, we're almost out of time – last question!
— Lisa Schneider – Fractional CPO (@lisaschneider64) December 21, 2023
Q6
How is it different working with product teams on content-first products vs. content marketing for consumer or SaaS products vs. e-comm?#SEOChat
A6: Process shouldn’t break for different products. The end goal is the same: Produce written content that attracts converting organic traffic. The approach can vary, but the core system should remain unshaken.
travis
A6: The use of storytelling versus ranking for buyer intent keywords is the main difference IMO. Are you trying to move units or focus on building brand affinity first.
Sweepsify
Likely an inflammatory view … … for me, there is (shouldn’t be!) little/no difference. The Goals are often the same/similar, the process of optimisation etc. remain pretty much identical etc. What differs, the type of searches, and the content expected.
Darth Autocrat
As we draw the curtains on this week’s #seochat conversation, a symphony of best practices emerges, offering a roadmap for businesses seeking synergy between SEO considerations and product development.
Incorporate SEO from Inception: SEO is not an afterthought but an integral part of the product development journey. Having SEO within the product team ensures that search considerations are seamlessly baked into ideas and planning from the very start.
Unified Vision Breaks Silos: There are detrimental effects of working in silos. Shared missions and strategic planning, facilitated by a unified leader overseeing product, content, and search, prove to be powerful antidotes. Such shared visions break down barriers, fostering collaboration and synergy between diverse teams.
Open Communication Fuels Success: Open lines of communication and shared knowledge are highlighted as catalysts for success. Whether it’s due to cross-functional team members or leaders from different departments staying in frequent contact, shared knowledge emerges as the cornerstone of effective collaboration.
Strategic SEO during Website Rebuilds: The pivotal role of SEO emerges during website rebuilds. This phase offers a golden opportunity to question existing norms, reassess product naming and positioning, and inject solid SEO fundamentals into the core of the project.
SEO from Day 1: Regardless of the budget constraints, integrate SEO considerations from day one. Whether operating with a significant marketing budget or limited resources, SEO should lead the way in strategic decision-making.
Freedom and Optimization Can Coexist: There is no zero-sum game between creative freedom in naming products and SEO optimization. They emphasize that both can coexist harmoniously with conscious revisions to templates, ensuring satisfaction for both creative and SEO-driven goals.
The Consistency of Process Across Products: There should be little to no difference in optimizing for different products. The goals often align, and the optimization process remains largely identical, differing only in the type of searches and expected content.
. Embrace SEO from the outset, foster collaboration across teams, communicate openly, and weave a strategic narrative that aligns with both creativity and optimization. The harmonious symphony of SEO and product strategy awaits those willing to listen and learn from these seasoned #SEOChat maestros.
To new beginnings and successful digital journeys!
