Search engine optimization. Three words have a lot of moving parts behind them. In 2021, SEO strategy ranked No. 3 in providing the most ROI for US marketing professionals. The traditional view on SEO efforts is that it needs minimal development resources and brings good, cheap results. And to some extent, that's true. But good results can only happen with good management, and an SEO roadmap is crucial.
Dec 01, 2021 ● 4 min read
Quick definition: an SEO roadmap is a strategic document listing SEO goals, deliverables and ongoing actions.
While not all SEO roadmaps are created the same, there are vital components that make a strong SEO roadmap:
Dashboard example: an SEO dashboard like this will help you visualize your SEO roadmap strategy. Set goals and monitor their progress. Define the deliverables and watch tactical-level changes as your roadmap moves along.
An SEO roadmap is essentially a set of projects based around SEO opportunities. When building it, there are five core questions that all SEO roadmaps should answer:
So an SEO roadmap is a collection of projects aimed at executing overall SEO strategy. Your final document will contain a list of these projects, with clear goals, milestones and deadlines. Here's how an SEO project can look like when set into the SEO roadmap:
This template outlines details essential for the project. Anyone reading it will understand what this SEO project aims to achieve, who participates in it and what benefits it will bring. This type of template can be reused in any kind of SEO project.
For example, if your SEO team also contains a social media specialist, this type of project can include content promotion on social networks. If your team is running an extensive SEO campaign on a set of target keywords, aiming to raise your website higher on search results - your team may include more content writers or more off-site specialists.
The template is very flexible. Whether you're focusing on technical SEO, link building or other tactics, it's the SEO's job to run these projects. And projects can only be run successfully with good project initiation.
Tools and priorities can help your SEO plan reach its full potential. There are some aspects to SEO roadmaps that are instrumental:
Report example: SEMrush is a great tool to use for keyword position analysis. When powered by Whatagraph, you can merge it with your SEO overview report to get an accurate picture of the state of your SEO and build a roadmap accordingly.
Bonus advice: utilize free stuff SEO tools developers give away. Free trials with templates and examples of an SEO strategy are a great way to get started.
Building an SEO roadmap is extensive work. If you're planning your SEO efforts for the whole year, you should give it more time than you think you need. Prepare your keyword research and technical audit, identify content holes and competitor analysis. Identify SEO opportunities and set your SEO strategy. Then document it on your SEO roadmap. Good luck!
Published on Dec 01, 2021
WRITTEN BY
Indrė Jankutė-CarmaciuIndrė is a copywriter with an undulating passion for reading and finding gems of information. Indrė writes according to a simple motto: a picture is worth a thousand words, but somebody had to write that phrase down for us to read it.
Enter your email and get curated content straight to your inbox!
Only the best content & no spam.
Pinky promise.
By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy policy