SEO is not a single strategy but a collection of practices that, if done right, can cement your spot high in SERPs. Still, it’s unrealistic to expect one person to do the job of an SEO specialist, content strategist, link builder, and UX/UI designer.
SEO management exists to simplify the SEO process, allotting each task to a different team member skilled in a particular domain of SEO. Each team member’s specialty is combined to maximize the outcome of the strategy, led by an SEO manager.
Below, we’ll dive deeper into what SEO management is, how it works, and why it’s crucial for your business.
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What Is SEO Management?
SEO management refers to the way you develop and monitor an SEO strategy in order to boost the online presence of a business. SEO management takes care of every piece of the puzzle, tying together the final action plan that will help reach the key metrics.
In a time when SEO practices are constantly changing, having a comprehensive management solution will help you adapt without hindering your progress thus far. However, to achieve this, you’ll need a full-fledged team of professionals, each specializing in different areas of SEO.
Let’s look at what constitutes SEO management and how it can work in your favor:
The ABCs of SEO Management
Managed SEO services include a number of practices you should follow if you want to see results from your SEO campaign:
User-Focused Content
The shift toward people-first content was introduced by Google’s Helpful Content Update, which was rolled out in August 2022. This makes content quality the cornerstone of your strategy.
A 2023 survey revealed that content strategy was the leading SEO strategy of the year, followed by link building. However, it’s important to understand what kind of content ranks and what kind doesn’t.
Your content will rank well if:
- It puts the reader first
- Follows a logical content structure
- Includes keywords in the right places and naturally
- Delivers up-to-date information
- Has a good link structure (including internal and external links)
- Features a meta title and description with the focus keyword and of optimal length
- Follows E-A-T guidelines.
Of course, this is only a drop in the water of content essentials you should include in your texts.
Keyword Research
Including the right keywords in your content is crucial for it to rank well. However, ranking is not the only success metric – the right keyword depends on your target audience, search intent, competition level, etc.
Competitive analysis also helps you understand what topics and keywords to target. For example, many physical businesses leverage clustering, or spatial competition, to attract a portion of a larger customer pool. It’s the same with online marketing – you target keywords with a significant search volume because it’s where the people go. But the way you craft your content and use your keywords can place you above your competitors or drag you all the way down.
SEO managers take all this into account when creating an SEO content strategy that delivers value to their audience but also helps the business rise to the top of SERPs.
Competition Analysis
Competition analysis involves researching your top competitors to understand what they’re doing right that you’re not. Maybe they have a content strategy that works well for their SEO or have a site structure that users find more intuitive and appealing.
Competitor analysis includes organic research to see what keywords your competitors rank for, what their link profile is, what paid ads they run, etc. You can use various free and paid seo management tools for this, such as GSC, Semrush, and Ahrefs.
On-Page, Off-Page, and Technical SEO
These are the three main types of SEO you should focus on. On-page SEO is all about building your website up through its content – copy and content, internal and external linking, title tags and meta descriptions, visuals, schema markups, and more.
Off-page SEO includes all SEO practices outside the scope of your website – social media strategy, external backlinks, local SEO, guest posting, etc. Some of these practices are less within your control, but actively building site authority will help you boost all these metrics.
Finally, technical SEO refers to everything that goes on behind the curtains – your website architecture, backend elements, code contents, etc. It includes site speed optimization, XML sitemap creation, fixing crawl errors and broken links, and so on.
Tracking Results
Once all of the above is implemented, tracking progress becomes a priority. Periodic updates are necessary for keeping your site content fresh and up to date. If you notice your optimizations are not performing as expected, a deep SEO analysis will help you understand what you might be missing and help you implement the necessary changes.

Algorithm Updates
Staying updated with the latest algorithm changes is not a choice, it’s a necessity in the world of SEO. Regular updates from Google can significantly impact your rankings, so keeping up with them is crucial to avoid any sudden drops or penalties.
What Is an SEO Manager?
An SEO manager oversees the SEO strategy, assigns tasks, and tracks the results of the campaign. They’re in direct contact with clients, helping them reach their target numbers and suggesting different ways to maximize impact.
Here’s a quick overview of the job of an SEO manager:
Meeting with Clients
The SEO manager is responsible for client communication and briefing, noting down clients’ SEO goals and ways to reach them. The SEO manager must be familiar with SEO best practices and possess exceptional communication skills to be able to transfer their knowledge as simply as possible.
Developing an SEO Strategy
Next, the SEO manager lists the goals of the campaign and comes up with effective ways to achieve them. The SEO manager then works with the rest of the SEO team to develop the client strategy.
Planning Content
This step involves creating briefs and delegating tasks to the different departments. The SEO manager may create templates to unify the content output and maintain consistency. The content planner may also include an SEO audit of the existing content with solutions for improving its ranking.
Depending on the needs of the client, the content planner may include:
- Keyword SERP analysis
- Linking overview
- Reoptimizations, and more.
Next, a content schedule is created, and tasks are assigned to each team member with a reasonable deadline.
Monitoring Performance
The SEO manager is also responsible for overseeing the team throughout the implementation process, monitoring team members’ performance and nudging them in the right direction. Any difficulties with the tasks are reported to the SEO manager, who then explains or reassigns them.
Reporting Progress
Progress reports are also part of the duties of an SEO manager. Progress reports from an SEO manager are essential to keep clients informed about the effectiveness of the strategies, the impact of optimizations, and the overall progress. They usually include KPIs, best-performing pages, website insights, and more.
Keeping up with SEO News
In order to make the best decision, every SEO manager must follow SEO best practices by following the latest Google updates and novelties in the industry. This also includes incorporating necessary SEO management software for accurate performance tracking.
Tips for Choosing an SEO Management Agency
SEO outsourcing can have huge benefits for your business’s online visibility, especially when left to skilled professionals. With a decent financial investment, you can put together an excellent external SEO team that will take the entire SEO process off your hands, from strategizing to implementation.
Here are some tips to help you make the right SEO management choice:
- Set goals: While the SEO manager will help you understand what objectives you should aim for, you should have a general idea of what metrics you want to achieve. This will help you better communicate what you need from the team.
- Evaluate their experience: Many business owners make the mistake of hiring a less competent SEO management team because it’s cheaper. However, the lack of impact will ultimately cost you more since you’ll have to find another team to fix the initial mistakes.
- Schedule a consultation: Before booking an SEO management team, it’s important to understand what they can do for your SEO growth. Make sure to have an SEO consultation about your business needs to see how they navigate strategies and reach milestones.
- Review case studies: You’ll never get the full picture of the way an SEO management team works until you check out their SEO case studies. This will give you a detailed overview of the way they work, what strategies they employ, and what they’re capable of doing.
- Look for flexibility: Every business needs a unique SEO management strategy. SEO agencies that offer cookie-cutter solutions are very limited in their scope of abilities. Instead, look for an agency that can adapt to your niche and target audience and will come up with a strategy unique to your business.
SmartClick for Full-Fledged SEO Management Services
Managed SEO services can help you build your brand presence online like never before. From web development to content creation, our SEO management team at SmartClick can lead your brand strategy from start to finish.
We offer:
- Website maintenance
- Custom email and dashboard templates
- SEO audits
- SEO strategy development
- Local and eCommerce SEO solutions, and much more.
Want a complete audit of your site ranking? Contact us for a FREE SEO consultation today.
FAQs
How does managed SEO work?
Managed SEO is all about smart delegation. The SEO manager is responsible for creating an SEO management system where each team member is responsible for a different SEO practice, resulting in a unified effort toward growth.
What is reputation management in SEO?
Reputation management in SEO refers to the practice of maintaining a positive brand image online. Every published piece of content on your site, as well as off-page metrics, has the potential to build up your reputation.