Building the Bridge to Implementation: The Importance of Relationships in Project Management

We’re all well aware of the difficulties of making an impact in SEO. Useful, important, effective recommendations can be provided again and again, but unless they’re implemented and put into action, they bear no weight. Project Managers, through their relationships with creative agencies, brand contacts, and external IT teams, can be a key catalyst (pun intended) in building the bridge from submission of recommendations to fruition.

The idea is very simple: if your name is recognized and respected, your response time and the attention your request is given is dramatically increased. Productive relationships begin by building one’s reputation (the goal of course being a good reputation!) which is essential in getting results. Everyone is busy, everyone has long to-do lists (and SEO implementation is most often not at the top of the list!); by making the process of implementation easier on your contacts, the more quickly and accurately they’ll be completed.

How is this done?  Again simple: by doing your job and doing it well. Some effective reputation builders I have found helpful in regards to implementation are as follows:

• Be succinct and clear: What are you requesting?
• Know your audience: How much explanation is needed when providing a recommendation?  Is additional education/explanation needed?
• Get the info: Don’t be afraid to ask questions and continue to do so until you have all you need to move forward.
• Be responsive: Receive a question or additional requests?  Reply promptly.
• Be realistic:  Understand priorities, and set the expectation.
• Be persistent:  Don’t give up!  But don’t overwhelm.
• Follow through:  QA is vital. Be sure to inform your brand contacts of successes!  A short email update is almost always replied with a thank you and appreciation.
• Be thankful: Recognize efforts given to your request(s).
• And last but certainly not least: Be Professional

I’m not breaking the mold here, we all know that having a good reputation helps in business; If people want to work with you, the better your success overall. Our goal in providing organic search optimization to our clients can only be accomplished when implementation is in place. As Project Managers we have the leverage to make that happen through the relationships we positively build and nourish.