Agile project management is nothing new to many businesses. Still, there are so many different opinions on this work methodology. For the Agile-enthusiasts, it's the best approach to get things done on time and gain firm control of the workflow process.
Evidence shows that teams that apply Agile principles, specifically Scrum, have a 250% better performance rate than those that don't. This explains its increasing popularity among many who prefer it over other methods like the Waterfall method.
Today, 91% of companies are on board with adopting Agile or planning to do so as soon as possible. Yet, despite its impressive long list of benefits, many challenges can crop up. People generally resist change, and introducing a new style can be disruptive.
Throw in inadequate planning, and you end up complicating things. Still, with the right guide, Agile can be the SEO project management technique that lets you seamlessly run your business search engine optimization and digital marketing efforts.
This article will cover the basics to empower you to take the right steps.
Why Should You Consider Agile for SEO Project Management?
Agile provides one of the best flexible approaches to SEO project management. If you are a project manager or work remotely, you likely already depend on it to get things done. If not, here are several reasons you should consider adopting this methodology.
By design, Agile fosters seamless collaboration between various SEO team members, making planning and integrating concepts easier. It enhances flexibility and quick responses to any change in SEO strategies.
For example, a link-building company from Chicago might choose to use an Agile SEO project management method as it increases productivity. Since link building can be labor- and time-intensive, relying on any technique that promotes quick feedback, improves workflow, and boosts ROI becomes essential. Furthermore, the seamless integration of agile poker for Jira, Slack, Asana, GitLab, and various other project management software adds to the overall efficiency of the process.
This explains why it has become a favorite amongst SEO specialists, software developers, and specialists in the gaming industry, where many people work remotely.
And Agile proves to be effective, as it reportedly has a 70% success rate.
SEO Sprint: What Is Its Benefit to Digital Marketing?
The phrase SEO sprint brings to mind several things, but mainly speed. It's a fact that most search engine optimization tactics require time to implement and patience to see results.
Then there are the many other variables that can cause several delays. This is where the SEO sprint differs and shines in all its glory.
It offers a budget-friendly, sustainable way to do impactful work within a compact timeframe. This could be getting your web pages to rank for one or more keywords for a few weeks. But how does this improve your digital marketing efforts?
It can help you devise a more laser-focused marketing strategy that enables you to achieve your more urgent goals. As a result, using an SEO sprint marketing approach can boost productivity and scale business efficiently.
How to Use Agile Management Tools in Your SEO Projects
Some common issues people face when adopting Agile methodologies for their SEO projects range from insufficient planning to problems with ensuring consistent output from team members.
Here are practical steps you can take at the beginning to mitigate or eliminate these challenges.
1.Choose the Right Tool
This is the first step you have to take before anything else. Managing an SEO project can be challenging as you have to keep track of many things simultaneously. Throw in different time zones, and it's all too easy to get lost in the maze. Several great Agile management tools and platforms can make life easier for you and your team. It is a super app that helps connect remote teams. Think of Monday.com, Jira with Jira story templates, Asana, Trello, and more
Most project management software offers a tiered subscription payment plan and comes with some free access to limited features. Try a couple out before settling for one and committing with your wallet. Still, a good SEO project management tool is worth every penny invested if you choose the one suited to your needs.
2.Do a Thorough Setup and Cover the Basics
With Agile project management tools, onboarding everyone on your team and delegating roles is vital. If you are the project owner or scrum master, you should ensure that tasks are broken down into smaller chunks and assigned priority. Create a deadline for each piece of work and make sure every team member knows exactly what to do and when. Check if everyone is up to speed with the set objectives, goals, and standards. The more defined everything is, the easier it is for work to go smoothly.
For example, you can assign a writing task to each member of your content creation team. Most of the software or tools let you include details like keywords, word count, and even sub-tasks. You can link other software like your Google Drive or Dropbox account, making it easy to add file attachments. Plus, the comment or chat features make it easy to troubleshoot any issues and get instant feedback taking collaboration to a whole new level.
Besides, the beauty of Agile is its versatility. You can use this methodology for almost any team and task, from development to HR. And should you ever need to migrate your site or the ones of your clients, Agile SEO can help you plan and track referral traffic sources and other vital details so you don't lose your hard-earned results.
3.Utilize the Visual Task Board
A considerable aspect of Agile SEO requires you to visualize the tasks that make up your project and the interconnections between them.
This lets you and the rest of your team get a clear picture of what amount of work needs to be done and how much progress has been made. Most Agile project management tools allow you to track each stage of the task from backlog to release.
The goal is to move efficiently from each completed sprint cycle to the next. This helps everyone to visualize where they are, see what everyone else is doing and enhance collaboration.
Besides, it is a great way to incorporate progressive elaboration as you continually refine or optimize your SEO strategy details.
4.Schedule Regular Meetings
There are different opinions when it comes to finding the best communication for employees. Still, regardless of what you choose, you would agree that regular meetings are essential, especially for remote teams. It provides the perfect opportunity for brainstorming, troubleshooting, and more.
You can hold brief meetings on a biweekly basis where team members can talk about their challenges with current tasks or anything else and receive recommendations from others.
This exchange of ideas and knowledge is vital for successful SEO project management.
5.Take Advantage of the Visual Reports Features
Most Agile project management platforms come with a visual tool that breaks down the scope of work accomplished within a period.
You can use this to gain progressive or comprehensive insights into performance. While it's used for visualizing bigger projects, it can also be an asset for smaller teams to track progress.
This can be a strong motivating factor if you exceed your goals or a wake-up call to return to the drawing board.
Tips for Managing Tasks With Agile SEO
Getting the hang of even the simplest Agile SEO tactics can be confusing. Still, some helpful tips or hacks can help you focus on getting the best out of your preferred system. Start by ensuring the following:
- Set goals from the beginning and clarify them to avoid wasting time.
- Communicate any change in plans or deadlines as soon as possible instead of waiting till the end of a sprint cycle.
- Create a comprehensive budget plan from the start and make allowances for unexpected spending.
- Leverage task automation as much as possible to reduce burnout and boost output.
- Have clear KPIs metrics to avoid performance regression or inconsistency in productivity among your team members.
Main Takeaways
- Agile is great for SEO project management as it enhances workflow, improves collaboration, and boosts productivity.
- SEO sprint offers a more focused result-driven approach to digital marketing.
- To use Agile management tools for your SEO projects, you should start with the following:
- Pick a software that suits your purpose.
- Create projects, break them into smaller tasks, and assign them to your team members.
- Be sure to include helpful details, priority ranking, and deadlines for each job.
- Use visual tools to track tasks and see progress over time.
- Track your performance metrics regularly.
- Plan ahead to reduce time-wasting.
Wrapping up
Building a productive SEO project management process can be a complicated task. It requires a lot of careful research, planning, implementation, and more. Even then, you must continually tweak your SEO sprint strategy, as nothing is fixed.
An Agile SEO method paired with the right tool can be a game-changer. Use the tips you learned today to get the most out of your work methodology and hit all your SEO goals.