Ned Wells started the session with a presentation on “How to sell SEO” with the key takeaways being:

  • Set specific benchmarks and targets at the start of the project rather than goals such as “better keyword rankings”
  • Link the SEO approach with the client’s business goals
  • Explain the process in a language that is familiar with the client (cut the jargon) 
  • Give clients a broad understanding of SEO so that they can contextualise recommendations and make informed decisions when judging how allocate budgets for maximum effect 
  • Show prospects and clients a SEO process they can understand, control and measure 

The presentation answered a question that I was curious about, “Who should do SEO?” Ned’s answer was that it is a team effort instead of only PR or copywriter or any other digital marketing related person’s job.  I agree with him on that and also the point that SEO is an outcome of good digital marketing.

Next Kunle Campbell  talked about “Building thought leadership beyond SEO” and how agencies can differentiate themselves from their competitors and be the authority in a subject area. Some of the strategic pints he proposed to help the clients to become thought leaders in their field are: 

  • Get involved in speaking events
  • Get visual with image and video
  • Listen to media influencers and press in order to discover the questions and issues that your target audience is asking or facing. Then answer those questions through your content.  
  • Reinforce your personal authority on SERPs by focusing on creating quality content and promoting it rather than relying fully in Google plus authorship ranking  
  • Flaunt your success on your website and blog

Most importantly he enforced the point that the companies should find the niche market that they can be the ultimate thought leader. And finally the best (and easiest) way to create content is to find some problems that need solving and provide the answers.

Finally, both of the presentations highlighted the fact that SEO rules are changing constantly; making the ability to evolve and learn new skills the only constant in the world of SEO and digital marketing.