How do you manage conflicting feedback from your creative team and SEO specialists on content strategy?

Start by aligning on the primary objectives of the content strategy. Determine whether the focus is on driving traffic, enhancing engagement, building brand awareness, or converting leads.

Instead of highlighting the differences in words, find the similarity in ideas. If there is a keyword group needed, share with the content team ideas on how those keywords could be incorporated within the document. Perhaps extra keywords/groups could be incorporated as additional content. Finally, ask if the keywords are relevant to this article, or if the content, however good it may be is relevant to the keywords. You can always make up two blogposts as well.

At the end of the day, both teams have the same goal. When I encounter situations like this I pull up my research and analytic socks and try to align with the SEO team's ideology. No matter how intriguing or genuine my content is, without proper SEO achieving milestones is very difficult. Therefore using the keywords and every SEO-oriented strategy with the touch of the creative team's skills is what aids the best. Moreso, this brings out the real creativity and uplifts the content quality!

Managing conflicting feedback from creative teams and SEO specialists requires balance and compromise. Start by understanding the goals of both sides: creatives focus on engaging storytelling, while SEO specialists prioritize search engine visibility. Schedule a meeting to discuss and align these goals. Find common ground by highlighting how good SEO can increase the reach of creative content. Consider making compromises, such as adjusting keywords without sacrificing the creative voice. Encourage collaboration to create content that is both appealing and optimized. Regularly review performance metrics to ensure the strategy benefits from both perspectives.

The process of fostering genuine conversations hinges on three key elements: communication, comprehension, and active listening with empathy. 1. Communication- Clearly articulate your questions and objectives. 2. Comprehension- Ensure you understand the responses by paraphrasing key points. 3. Active Listening with Empathy- Pay full attention, noting not just words but tone and body language. By practicing these skills, you'll not only improve your content strategy but also foster a collaborative environment where all voices are heard and valued.

Facilitating workshops or joint brainstorming sessions can also help in generating innovative solutions that satisfy both creative aspirations and SEO requirements. This dialogue ensures that feedback is constructive and that everyone feels heard and valued in the decision-making process.

Strive to find a middle ground that honors both creative vision and SEO principles. Experiment with integrating SEO-friendly elements in a way that enhances, rather than hinders, the creative narrative.

ALWAYS keep your ideal client / website visitor / the user as your top priority! That includes: → their experience (UX) → their concerns (searches) → their words (keywords) If you receive conflicting feedback from your creative team & SEO specialists about your content strategy, you should always run it through the ICA filter. Ask yourself things like: - Would my ICA be searching for this topic/question? - Where could I lead this user after this piece of content for additional support? - Are these words that my ICA would use? - Is this user in the right stage of awareness to work with me?

Performance tracking is an excellent tool for the overall growth of your skillset as well as your creatives. I make sure to find the loopholes in why my content is ranking or why it is not. Using a blend of SEO and creativity I take into account that neither my content loses its creativity nor the SEO practices are compromised.

One thing I've found helpful when getting different, and conflicting, feedback, is to run your copy by an actual consumer who would be the core audience. What do they think, if there are different versions? After all, your bosses are going to try to capture their fleeting attention, and now you've got a built-in test audience. Ask around on your social media groups and pages if you don't know someone in that demographic offhand -- someone else will!