We have crafted a careful plan around it. We make the SEO plan and present it to the client. Once the client gives the go-ahead. We put the complete plan in the CRM with the tentative target dates and give them access to the dashboard. This gives them control over everyday work reports. Monthly face-to-face meetings along with the progress reports are also helpful.

SEO takes time, but stakeholders crave quick wins. Here's how to manage their expectations: Set realistic goals: Explain that SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Share data-backed timelines for potential results. Transparent communication: Provide regular updates, even if there's little movement. This builds trust and manages impatience. Focus on early wins: Highlight quick wins like improved site speed or keyword rankings for less competitive terms. This shows progress. Educate: Explain SEO basics and how it impacts their business goals. This helps them understand the process. Showcase value: Tie any positive changes (even small ones) back to business metrics. This demonstrates SEO's impact.

When stakeholders are eager to see results from your SEO efforts, it’s important to manage their expectations carefully. Clear communication is key. First, explain how SEO takes time to work, and why it’s better to focus on long-term strategies instead of quick fixes. Second, keep them informed by providing regular updates that show what progress is being made. Finally, set realistic goals and celebrate small wins along the way. This helps show that you’re committed to ongoing improvement and keeps stakeholders patient as they wait for the bigger results to come.

In our experience, you can have different expectations about results depending on what you are doing: - quick wins, e.g. when fixing a technical sitewide issue, you can expect to see results already in a few days - content management (publishing new content and editing of existing content/products/PLP) usually takes longer, especially when you're just starting out. Could be quicker instead on a site with an already established authority. So when handling restless stakeholders, address their expectations accordingly.