PubCon Las Vegas 2008

1. Intro
Allison Fabella
– SEO Manager @ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
– Direct all strategic & tactical SEO for:
• The AJC; AccessAtlanta; AJCHomefinder; AJCCars;
AJCClassifieds; EveningEdge.…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Largest newspaper in the southeast
• Top ten regional newspapers in the country
• > 3.5 million unique visitors per week

2. orchestrating seo
Managing In-House teams to
Create Successful SEO
Initiatives

3. Program
1. SEO: Middle-Management Level
•
•
The four “sections”
how they fit in with your seo plan
2. Four Common Scenarios
•
Challenges/Solutions for seo & four
“sections”
3. Achieving SEO Harmony
•
Actionable recommendations for creating
seo synergy within your organization

4. The Four sections
1. the Product Manager
2. the Developer
3. the Designer
4. the Content Producer

5. The Product Manager
Your first & last defense
– they approve each phase of project so…
– Must be made aware of benefits of seo and…
…The consequences of ignoring it

6. Scenario #1
The Product manager forgets to invite you to project
kick-off meeting
Solutions
• Remind them that their project will yield more traffic if
their seo Is baked-in during the planning phase
•Show example of a successful project in which SEO was
considered right from the kick-off & backup with data

7. The Developer
Make it or break it
– They create the backbone of your seo
– can directly impact traffic positively…
….Or negatively

8. Scenario #2
The developer builds all page links in JavaScript
Solutions
• DON’T tell them to tear it all down & start over!!!
• Explain how the page could lose traffic & suggest that a
supplemental HTML links can prevent that from happening
• Show an example of a solution
-- Helps illustrate what you mean
-- Proves it can be done

9. The Designer
Your Content begins here
– Mutual opportunities
– Design creates opportunities for seo
and…
…seo creates opportunities for their
pages to be viewed

10. Scenario #3
The designer mocks up a page made entirely of images
…. no text
Solutions
• Tell them how fabulous the page looks!
• Express concern that people might not see their page
due to search engines’ limitations with images
• Ask what kind of solution they can think of

11. The Content Producer
The bridge between engines & users
– Their content influences
1. search engine behavior
2. Human behavior

12. Scenario #4
The content producer writes a story about britney
spears slipping on the ice entitled “ouch!”
Solutions
• Google “ouch” and ask the producer if this is where they
want their story to appear in the serps. Then…
• Google “spears, slips, ice” and ask the same question

13. Achieving SEO Harmony
Establish Your Credibility
• Make a quickie change and show results
• critical if you’re new to the organization
Document successes
• Theirs - not yours
• emphasize how SEO benefits THEM not you
Be Omnipresent
• locate your SEO @ intersection of dev, design &
content, if possible
• Weekly update meetings w/ the four “sections”

14. Achieving SEO Harmony
Goals & accountability
• Attach “success” to their productivity
Check Lists
• Each “section” gets tailored checklist + 101
• Build seo into life cycle checklists
Training
• turn everyone in your organization an SEO
especially the four “sections”
Compromise
• “Well, what can be done?”

15. In Conclusion
Seo at the middle management level is about…
Leadership

16. Thank You!
Allison Fabella
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Afabella@ajc.com
404-526-2246