How to Work with Your SEO Agency to Drive Better Results, Faster

Partnering effectively with an SEO agency can transform your digital performance — but only when both sides commit to shared goals, clear processes, and rapid implementation. This article summarizes and expands on Bruce Clay’s Search Engine Land piece, “How to work with your SEO agency to drive better results, faster,” and provides actionable steps for brands to speed time-to-value. Source: https://searchengineland.com/seo-agency-drive-better-results-faster-469192

Start by aligning SEO to what actually moves the business

SEO is most valuable when it’s designed to support specific business outcomes — market expansion, revenue growth, lead quality, or brand authority. At kickoff, confirm the primary business objectives and translate them into measurable SEO goals (e.g., qualified organic sessions, organic revenue, assisted conversions). This alignment ensures SEO work prioritizes the pages, keywords, and user journeys that matter most.

Run a productive kickoff that sets the project up for speed

A strong kickoff clarifies responsibilities, timelines, and reporting. Cover these essentials: pain points, business context, scope and roles, in-house capabilities, common roadblocks, communication channels, and reporting cadence. These items reduce ambiguity and prevent delays once work begins.

Checklist for a fast, effective kickoff

• Identify top 3 business goals SEO must support.
• List stakeholders and their decision roles (approver, reviewer, implementer).
• Confirm access to analytics, Search Console, CMS, and CRM data.
• Agree on reporting metrics and frequency (dashboard + monthly deep dive).
• Set a 72-hour SLA for initial approvals on high-priority tickets.

Shift mindset from vendor to strategic partner

When teams treat an agency as an external vendor, the relationship stalls. Bruce Clay highlights that “SEO is not a one-and-done project; it’s an ongoing partnership that demands active participation and trust.” Allow the agency to advise on strategy and be prepared to act on recommendations. Reciprocal trust and accountability speed implementation and improve outcomes.

Give the agency the access and data it needs

Limited access slows diagnosis and execution. Provide controlled access to Google Search Console, GA4, Bing Webmaster, your CMS, and relevant analytics. Share CRM and lead-quality feedback so the agency can prioritize pages that drive revenue — not just traffic. Use secure onboarding tools and role-based permissions to balance speed with security.

Make SEO a cross-functional effort

SEO touches content, product, engineering, and customer-facing teams. Involve subject matter experts early to transfer brand knowledge and reduce rework. Create feedback loops that keep SEO aligned with product launches, campaigns, and PR to capture timely organic opportunities.

Streamline content collaboration and approval

Content is the core of sustained SEO growth. Co-create outlines, align on voice and messaging, and set a clear review process. Remove approval friction by defining who must sign off and by when. Where possible, embed SEO tickets in sprint planning so technical and content work moves through the existing delivery cadence.

Prioritize implementation above planning

Ideas alone don’t move rankings — implementation does. Prioritize high-impact technical fixes and content updates, and measure progress in short cycles. Treat technical SEO tickets as sprint items and enable direct agency-developer communication to avoid misinterpretation and delays.

Stay engaged long after the kickoff

Momentum often fades after the initial months. Keep engagement by attending reviews, sharing business changes, and using performance data to adjust tactics. Regular check-ins keep SEO connected to shifting priorities and ensure the program continues to deliver ROI.

Tools and tactics that speed onboarding and reduce friction

Structured onboarding and the right tools can dramatically reduce time-to-first-action. As Moz’s coverage of client onboarding tools points out, “Effective client onboarding tools can scale your SEO agency’s impact by creating transparency and setting expectations early.” Consider tools that centralize access requests, automate content collection, and provide client-facing project visibility. Examples include automated access tools, content portals, collaborative boards, and shared dashboards.

Actionable roadmap to accelerate results (30/60/90)

30 days: Complete audit, fix critical technical issues, and publish 1–2 prioritized content updates. 60 days: Implement remaining high-impact technical fixes, launch content clusters aligned to target intents, and begin link- or outreach-based tactics. 90 days: Optimize conversion paths, measure revenue impact, and scale content production based on proven templates.

Measuring success and holding the partnership accountable

Move beyond vanity metrics. Track business-aligned KPIs such as organic revenue, lead quality, assisted conversions, and cost-per-acquisition. Review these with the agency monthly and use them to reprioritize work. Regular reporting that ties SEO activity to business outcomes reinforces accountability and helps justify continued investment.

Final thoughts

SEO delivers faster when brands treat agencies as partners, remove approval and access barriers, and prioritize implementation. Combining a clear kickoff, cross-functional collaboration, and a focus on business outcomes transforms SEO from a checklist into a growth engine. As Clay reminds us, maintaining active engagement and trust is essential: “SEO is not a one-and-done project; it’s an ongoing partnership that demands active participation and trust.”

Additional commentary on onboarding tools and processes: Moz’s guidance on onboarding reinforces practical steps for agencies and clients to reduce manual friction and scale. For more on client onboarding tools, see Moz: https://moz.com/blog/client-onboarding-tools-seo-agencies

Attribution: This article summarizes and expands on Bruce Clay’s contribution to Search Engine Land, “How to work with your SEO agency to drive better results, faster.” Original article: https://searchengineland.com/seo-agency-drive-better-results-faster-469192