Whether it's an agency or within a business, SEO teams are influenced by organizational structure.
But first and foremost: there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how a company or institution should do things right. That said, understanding the impact of some organizational layouts can help make more informed decisions when looking at SEO teams’ classifications.
So what options do targeting SEO teams have?
Separate SEO Department
We start with the obvious answer and make SEO a separate department. This applies to medium to large teams with their own leadership structure and growth opportunities.
One of the benefits of working independently of the team is that departments can be divided into functional organizations, such as technical SEO, content marketing, link building, etc.
Another benefit is that the SEO process is not skewed by the focus of another department. When the SEO department makes a recommendation, the purpose behind it is clear and specific.
Strategy Department
Strategy departments are responsible for driving email list customer personas and researching business insights while working at a company or institution, and then turning those data points into actionable actions that drive the business forward.
Promote a symbiotic relationship within the department's SEO team. Strategic departments tend to take the lead, so having SEO as part of the department ensures that SEO is valued from the start. Strategy departments also benefit from insights from organic search audits and competitive analysis.
The technology department/developer
team is responsible for setting up domain names, coding websites, maintaining web pages, etc.
As part of this department, the SEO team can optimize directly and gain a better understanding of website content before it is published. It also helps to make SEO part of the ongoing maintenance process.
The SEO team also has visibility into technical backlogs and a better understanding of when to implement testing and optimization.
Digital Marketing/Advertising
Digital media buying and marketing departments have direct counterparts to SEO, especially pay-per-click (PPC) or search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns.
Continuous coordination between PPC and SEO allows building SERP visibility and understanding where PPC and SEO should strengthen to maximize conversion opportunities. Ensuring placement on the top of the relevant terms and conditions can be achieved in the best possible way to increase revenue and reduce advertising costs.