The In-House Buy-In Problem: Why SEOs Struggle to Sell Digital PR (and How to Fix It)

Digital PR is the cornerstone of visibility, brand and authority, so why is it so difficult to get buy-in and budget as an in-house SEO? This talk explores the internal challenges that can make digital PR a difficult sell, from SLT hesitation to tension with in-house PR teams. It explsins how education and collaboration between SEO and PR teams can help the wider business understand the value and build the support needed for long-term success.

Transcript

2. The In-House Reality
3. The same issues were coming up again and again… • Lack of understanding of digital PR • Goals don’t translate across teams • No incentive for PR teams • Stakeholder hesitation • Difficult to show value or ROI • “But we’re already doing PR”
4. It all comes down to trust
5. Empathy + Education + Experience = Trust
6. Digital PR has a reputation problem
7. “Links” has become a trigger word, with connotations of SEO’s questionable link building past.
8. Why selling digital PR is hard
9. What’s the biggest challenge when it comes to digital PR?
10. It’s difficult to show value and ROI
11. What makes working with the other side difficult?
12. A lack of understanding, and misalignment across teams
13. The internal teams said.. The SEOs said.. “We don’t understand the value” “We can’t get buy-in” “It doesn’t align with brand” “PR teams block or slow things down”
14. Internal teams described the cause and SEOs described the effect
15. No one cares about SEO* *Except people that work in SEO
16. The most compelling reason to buy into something new is a reason that provides a mutual benefit
17. Who should start first?
18. SEOs need to make people care about SEO
19. 1. Respect other disciplines as much as you want respect for yours
20. 2. Demonstrate how SEO benefits their goals, not just your own
21. Trust comes from understanding, and understanding comes through education
22. The SEO 🤝 PR alliance
23. We have one shared goal: Secure features to increase brand awareness and get more people buying from our brand
24. How can we work together to achieve this shared goal for the benefit of the brand?
25. Education
26. Educating teams early prevents pushback later
27. Building trust takes time
28. The most successful SEO/PR relationships are the ones that invest time up front
29. There are two things you need to do during the education phase: 1. Identify who actually needs to be involved. Don’t just assume that it’s only the PR team, it might also be brand, content, and legal. 2. Understand what matters to them. What are the primary goals that those teams are measured against? Understand what success looks like to them and tailor your ideas accordingly.
30. Education is not… “SEO is important because…” “Links are important because they help SEO” “These types of campaigns always get links” “Have you considered contacting blogs?”
31. Education is showing how digital PR supports what they’re already trying to achieve
32. Digital PR is an opportunity
33. The three Es: Turn understanding into action
34. Empathy
35. The empathy stage is all about understanding before influencing. Top tips for success: • Map stakeholders early • Understand what success looks like to them • Learn their constraints and find out what is actually possible • Always ask questions before trying to “sell” Key takeaway: In-house teams are small and often managing multiple, reactive campaigns at once. Give them grace and don’t assume what they do and don’t know.
36. Education & Experience
37. The education and experience stages are about making SEO and digital PR concepts worth caring about. Top tips for success: • Don’t lead with SEO • Build on what already exists • Provide value before asking for it • Be confident but not forceful Key takeaway: Be willing to compromise and make it easy to say yes!