Explain SEO to your boss ...like a boss
The first step is to speak their language.
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Your boss doesn't care about SEO - unless your boss is in SEO, and then you probably want to take your boss’s job. If you are the latter, you can stop reading; this post is not for you. For the former, read on.
Even if your boss “gets” SEO, they probably don’t get it in the way they should because they have many other things on their minds, and SEO isn’t their sole responsibility. If it is your sole responsibility, it is your job to explain it to them, dispel the myths, and convince them of what they need to understand.
Sponsored by Writesonic
• 15M+ monthly active users on Perplexity
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Marketing teams from 80+ global companies are already using Writesonic’s GEO.
Speak like them
The first step is to speak their language. Imagine walking into a meeting armed with data on AI Overviews, share of voice, and funnel metrics, only to be met with a single, pointed question from your boss as they gesture toward a line chart: “This is all great, but why isn’t our organic traffic just… up?”
This "traffic-up" fixation is the bane of all SEO. It reduces a complex, strategic function to a single vanity metric, forcing teams to chase volume over value and creating a disconnect between their work and the business's goals. Defending your strategy in this environment can feel immensely frustrating.
Successfully changing your boss’s mind isn’t about winning an argument; it’s about reframing the conversation entirely. The most effective SEO leaders (see last week) don’t just report on their work; they actively manage their stakeholders by educating them on what truly matters. They shift the focus from the simplistic measure of traffic to the sophisticated impact metric.
This requires a deliberate communication strategy. You must move the conversation from "more" to "better," elevating your role from traffic nerd to strategic growth partner.
Acknowledge before you object
Your first move should never be a correction. A direct challenge, such as “Well, actually, traffic isn't the right metric,” will immediately put your boss on the defensive. It signals that they are wrong and you are right, which is the fastest way to lose your audience.
Instead, start with alignment. Your response should be a version of “You’re right to be focused on growth. I aim to ensure that SEO is a primary driver of that growth for the business.” This validates their core desire. They want to see progress, and so do you. You are on the same team. By agreeing on the destination, you earn the right to discuss the best route to get there. You have now opened the door to a more nuanced conversation by establishing a shared objective.
Reframe
With alignment established, you can begin the education process. The goal is to introduce a new metrics set that tells a more complete and compelling story about the business's health. Frame this as an evolution in measurement, moving from fundamental indicators to more sophisticated ones.
The key is to present this as a "From X, to a more precise Y" model.
Start by reframing traffic itself. Focus on Qualified Organic Traffic instead of just organic traffic. All traffic is not created equal. A thousand visitors landing on an old blog post from a non-target country is less valuable than fifty visitors landing on a high-intent commercial page from your ideal customer profile. Create segments and dashboards that show the growth of traffic that matters: visitors from your target markets, traffic to your product and solutions pages, or visitors who fit your ICP. Explain that your strategy intentionally focuses resources on attracting users most likely to convert
Next, evolve the conversation from rankings to share of voice. While rankings are a useful diagnostic tool, they are a poor metric for executives to use. Ranking number one for a single keyword is less critical than dominating the search results for an entire problem category that your product solves. Introduce the concept of share of voice, showing how much of the search conversation around a core business pillar you own versus competitors. This metric connects SEO directly to market positioning and competitive strategy.
Finally, and most critically, marry your metrics to the business funnel. Shift the conversation from clicks to revenue from organic sources. This is the step that changes everything. Collaborate with your data and product teams to develop a comprehensive dashboard that tracks the entire journey.
Show how many organic visitors land on a key page, what percentage of them activate in whatever is necessary for the funnel, and the revenue generated from this cohort. When you can say, "Our work on this topic cluster drove 50 new customers last month, generating $50,000 in new revenue," the question of raw traffic becomes irrelevant.
Analogies
Anchor this new perspective with a simple analogy to ensure it is memorable. Complicated dashboards can be overwhelming, but a powerful analogy is easy to recall and repeat.
Frame it in the context of a retail store. Explain that chasing raw traffic is like paying to get as many people as possible into a high-end boutique without considering whether they are merely seeking shelter from the rain or genuinely interested in luxury goods. A store crowded with people without the intention to buy is a failure, regardless of the foot traffic.
Instead, explain that your SEO strategy focuses on attracting qualified shoppers who are actively looking for the exact products you sell. Your goal isn’t just to increase the number of people walking through the door. The goal is to increase the rate of valuable interactions and, ultimately, total sales. You are not just counting visitors; you are measuring the business they generate.
Storytelling
Data alone is not as persuasive as a story. Once you have your new metrics, you must weave them into a compelling narrative during your reporting. Instead of presenting a series of disconnected charts, guide your boss through a story that connects your actions to outcomes.
For example: “This past quarter, our strategic focus was on capturing the conversation around buying our key product. We launched a Product-led SEO effort on this topic. As a result, our qualified traffic from qualified buyers increased by 40%.”
“More importantly, as this next chart shows, visitors from this traffic cohort are converting to purchases at a 10% higher rate than our site average. This initiative has already secured 200 new customers, and our forecast indicates it will contribute over a quarter of a million dollars in revenue by the end of the year. For next quarter, we are confident we can replicate this model for the ‘cross-functional reporting’ use case.”
This narrative is clear, concise, and undeniable. It directly links the SEO team's work to the company's financial health.
Elevate your job
By adopting this framework, you change your role. You are no longer a technician defending your work. You are a strategic partner, guiding the business toward a more intelligent and profitable way of measuring growth. This secures the buy-in and resources you need to succeed, leading to better and more impactful SEO.
Remember, your boss (and theirs too) focuses on the wrong metrics because they haven’t been told otherwise. Tell the better story, and you are positioned to succeed.
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