to master enterprise SEO procurement processes //

SEOs often underestimate the complexity of the job when they start working in an enterprise company.

Many corporations have rigid procurement processes which could be made easier to navigate. If you are an SEO and understand the process, it will go more smoothly.

My team and I evaluated the best SEO tools for enterprises. We also made the necessary efforts to ensure that the procurement process went smoothly.

It’s not easy. I’ve done this for five different companies. Although I was told I had the fastest procurement process at one of these companies, the process took some time to perfect.

I will take you through all the basic steps and give you enough information to be able to work with the vendors that you choose.

What does SEO procurement mean in simple terms

Procurement is a fancy word for getting the stuff you need from an outside source. In terms of technology and SEO, you need to find the right services to support your SEO in order to keep your business running smoothly.

The long procurement process is used by large corporations to align their technology purchases with their business strategies, save money, deal with vendors, manage risk like overlap and security concerns, and stay at the forefront of technology.

Consider this: By nailing the game of technology procurement, businesses can be sure they get the gadgets and software that are right for them, as well as the IT support.

They can get the best deals and keep vendors on their toes. They can also avoid major mistakes, bring in innovation, and even help prevent them.

You should be able to navigate this process if you have patience and understand the origins of the business.

SEO requires leadership support

SEOs understand the importance of getting the support and buy-in from upper-level executives in the enterprise organization for the necessary changes to be successful.

Support for SEO tools is another item to add to the list. Prior to implementing SEO tools, it is important to get the support of your leadership team.

Consider these things:

1. Aligning goals with business objectives

Leadership support is essential to ensure that SEO tools are aligned with the broader business goals, and that SEO efforts are integrated into the business strategy.

2. Resource Allocation

By requesting leadership support, you can secure the budget and resources necessary to implement and leverage SEO tools effectively, overcome potential budget constraints and ensure long-term commitment.

3. Buy-in from the organization

Leadership support encourages stakeholders to adopt SEO tools, facilitates smoother adoption, collaboration between teams, overcomes resistance, streamlines decision-making and ensures a unified approach.

4. How to overcome resistance to change

Leadership support is a way to communicate the importance of SEO tools and their benefits for the organization. It also encourages a positive attitude toward innovation, facilitates change management and helps overcome resistance and skepticism.

5. Influencing decision-making

Leadership support is essential to facilitating decision-making, securing partnership, negotiating contracts and prioritizing SEO initiatives. It also helps leverage leadership influence in order to maximize SEO tool effectiveness and drive successful implementation.

I always try to find someone at the executive-level, either directly or indirectly (up a few levels), and I also ask for support from the other teams. (It could be a Director or Vice President responsible for engineering, content, growth, or digital marketing).

The executive who was supporting me in the procurement process quit or got laid off. The more you support the CFO, the more difficult it will be for him to say no at the last moment.

Understanding the procurement process as it relates to SEO

Imagine you are in a situation where an SEO tool such as Botify, Conductor or Brightedge or hiring an agency can help. It’s then time to become involved in the procurement process.

This process involves evaluating potential SEO service providers on the basis of their expertise, track records, pricing and contractual terms.

The organization can negotiate service-level agreement (SLA) and set specific terms relating to SEO deliverables and metrics, reporting and ongoing optimization. This process includes:

• Identifying needs: Identify the goods, services or resources that the organization requires.
• Vendor Identification and Evaluation: Research potential vendors and evaluate them based on criteria such as cost, quality and reliability.
• Request for proposals (RFP) or requests for quotations (RFQ) : Solicit detailed bids or quotations from selected suppliers.
• Evaluation and selection of proposals: Evaluate the received proposals and select the most suitable vendor for further negotiations.
• Contract Negotiation: Negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract, including price, payment terms, warranties, and pricing.
• Awarding the contract and implementing it: Awarded the contract to selected vendors and started the agreed upon goods or services.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Manage vendors’ performance, address problems, and ensure that contractual obligations are met.
• Renewal or termination of contract: Assess the performance of the contract and decide whether or not to renew, renegotiate or terminate it.

The steps do not always have to be taken in order. There are some essential items to remember as you go through the different levels of the purchasing process.

Once you’ve identified the agency or tool you want to evaluate, you can request a walk-through or demo of their services.

Before we begin any of these conversations, I require them to sign an NDA agreement. My team or legal usually knows how to access the agreements.

In some cases I found that an NDA was already in place. Microsoft is an example of such a company. It is likely that, because the company is so big, someone has already spoken to the vendor or tool I am working with.

It is a good idea to search for master service agreements on file, in the event that someone may have already worked with the vendor.

Starting things off with non-disclosure agreements

There are several steps you should take before signing an NDA and reviewing SEO tools with a vendor:

• Determine the need for a NDA to protect sensitive data.
• Create or acquire a NDA document that includes terms and conditions.
• Share the NDA and discuss any changes with the vendor.
• Sign the NDA once both parties have agreed.
• Store a signed NDA in a safe place for future use.

These steps are required to initiate the SEO tool procurement process and engage with vendors. It is important to identify the need for a NDA and obtain or draft the document.

The confidentiality of sensitive data is protected when both parties sign an NDA. This shows that you respect their process and are aware of it.

The Master Service Agreement: A Guide to Understanding It

Master Service Agreements (MSAs), also known as master service contracts, are a solution to the lengthy nature of contract negotiation.

This process should begin when the team has decided that they want to use the tool, or have chosen the vendor.

These agreements set forth the fundamental terms that vendors and clients agree to. They save time and money, while increasing efficiency and productivity.

A MSA defines the scope of work and includes confidentiality, geographic requirements (if applicable), work standards, intellectual rights, payment terms and taxes, liability limitations, legal venue and jurisdiction, warranties, indemnification and insurance requirements as well as termination clauses.

MSAs can also be used as a template for future contracts. They streamline the negotiation process, allowing both parties to concentrate on specific project issues.

These are the steps I would take to get an MSA approved by legal and vendor:

• Get a draft MSA from your legal/procurement department or the vendor.
• Negotiate with the vendor in order to come up with a solution that is acceptable for both parties.
• The MSA should be refined based on the feedback.
• Get final approvals both from the legal department and vendor.
• Execute the MSA, and store a secure copy as a reference.

You can save time and energy by checking if an MSA is already in place with large enterprise companies such as Microsoft or Google.

Contract management without the MSA could be frustrating and lengthy. It’s worth starting the MSA at the start of your procurement process because it will protect both parties rights.

Take time to evaluate tools and vendors

After you’ve identified the tools or agencies that best suit your needs, this part of the process begins. You should identify your needs and then compile a list that appears to match those needs.

My team will often provide me with feedback about any struggles they may be having that could slow them down, or frustrations from other teams who ask them for help.

Tools and/or agencies can solve tasks that require time, knowledge, or time availability.

I am familiar with the tools available in the SEO field and can recommend them to my team. But I do spend some time researching new vendors.

It is important to carefully evaluate each tool’s features. This includes its scalability and integration capabilities. Consider these factors when evaluating tools:

• Features : Make sure the tool is aligned to your SEO goals and requirements.
• Scalability : The tool must be able handle the complexity and size of an enterprise website. This includes a large number pages, domains or campaigns. It should also provide adequate support.
• Integration: Which capabilities does the SEO tool have? Check compatibility to ensure seamless data synchronization.
• Accuracy: Review the data sources and methodology used. Prioritize tools that have a track record for delivering accurate, up-to date information.
• Usability : Take into account the team’s expertise and the ease of use, looking for an intuitive interface, intuitive navigation and support available to maximize productivity and reduce the learning curve.

When evaluating tools and agencies as part of the procurement process, you should consider these factors in order to make sure they are aligned with your SEO requirements and objectives, and that they can support your team effectively.

Negotiating a price that fits your budget

To ensure that your enterprise gets the best value from its SaaS investment, it is important to negotiate contract pricing.

It is important to understand your budget prior to evaluating tools. Then, you can tell the vendor they need to fit into that budget. Consider these factors when pricing is an issue:

• Compare pricing models and features between similar SaaS software tools.
• Outline your requirements clearly and prioritise critical features.
• To secure better pricing, highlight the potential of a long-term relationship and express an interest in extended contracts.
• Talk about customization options so that the SaaS software meets your needs and does not cost you unnecessary money.
• Explore alternative pricing structures and bundles of services, while engaging in an open dialogue, to find a pricing arrangement that is mutually beneficial and aligned with your budget.

One company has told me that I am in charge of a budget of $1 million per year. At another company, I was told that I only had the budget to purchase one tool and needed approval from my director.

Each company is different, and so are the SEOs. Let’s say, for example, that a tool costs between $250,000 and $300,000 per year.

You can negotiate the price, but you may lose some features. Once I have a clear understanding of what my team requires from the tool, then I can list it out to the vendor. I will then negotiate a tool that has the features we need and falls within a reasonable budget.

Negotiating also helps to have a good understanding of the contract terms. Some vendors may lower their prices if you commit to a 3-year-old or longer period.

I have been able negotiate contracts that cut $600,000. I’ve also been known to negotiate one tool, from a $240,000 contract for a year to $80,000 with a 3-year contract, which is a more streamlined version.

Negotiation is a skill that I have found to be very valuable for employers. Therefore, I would recommend that SEOs in enterprise learn this skill.

Get IT buy-in

The majority of enterprise SEO tools are Software as a Service (SaaS). IT departments are crucial to ensuring optimal performance and seamless integration of enterprise SaaS tools for SEO.

Consider key factors like technical requirements, data security, and system compatibility to ensure that the IT team is able to effectively leverage SaaS tools for SEO while prioritizing data safety and system compatibility.

• Technical Requirements: Verify that the SaaS software aligns with your existing IT infrastructure such as operating system, databases and web servers. Verify compatibility, integration and other capabilities to ensure seamless implementation.
• Data privacy and security: Check that the tool uses robust security measures for sensitive SEO data. Also, verify that the SaaS SEO tool does not collect any user data but only analyzes public content.
• Data Integration and Migration: Assess the SaaS’s integration with existing processes and systems. Assess the data migration process, any transformations or mappings required and the data flow between SaaS and other IT systems.
• Performance: Assess the SaaS vendor’s performance in terms of uptime, availability and overall performance. To ensure reliability, consider redundancy of servers, load-balancing and disaster recovery.
• IT Support and Training: Know the level of support offered by the SaaS vendor and whether training is available for IT staff. To use the SaaS tool effectively for SEO, ensure that there are channels of assistance, quick response times, documentation, or user forums.

By focusing on these factors, the IT department will be able to successfully integrate the enterprise SaaS SEO tool and maximize its performance, while also prioritizing data protection, system compatibility and reliability.

They can also ensure that the tool is only focused on content analysis for public consumption and not collecting data from users.

Signing the contract after legal review

You should now have your NDA, MSA, and pricing terms (or at least 1-3 options) in place, as well as IT approval.

The contract is similar to an MSA. However, one major difference is that the MSA sets up the legal framework of the relationship. This is especially true for long-term business partnerships or service delivery.

The contract for the SaaS software, on the other hand, governs all the conditions and terms of use.

The MSA includes general terms like confidentiality, warranties and liability limits. The SaaS contract, on the other hand, focuses more on specific terms related to using the SaaS tool such as pricing and subscription duration.

There are some important things to consider when signing a contract with a SaaS SEO tool in an enterprise-sized company.

To begin, review the contract’s terms and duration to ensure they are aligned with your organization’s long-term objectives and that there is flexibility for any necessary adjustments.

Some companies only offer one-year contracts. It’s best to discuss this with the vendor so that you have several options to choose from to avoid any further negotiations.

SEOs must pay attention to SLAs in contracts, including performance guarantees, uptime obligations, and response times for support.

You should also consider the SaaS’s scalability, and whether it is able to accommodate your growing needs. Also, you may want to check if there are customization options available, particularly if the tool was a simplified version that came at a lower price.

It is important to ensure that there are no restrictions on adding new features without having to renegotiate a contract. Assess the vendor’s support, the training resources available, as well as the termination process and the data retrieval.

Negotiate with your legal team if needed to address any clauses.

I usually read the contract myself before sending it to the legal department of my company. The legal team may be very busy and not have the time to review the contract.

It is easier to move forward if you have a thorough understanding of the critical points. You can summarize them and tell the legal team that you checked them.

The procurement process doesn’t end with the contract signing

SEO professionals should keep several things in mind after signing a contract.

As the contract is being reviewed and the negotiations are winding down, I’ll start a conversation with the vendor regarding the implementation and onboarding the tool.

My team feels supported by a plan that integrates the SaaS into existing workflows and systems. The leadership team who supported the decision is also reassured that everything is going well.

It is time to establish timelines and coordinate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure a smooth transfer.

Spend time familiarizing your team and yourself with the features and functions of the tool.

I track metrics and analyze data to make informed decisions based either on the dashboards and reports provided by the tool (like GitHub Jira, AirTable) or the ticketing system.

As the marketing director of Smartsheet, I found that the biggest challenge was not to get new users signed up but rather to keep them using the tool.

To this day, I use this knowledge to help my SEO teams choose the right tools. I maintain communication with the SaaS vendor by addressing any issues and providing feedback. I also explore opportunities for customizations or enhancements.

Many SEO tools include support services and account managers, which can virtually eliminate the need for consultants or agencies.

I encourage my team to use these services by having them perform simple tasks, or to make recommendations on growth opportunities.

Vendor management requires that you review the contract terms, ensure compliance and stay informed of any changes or updates communicated by your vendor.

Finaly, I evaluate the ROI (return on investment) of SaaS tools by assessing their impact on SEO and business goals.

Every 6-12 months, I block time in my calendar to make any necessary adjustments or to re-assess whether the tool is still working for me. This will help to ensure that we continue to be successful.

SEOsl will be able to effectively manage the implementation and utilization of the SaaS tools by considering these considerations. This will lead to a more impactful SEO outcome.

Mastering enterprise SEO procurement

The procurement process can be challenging and time consuming. However, it is crucial to obtaining the best services and tools for SEO.

It is always surprising to me that the experience can be different for each company.

Then, when I think I’m a procurement expert, I find myself faced with yet another challenge. It’s still a necessary skill to learn, and I’m glad I have it in my arsenal.

SEOs who manage the procurement aspects effectively can improve their strategies, maintain confidentially, streamline contracts, maximize ROI and achieve SEO results.

The article How do you master enterprise SEO procurement processes first appeared on Search Engine Land.