Like the management consultant Peter Drucker is known for saying, “What gets measures gets managed”.

Since Drucker successfully led General Electric and Coca-Cola, it’s safe to say that he knows what he’s talking about!

Having said this, many SEO folks and small business people ignore this type of advice. Too many people spend too much time trying to stay busy. They believe that putting out fires all day is equivalent to being productive when it’s not. The fact is, putting out fires around the office can be prevented when time is managed properly. The lack of time management and project management is one of the most common reasons why many SEO campaigns fail.

If you want to avoid SEO campaign failure, use the following five tips. Implement these a little bit at a time daily and you’ll find that you’ll efficiently manage projects and even find time for new SEO projects:

Working With A Team Requires Project Management Software

Many people hate using project management software. The reason is because many find these types of apps clunky to use. They also don’t work well with spreadsheets or other office suite software.
The upside of using these type of apps is that they allow the SEO team a centralized place to collaborate. The software keeps all of the project information in one location, preventing lost time looking for information. Project management apps are also secure and accessible online.

Basecamp is one of the best small business project management apps. It’s easy to use and it’s easy on the wallet. If you are managing a SEO campaign that involves freelancers and other outsources, using Basecamp is a must for efficiency.

Write Short To-Do Lists

A to-do list that is jam-packed with hundreds of entries is worthless. Even the most important tasks are ignored when you are using this type of a list. The most effective to-do lists are short with no more than five urgent items on the lists.

If you find that you have more things to do than time in a day, cut down your daily tasks to the five most urgent. Batch your minor tasks with your larger tasks. Your mind will feel lighter and you’ll find yourself working more productively. You’ll find that your SEO campaigns will become lean and efficient.

Keep A Records Of All Of Your SEO Links

If you’re going to build links, you’ll need to know where you’ve created them. Especially if you’ve created a major link building campaign, you should produce a spreadsheet that details where you’ve placed a link.

Your spreadsheet should list all of your inbound links, such as guest blog posts are external business recommendations. This is a highly effective way of keeping track of your SEO efforts.

Arrange Bi-Weekly Or Weekly Client Calls

If you’re working for clients, you must stay in touch with them in order to ensure continued success. You should offer your clients a status report every week or at the very least, every other week.
This helps to keep your working relationship with your clients flowing smoothly and second, you will stay organized and on track when you have to provide a status update. You’ll be forced to organize your data.

Create Options That Prevent SEO Campaign Fails

Let’s say that you’re in the midst of a campaign when one of your key contractors becomes ill. Will you be able to continue on or will your campaign come to a halt? Becoming a successful business person means that you are always prepared for worst-case scenarios.

If one of your contractors isn’t able to work, you should keep contractors on stand-by. You should record back-up data constantly from your hard drive. Link building campaigns require high-PR opportunities because your current links can disappear at any time. You should never be caught off-guard in the event of a SEO campaign emergency.