Your client's SEO expectations clash with your IA strategy. How will you navigate this conflicting terrain?

1 Assess Needs

Understanding your client's SEO goals is crucial before attempting to reconcile differences with your IA strategy. Listen carefully to their expectations, which might include ranking for specific keywords or improving organic search traffic. It's important to explain how a well-structured IA can actually bolster SEO efforts by making content more discoverable and relevant to both users and search engines. Acknowledge their objectives and provide insights into how IA and SEO can complement each other, setting the stage for a collaborative approach.

2 Educate Client

Educating your client about the symbiotic relationship between IA and SEO is vital. Explain that a solid IA creates a foundation for a website that is easy to navigate, which in turn can reduce bounce rates and increase the time users spend on the site—factors that search engines favor. Clarify technical terms like 'crawlability', which refers to a search engine's ability to access and index content, and how it relates to IA. By demonstrating the long-term benefits of a user-centric IA, you can help shift their focus from short-term SEO wins to sustainable online success.

3 Propose Balance

Proposing a balanced solution requires tact and expertise. Show how strategic keyword placement within a coherent IA can satisfy both SEO targets and user experience (UX) principles. Suggest incorporating SEO-friendly elements like metadata and alt tags that complement the IA without compromising it. This way, you can craft a navigational structure that not only makes sense to users but also contains the necessary cues for search engines to understand and rank the site's content effectively.

4 Iterative Approach

An iterative approach to aligning SEO with IA involves making incremental changes and measuring their impact. Start with small-scale adjustments that address the most pressing SEO concerns within the existing IA framework. Monitor how these changes affect both search rankings and user behavior. This data-driven strategy allows you to demonstrate tangible results to your client, reinforcing the value of integrating SEO considerations into the IA without a complete overhaul.

5 Compromise Wisely

Finding common ground may sometimes mean making compromises, but these should be strategic and informed. Prioritize changes that will have a significant SEO impact with minimal disruption to the IA. For instance, you might agree to more keyword-rich headings and titles that still align with the site's hierarchical structure. It's about picking battles wisely and ensuring that any compromises made do not diliterate the user experience or the overarching goals of the IA.

6 Continuous Dialogue

Maintaining an ongoing dialogue with your client throughout the process is essential. Regular communication keeps them involved and informed about the progress being made. It also provides an opportunity to educate them further on how IA and SEO can work in concert. By fostering an atmosphere of partnership and transparency, you can navigate this conflicting terrain together, ensuring that both your client's SEO expectations and your IA strategy are moving towards a shared vision of success.