Lean in SEO projects: How eliminating waste accelerates results

Continuing our series of articles on management methodologies in the context of SEO, it is worth looking at another interesting approach: the Lean methodology. Previous articles have already discussed the Deming cycle (PDCA), which forms the basis of NON.agency operations. Lean methodology can be a valuable alternative or complement to the standard OKR and PDCA methods used in SEO projects.

What is the Lean methodology?

Lean (from "lean," "lean") is a management philosophy derived from the Japanese Toyota Production System (TPS), developed by Taiichi Ohno in the 1950s. The main goal of Lean is to maximize customer value while minimizing waste (Japanese for "muda").

Unlike the PDCA cycle, which focuses on continuous process improvement, Lean focuses primarily on identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities. The basic premise is that every process contains elements that, from the customer's perspective, do not add value - and these are the ones that need to be eliminated.

Key Lean Principles

Lean methodology is based on five basic principles:

1. Defining value from the customer's perspective - what really matters to the end user?
2. Value stream identification - mapping all steps in the value delivery process.
3. Creating flow - ensuring a smooth transition between stages.
4. Implement a pull system - production based on actual demand rather than forecasts.
5. Striving for excellence - constantly looking for better solutions.

Eight types of waste according to Lean

Lean identifies eight major types of waste:

1. Overproduction - producing more than is needed.
2. Waiting - inaction due to delays in the process.
3. Transportation - unnecessary movement of materials or information.
4. Overprocessing - doing work that does not add value.
5. Stockpiles - the accumulation of excess resources.
6. Traffic - unnecessary movement of people.
7. Defects - errors that need to be corrected.
8. Untapped employee creativity - overlooking the ideas and skills of the team.

Lean in SEO projects: Potential applications

Although Lean was developed for manufacturing, its principles are great for digital marketing and especially SEO. Here's how Lean can be applied to SEO projects:

1. eliminating waste in SEO processes

In SEO, it is very easy to have activities that do not bring real value. Examples of SEO waste that can be eliminated:

Overproduction:

• Creating too much content without a strategic plan
• Targeting an excessive number of keywords without analyzing intentions

Example: For a client in the financial industry, 20 articles per month were initially planned to be produced. Analyzing the data, it was noticed that only 40% of them were generating significant traffic. After reducing the number of articles to 8 per month, but increasing their quality and relevance to user intent, traffic increased by 35% despite the lower number of content.

Expectation:

• Too much time between audit and implementation of changes
• Delays in updating content after identifying needs

Overprocessing:

• Over-optimization of meta tags
• Excessive formatting of content that does not affect user experience or SERP positions

Case study: For an e-commerce site with more than 10,000 products, the SEO team was spending 15 hours a week manually optimizing meta tags. Using Lean principles, they identified this process as over-processing and automated it using templates. This saved 80% of the time while maintaining the same results.

Defects:

• Broken links
• Incorrect redirects
• Duplicate content

2. value stream mapping in SEO

Value Stream Mapping is a powerful Lean tool that can be applied to SEO processes:

Keyword research → Content planning → Content production → Publication → Link building → Monitoring.

For each stage is determined:

• Duration
• Resources involved
• Waiting points
• Quality control points

This helps identify bottlenecks and places where time or resources are being wasted.

Example optimization: analyzing the value stream for the content creation process, one discovers that an average of 14 days pass between the briefing stage and the receipt of the finished text, of which as many as 9 days are waiting. Introducing a Kanban system to manage the workflow can reduce the waiting time to 3 days and the total content delivery time from 14 to 8 days.

3. the Kanban system in SEO project management

Kanban, which is part of the Lean methodology, is great for managing SEO tasks. Kanban boards can be used to visualize workflows:

• To-do - pending tasks
• In progress - tasks in progress
• For verification - tasks that need to be verified
• Completed - tasks completed

This provides full transparency of the process and makes it easy to identify bottlenecks.

Lean vs. PDCA: When to apply?

As an alternative to the PDCA cycle used in NON.agency, the Lean approach has both advantages and limitations in the context of SEO:

Advantages of Lean in SEO:

• Perfect for optimizing existing processes
• Immediate results by eliminating waste
• Great tools for workflow visualization (Kanban)
• Focusing on value from a user perspective

Limitations of Lean in SEO:

• Less emphasis on experimentation than in PDCA
• Sometimes more difficult to apply to creative aspects of SEO
• Requires a good understanding of what constitutes "value" to users and algorithms

Hybrid approach: Integration opportunities

SEO agencies may consider combining elements of Lean with the PDCA cycle, creating a hybrid approach:

1. Using PDCA as the main framework for continuous improvement
2. Use of tools Lean to optimize processes inside the PDCA cycle:
   
   • Value stream mapping during the "Plan" phase
   • Eliminate waste during the "Do" phase
   • Kanban for workflow management

Case study: Lean in an international SEO campaign

The following is a hypothetical case study of applying Lean methodology to an SEO campaign:

Challenge: The content localization process for a client operating in 12 European markets was lengthy and inefficient. An average of 35 days passed from source content preparation to publication in all markets.

Lean approach:

1. The entire value stream has been mapped
2. The main sources of waste were identified:
   
   • Excessive internal review (4 levels of approval!)
   • Sequential rather than parallel translations
   • Waiting for graphic resources
3. Improvements have been implemented:
   
   • Simplification of the approval process (2 levels)
   • Parallel translations
   • Prepare graphic templates in advance

The result: a reduction in process time from 35 to 14 days. This translated into faster response to market trends, more frequent content updates and ultimately - a 28% increase in organic traffic over the next 6 months.

Practical tips: How to get started with Lean in SEO?

For SEO teams interested in implementing Lean elements, here are some practical steps to get started:

1. Identify waste - analyze SEO processes and consider which activities do not add real value.
2. Create a value stream map - graphically depict all stages of the SEO process, from keyword research to monitoring results.
3. Introduce work visualization - use a Kanban board (physical or digital) to manage SEO tasks.
4. Measure cycle time - track how long it takes to go through the entire SEO process and try to shorten it.
5. Introduce standardization - create standard procedures for repetitive tasks (e.g., audits, briefs).

Summary

Lean methodology, although originating from the manufacturing industry, provides valuable tools and perspectives that can significantly improve SEO processes. Eliminating waste, focusing on user value and visualizing workflows are all elements worth taking from Lean and applying to SEO projects.

As an alternative to the standard OKR and PDCA methods used at NON.agency, Lean can be a valuable complement, especially in projects that require process optimization, waste reduction and increased efficiency of SEO activities.