Welcometo the third and final article in our series on implementing OKRs in SEO agencies. In previous articles, we covered the basics of OKRs and how they integrate with the PDCA cycle. Now we'll look at real-world implementations, provide detailed templates and share advanced strategies for scaling OKRs as your agency grows.
Case study 1: Transforming customer outcomes in NON.agency
When we first implemented OKRs at NON.agency, we faced a typical challenge: our teams worked hard, but the efforts did not always translate into measurable results for clients. Here's how we transformed our approach:
Before OKR:
- Teams focused on performing SEO tasks(technical audits, content creation, link building).
- Success measured by activities (number of optimizations, content pieces, links built).
- Clients found it difficult to connect our work with business impact.
After OKR:
- Teams focused on customer business results.
- Success measured by impact metrics (revenue, conversions, market share).
- Clear connection between SEO activities and client goals.
First-quarter OKR example.
Goal: Transform Customer X from a niche player to a market leader in its industry.
Key Results:
1. increase organic traffic by 75% for commercial keywords.
2. improve conversion rate from organic traffic by 20%.
3. Achieve #1 position for 5 valuable industry terms.
Implementation process:
- Week 1: Conduct a workshop for joint OKR determination with client participation.
- Weeks 2-11: Using PDCA cycles to optimize our approach.
- Week 12: Review results and document conclusions.
Results after the first quarter:
- Organic traffic increased by 62% (KR1: 83% achieved).
- The conversion rate improved by 25% (KR2: 125% achieved).
- Achieved #1 position for 4 of 5 target dates (KR3: 80% achieved).
- The overall OKR score was: 0.96.
- The client renewed the contract and increased the budget by 40%.
Key findings:
- Involving the customer in setting OKRs significantly improved acceptance.
- Weekly PDCA checks enabled rapid course correction.
- Focusing on fewer, more influential activities has yielded better results than scattering efforts.
Case Study 2: Scaling OKRs across multiple client teams
As NON.agency has grown, we've had to scale our OKR approach across multiple client teams while staying in line with the company's goals.
Challenge:
- Manage more than 20 customer accounts with different objectives.
- Ensure company growth while delivering results to customers.
- Prevent siloed activities between teams.
Solution: nested OKRs
We have implemented a three-stage OKR structure.
1. company level
Goal: To become the leading data-driven SEO agency in our market.
Key Results:
1. increase annual recurring revenues by 40%.
2 Achieve a 95% customer retention rate.
3 Generate 50 documented customer success stories.
2. level of customer portfolio
Goal: Provide an exceptional return on investment for e-commerce customers.
Key Results:
1. achieve an average ROI of 3:1 across the e-commerce customer portfolio.
2 Reduce the average time to first results from 90 to 45 days.
3. implement attribution models for 100% of e-commerce customers.
3. customer team level
Goal: Make Customer Y the dominant player in its niche.
Key Results:
1. increase organic revenue by 50%.
2 Improve ROAS from SEO campaigns to 5:1.
3. Gain 40% organic market share for priority product categories.
Implementation process:
- Top-down, bottom-up approach: Company sets direction, teams define how they will contribute to the goal
- Cross-functional alignment sessions: Regular meetings to ensure cohesion between teams
- Transparent tracking: All OKRs visible to everyone in the company
Results:
- 45% increase in company revenue
- 97% customer retention rate
- 68 documented success stories
- Average customer ROI 3.8:1
Key findings:
- Balanced top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top goal setting creates both compliance and a sense of ownership.
- Visibility between teams prevents duplication of efforts and encourages collaboration.
- Common metrics for teams (e.g., customer ROI) encourage collaborative problem solving.
Here you can read about how, through the use of PDCA We increased traffic to a SaaS e-commerce site in the US.
Detailed OKR templates for SEO agencies
Based on our experience, we have prepared detailed templates for various roles in an SEO agency.
1 OKR template for agency management
Goal: [Growth/Positioning/Capacity Building Objective].
Key Results:
1 [Financial CR: Revenue, Profit, Customer Acquisition].
2 [Reputational KR: Brand Awareness, Expert Position].
3 [Operational CR: Efficiency, Quality, Innovation].
Supporting initiatives:
- [Initiative 1]
- [Initiative 2]
- [Initiative 3]
Example of OKR template for agency management
Goal: Establish our agency as an industry leader in SEO for e-commerce.
Key Results:
1. increase revenue from e-commerce customers by 50% (from 500K to 750K).
2. publication of 5 original studies that generate more than 100 citations in the industry.
3. achieve a customer NPS score of 70+.
Supporting initiatives:
- Developing a proprietary SEO methodology for e-commerce.
- Establish an SEO e-commerce certification program for team members.
- Launching a monthly SEO webinar series for e-commerce.
2 OKR template for SEO department
Goal: [Goal related to Customer Success/Methodology/Team Capabilities].
Key Results:
1 [Customer Performance CR: Results Across the Portfolio].
2 [KR Methodology: Process Improvement, Tool Development].
3 [KR Team Capabilities: Skills, Certifications, Knowledge].
Supporting initiatives:
- [Initiative 1]
- [Initiative 2]
- [Initiative 3]
Example of OKR template for SEO department
Goal: To revolutionize our technical SEO capabilities.
Key Results:
1 Improve Core Web Vitals scores by an average of 30 points for all customers.
2 Develop an automated technical audit system that reduces audit time by 50%.
3. 100% certification of technical SEO specialists in advanced SEO JavaScript.
Supporting initiatives:
- Partnership with web development company for CWV optimization.
- Establish an internal knowledge base for technical solutions.
- Develop a training program on technical SEO.
3. OKR template for the customer's team
Goal: [Customer business outcome].
Key Results:
1 [KR Traffic/Visibility].
2 [KR Conversion/Revenue].
3 [KR Competitiveness/Market Share].
Supporting initiatives:
- [Initiative 1]
- [Initiative 2]
- [Initiative 3]
Example of OKR template for customer team
Goal: Turn Customer Z's organic channel into their main source of revenue.
Key Results:
1. increase organic traffic by 100% year-on-year.
2 Improve the organic conversion rate from 2.5% to 4%.
3. Achieve #1 position for the 15 most valuable commercial keywords.
Supporting initiatives:
- Implement a redesign of the site architecture.
- Creating 20 conversion-focused shopping guides.
- Developing a digital PR campaign targeting 50 trade publications.
PDCA implementation template for SEO campaigns
Here's a detailed template for applying PDCA cycles to SEO campaigns.
Planning phase template
Analysis:
- Current Performance Indicators: [Traffic, Items, Conversions].
- Competitive Landscape: [Key Competitors, Strengths, Weaknesses].
- Key opportunities: [Unused keywords, Technical problems, Content gaps].
Hypothesis: If [action], we will achieve [expected result] because [rationale].
Implementation plan:
- Actions: [Specific steps to be taken].
- Schedule: [When each step is completed].
- Resources: [Team Members, Tools, Budget].
- Relationships: [What must come first].
Execution phase template
Implementation Tracking:
- Action: [Specific action taken].
- Status: [Completed/In Progress/Locked Up].
- Date of completion: [When completed].
- Responsible team member: [Who implemented].
Observations:
- Expected results: [What we thought would happen].
- Actual results: [What actually happened].
- Unexpected events: [Surprises or anomalies].
Checking phase template
Analysis of results:
- Key indicators before: [Initial values].
- Key indicators after: [Current values].
- Deviation from expectations: [How the results differ from the hypothesis].
Root cause analysis:
- What went well and why: [Successful elements].
- What went wrong and why: [Insufficiently working elements].
- External factors: [Algorithm updates, Market changes, Competitor actions].
Action phase template
Observations:
- Key findings: [What we now know that we didn't know before].
- Confirmed assumptions: [Which turned out to be true].
- Unproven assumptions: [Which turned out not to be true].
Adjustments:
- Follow up: [What should be maintained or expanded].
- Modify: [What should be adjusted or improved].
- Stop: [What should be stopped].
Planning the next cycle:
- Updated hypothesis: [Refined based on findings].
- Next steps: [Specific next steps].
- Schedule: [When the next cycle starts].
Advanced OKR scaling strategies for growing SEO agencies
As the agency grows, maintaining the effectiveness of the OKR program requires additional strategies:
1. create a rhythm OKR
Establish a consistent cadence for all OKR activities:
Week 1: OKR Planning
- Monday: OKR presentation of the company
- Tuesday-Wednesday: OKR workshops for departments
- Thursday-Friday: Finalization of OKR teams.
Weeks 2-11: Implementation and inspections
- Monday: Weekly team inspections
- Wednesday: department progress reviews
- Last Friday of the month: Cross-functional adjustment sessions
Week 12: Review and reset
- Monday-Tuesday: final progress updates
- Wednesday-Thursday: OKR evaluation and retrospectives
- Friday: preliminary planning for the next quarter
2. enter OKR ambassador program
Train team members to become OKR experts who can:
- Train new employees on OKR best practices.
- Facilitate OKR workshops for teams.
- Help solve alignment problems between teams.
- Share best practices across the organization.
3. create a two-way goal-setting process
Balance top-down and bottom-up goal setting:
- Management sets 2-3 goals at the company level.
- Teams propose goals that support company objectives.
- Collaborative sessions to finalize the adjustment.
- 60-70% of OKRs should come from teams.
4. build a repository of insights
Establish a central place to document applications:
- A structured format for recording insights from each PDCA cycle.
- Tagging system to categorize by client type, SEO discipline, etc.
- Regular review sessions to synthesize findings.
- Mechanism for incorporating insights into manuals and training.
5. integrate OKRs with resource allocation
Using OKRs to shape how resources are allocated:
- Prioritize projects that directly support key results.
- Adjusting the composition of teams based on OKR priorities.
- Allocation of the innovation budget to targets with the highest potential impact.
- Review resource allocation during the mid-quarter audit.
How do you link OKRs to customer outcomes?
The true measure of OKR success for SEO agencies is client results. Here's how to strengthen that connection.
1. cooperation in determining OKR
Engage customers in the OKR process:
- Share the OKR methodology with customers.
- Conduct a joint workshop to agree on goals.
- Agree on key results that matter to the client's business.
- Review progress together during regular checks.
2. translating SEO metrics into business metrics
Go beyond traditional SEO metrics:
- Link positions and traffic to revenue and profit.
- Turn improved visibility into market share.
- Tie content performance to customer acquisition costs.
- Show how technical improvements affect conversion rates.
3. creating OKR dashboards for customers
Make progress visible and meaningful:
- Design simple dashboards showing OKR progress.
- Include both leading indicators (positions, traffic) and lagging indicators (revenue, ROI).
- Provide context for indicators with industry benchmarks.
- Update in real time or at a pace tailored to customer reporting.
Final checklist for sustainable success of OKRs
To ensure that the OKR program prospers in the long term:
- Establish clear accountability for the OKR process.
- Provide ongoing training for new team members.
- Create a repository of OKR examples and templates.
- Incorporate the OKR review into your regular meeting schedule.
- Celebrate both achievements and learning.
- Regularly improve the OKR process based on feedback.
- Link OKRs to professional development plans.
- Review the impact of OKRs on business performance each quarter.
- Share success stories across the organization.
- Maintain a healthy balance between ambition and achievability.
Summary: The road to the OKR championship
Implementing OKRs at an SEO agency is not a one-time event, but a journey of continuous improvement. As we have seen from these case studies and templates, integrating OKR with PDCA creates a powerful system for setting ambitious goals and systematically achieving them.
At NON.agency, our journey with OKR has transformed not only our results, but our entire approach to SEO. We've moved from action-based work to results-focused execution, from siloed teams to collaborative problem-solving, and from variable client outcomes to consistent, measurable impact.
The frameworks, templates and strategies presented in this series provide a roadmap for your own OKR journey. Start with small steps, learn as you go, and continually refine your approach. The rewards - in the form of focus, alignment and results - will prove worth the effort.
Remember, the goal is not perfect OKRs, but rather to create a learning organization that gets better with each cycle. As John Doerr writes in Measure What Matters:"Ideas are easy. Execution is everything." With OKR and PDCA, you now have the tools for excellent execution.
