What does an ideal search team structure look like?

Search Engine Optimization teams are not even a viable concept in many small business companies. Heck, some folks even consider SEO and SEM to be a one man job. Well, it all depends on how important search is to your business, how they play a part in the marketing mix and how scalable the strategy is.

Some folks, to whom search is an important factor in their marketing mix, who understand the functions of search, usually go for full fledged teams, to ensure focus and efficiency in their efforts.

This is not to say that single in-house SEO/SEM positions are ineffective. Some folks, can pull it off with just one resource – especially where there is minimal ongoing search optimization. When dealing with different verticals, or products/channels however, there clearly needs to be focused efforts for each search department.

So how does an ideal SEO team look like?

Well, there is no “ideal team” as such. As you’d agree – it depends on how important search is to your overall business goals. But for a scalable solution, it should look something like below.

The ideal team is always one that is a good fit with other teams and delivers results focused on overall marketing strategy. It doesn’t mean a rigid structure always. What are your thoughts?