Mastering SEO Dev Tickets: Tips to Improved Communication & Results

Dev tickets are essential for logging new tasks, fixes, or enhancements. They serve as a bridge between the SEO manager and the developers, ensuring that recommendations are implemented correctly and efficiently.

In my six years as an SEO specialist, working with many development teams on a plenty of projects, I've learned one thing: clear communication is key, no matter the project. This post is about crafting effective SEO dev tickets with insights from my own technical SEO audits and enriched with wisdom from top SEO gurus I've studied online.

Best Practices for Writing Better SEO Dev Tickets

The Most Important Tip: focus on the expected results, not the instructions.

The top tip for successful technical seo audit service is simple: explain what you want to achieve, not how to do it.

For example, imagine you want all your website's URLs to redirect from the "www" version to the non-"www" version. Instead of telling your developers to create .htaccess 301 redirects (which might not even work if your server uses Nginx instead of Apache), just explain that you want all URLs to redirect consistently.

Trust tech gurus. Tell them what you need and why it matters. Let them figure out the best way to get there. This leads to better results and a happier team.

Create a Clear User Story

A user story is a concise, actionable, and clear description used to capture a specific feature or requirement from the user's perspective. An SEO user story consists of three parts: a user type, an action, and an outcome. For example:

Additionally, acceptance criteria are essential to explain when a story can be marked as "Done," providing a clear description of the desired outcome. For example,

For those looking to write better user stories, read How to Win Buy-in for Technical SEO Initiatives with User Stories by Kristina Azarenko and How to Write SEO Dev Tickets by Adam Gent.

Reflect on Developers availability and capacity

Before asking your engineering team to do something, stop and think about how busy they are and what they have to work with.
Wonder about:

• The size of the team.
• The other tasks they've got on their plate.
• What they're trying to achieve in their current work period and over the next few months.

Knowing this will help you figure out the best time to ask for something and how to ask. For example, should you give them one big audit or split it into smaller tasks.

Understand Features vs. Bugs

In SEO, there's a proactive side, like seeking new growth chances, and a reactive side, like solving problems that block growth. This is where features and bugs differ.

Typically, you'll find that fixing bugs gets priority over adding features. This is why it's smarter to split these tasks rather than lump them together.
Whether it's a bug or a feature, think about what adds the most value for your visitors. That's what should come first. And remember, new features aren't always quick fixes — they can bring more bugs with them.

Educate Developers About SEO for Better Teamwork

It's important for teams to understand each other's work and priorities. Sometimes, developers might not realize how important SEO is and might not do those tasks quickly. To help with this, you can explain to them how SEO can affect the website's performance and why it's important to do these tasks on time.

To bridge this gap, communication is key.

• Focus on Active Listening, which means genuinely paying attention to understand the other developers’ perspective, not just waiting for your turn to speak.
• Empathy over Ego. Avoid turning the conversation into a competition about whose job is more important.
• Ask Open-Ended Questions. Instead of making assumptions, use open-ended questions like "What are your biggest challenges with SEO tasks?" to encourage developers to share their perspective.

By implementing these tips and actively listening to each other, marketers and developers can foster a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and contributes to the website's success.

For even more strategies on effective communication, check out Celeste Headlee's TED Talk

SEO Nerds Share Top Tips for Writing Effective Dev Tickets

I asked senior SEO specialists for their best advice on crafting clear, actionable dev tickets that get results. 

Yana Matusevych (SEO Specialist, B2B, SaaS, Medical, Pharma, App, E-commerce):

Dmitry Markov (Senior SEO Specialist)

Olga Reznikova (SEO Off-Page Manager)

Annie Beltran (Technical SEO & Digital Marketing Instructor)

Joshua Squires (Sr. SEO Strategist (Team Lead) at Amsive)

In Conclusion

By following these key takeaways, you can ensure your tech SEO audits are clear, actionable, and implemented efficiently

• Focus on Outcomes, Not Instructions. Explain what you want to achieve, not how to do it. Trust the developers to find the most efficient solution.
• Craft Compelling User Stories. Describe the desired outcome from the user's perspective, including user type, action, and expected result.
• Consider Developer Availability. Be mindful of their workload and current priorities. Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Prioritize Bugs vs. Features. Fixing critical issues that block growth should generally take precedence over adding new features.
• Educate Developers About SEO. Bridge the knowledge gap by explaining how SEO impacts website performance and the importance of timely task completion.
• Foster Open Communication. Actively listen to understand developer perspectives, prioritize empathy over ego, and use open-ended questions to encourage collaboration.

By implementing these tips, you'll be well on your way to writing powerful SEO dev tickets that drive successful website optimization.

What are your biggest challenges when it comes to writing SEO dev tickets? Share your experiences and ask questions in the comments below! Let's keep the conversation going and learn from each other.