#11 How to Cut Through the Bullshit

Enterprise SEO isn’t just about doing the work. It’s about navigating objections, aligning stakeholders, and overcoming organizational politics to implement your recommendations.

Objections aren’t roadblocks—they’re opportunities to empathize, build trust, and find solutions. Enter The RISA Framework, your compass for overcoming resistance and delivering real results.

The RISA Framework

When facing pushback, ask yourself four critical questions:

• R = Is it Real?​
  Does this recommendation address an actual problem or just sound good in theory?
• I = Is it Important?​
  Does this align with measurable business goals and drive meaningful impact?
• S = Is it Specific Enough?​
  Have you clearly articulated the what, why, and how of your recommendation?
• A = Are You Aligned?​
  Have you secured buy-in from all relevant stakeholders to ensure smooth execution?

The RISA Framework ensures your recommendations are grounded in reality, aligned with priorities, and ready to implement.

Common Blockers: What Each Stakeholder Will Ask You To Say ‘No’

Each team brings unique challenges and concerns to the table.

Product Managers (PMs):

• Can you show me a competitor who has done X and succeeded?
• Why should we prioritise this over other activities?
• Do you have data that supports this recommendation?
• What would happen if we delayed this for six months?
• Does this put any pressure on our timeline for the next release?
• What’s wrong with the current template?
• Why now?

Marketing Teams:

• How does this tie into our OKRs?
• Do you have the resources to execute this recommendation?
• Who is responsible for making this happen?
• Will this require additional design, development, or content production work?
• Are we focusing too much on SEO content over user-focused content?
• Can you provide examples of successful implementations by similar brands?
• Where does this fit within the customer journey?
• What is the timeline for seeing results?
• Will this delay our planned campaigns?

Product Marketing Managers (PMMs):

• Is there search volume around this keyword?
• What phrasing do our competitors use?
• Could this mislead or oversimplify our product features?
• That’s too much content on a product page—have you validated this approach with customer insights or feedback?

Publishing and Authoring Teams:

• We can’t do this manually across thousands of pages.
• This is outside of our scope—who is responsible for ensuring this is implemented and maintained?
• We’ve already locked our planning for the quarter—if we do this, what can we take off our plate?
• What’s wrong with the current template?

Engineering Teams:

• What problem are we trying to solve here?
• Are we aligned with other departments on the scope of this change?
• Are there simpler ways to achieve the same outcome?
• Can you explain why this recommendation is necessary from a technical perspective?
• Is this recommendation technically possible with our current tech stack?
• Why now?

Tech SEOs:

• But Google says X… and you’re suggesting Y.
• When I was at X, we did this and didn’t see any impact.
• Google can render our JS.
• This is an engineering or product problem.

Director-Level Stakeholders:

• How does this align with initiatives we’ve committed to for the quarter/year?
• Is this a short-term or long-term investment?
• Will this require us to pull resources away from higher-priority projects?
• Why now?
• Have you aligned with XYZ?

Senior Vice Presidents (SVPs):

• What problem are we trying to solve here?
• What is the size of the opportunity?
• What’s the risk of not doing this?
• Are there alternative investments with better or faster returns?
• Why are we chasing Google?
• Is this the best use of our resources?
• What’s the timeframe for achieving the projected results?
• Will this make us a leader in our industry, or are we following others?
• Haven’t we tried this before?
• Does this scale across our global and regional markets?
• How much disruption will this cause to other projects already scoped?

Empathy in Action: A Playbook for Overcoming Objections

Every stakeholder has unique priorities and challenges. If you want to get SEO work implemented, you need to approach their objections with empathy and clarity. Here’s how to apply The RISA Framework for each group:

Product Managers (PMs):

• R: Does this solve a tangible product issue or user pain point?
• I: Will it improve product adoption or retention metrics?
• S: Can you explain how this fits into their roadmap?
• A: Are you syncing with their timelines and priorities?

Marketing Teams:

• R: Does this address a gap in campaign performance?
• I: Will this drive leads, conversions, or other key metrics?
• S: Are you showing how it integrates into campaigns?
• A: Have you ensured it won’t derail planned efforts?

Product Marketing Managers (PMMs):

• R: Does this improve product discovery or visibility?
• I: Will this align with customer needs or buying journeys?
• S: Are you clear about its impact on key product pages?
• A: Does this support their narratives and competitive positioning?

Publishing and Authoring Teams:

• R: Does this address scalability or efficiency issues?
• I: Will this make content creation or updates easier?
• S: Can you provide tools to streamline the process?
• A: Are you fitting this within their bandwidth and scope?

Engineering Teams:

• R: Does this solve a technical problem like crawlability?
• I: Will this reduce technical debt or improve scalability?
• S: Are the requirements and steps clear?
• A: Is this feasible within their current sprint?

Tech SEOs:

• R: Does this address a legitimate technical issue?
• I: Will this directly improve rankings or site health?
• S: Are you providing data or examples to back it up?
• A: Does this align with their current strategies?

Director-Level Stakeholders:

• R: Does this contribute to department goals?
• I: Will this drive measurable business impact?
• S: Are you showing how it aligns with initiatives?
• A: Have you secured buy-in from other teams?

Senior Vice Presidents (SVPs):

• R: Does this solve a strategic business problem?
• I: Will this unlock significant growth or cost savings?
• S: Are you presenting high-level impact tied to key metrics?
• A: Does this align with long-term vision and global priorities?

Empathy + RISA = Results

Objections aren’t personal—they’re part of the enterprise process. Use the RISA Framework to root your recommendations in reality, show empathy for every stakeholder’s challenges, and drive alignment across teams.

SEO isn’t just about doing the work. It’s about navigating the politics, building trust, and making an impact that everyone can rally behind.

Now, go deliver SEO results so that you can justify your ask for that pay rise!