Section 3: Backlog
How do organizations approach and manage backlogged SEO work that requires development resources?
Our takeaway
"Having been on both the Engineering and SEO side of the coin when it comes to working through a backlog, the biggest thing SEOs can do to support progress is proving value and providing clear prioritization. Important work can get lost without those insights - which matter the most, and how to action them (e.g. fully groomed tickets.) One of the most valuable things an SEO PM brings to the table is a laser-sharp focus on the most meaningful work, as well as why it’s meaningful in terms of business objectives."
Sam Torres • Chief Digital Officer
Question 1
How many sprints would it take to completely catch up on SEO tickets?
This is based on the average number of story points or hours spent on SEO in a given Engineering sprint, assuming no new tickets enter the backlog.
It's concerning to see that there's a relatively high share of answers sharing how it would take from 3 to 6 months - and even from 7 to 12 months - to finish SEO tickets, and that so many of them are high-priority actions that would make a difference. It shows the importance of and even bigger need for an SEO PM!
Aleyda Solís · Founder & International SEO Consultant — Orainti
Question 2
Are SEO tickets in the backlog fully groomed?
Fully groomed tickets should include a scope of work with use cases, potential roadblocks, and prioritization.
Nearly 65% of respondents estimate it would take at least three months to clear their SEO backlog — and that's without adding new tickets. This points to a systemic bottleneck in execution.
Compounding the issue, only 27% report that most or all of their backlog is well-groomed. Without structured prioritization and clear ticket scope, even critical SEO initiatives risk stalling indefinitely.
This underscores the need for SEO Product Management to mature beyond triage and into true backlog strategy.
Mihir Naik · Senior Product Manager, SEO — Loblaws
Question 3
What level of priority are SEO tickets in the backlog?
- Mostly low-priority tickets: There are several low-priority tickets, such as minor technical errors (such as schema warnings) that won't materially impact indexation or SERP positions
- Mix of priorities: There are about an equal number of low-, medium-, and high-priority tickets from minor technical errors to tickets that would have meaningful impact on SEO performance
- Mostly medium- & high-priority: A majority of tickets are medium and high-priority tickets such as those related to SEO roadmap initiatives and critical errors. Very few low-priority tickets are in the backlog
- All backlog tickets are critical: All tickets in the backlog are related to SEO roadmap initiatives or critical errors that will substantially impact SEO optimization
- N/A there is no backlog or unknown
Working closely with Engineering made me more conservative about which tickets to create. I try to avoid creating low-priority tickets, because often, they cost the same as the high-impact ones. The survey says most backlogs share a somewhat similar amount of low/medium/high-impact tickets. Why do you care if it's low-impact? This is not a box-ticking exercise.
Gus Pelogia · Senior SEO Product Manager — Indeed
Bonus Analysis
Mapping ticket-grooming efficiency to the time it would take to complete the backlog
13 out of 16 responses with a backlog of 7+ months indicated that half (or less) of the tickets are groomed*. On the flip side, only 12 out of 40 responses with a backlog of less than 6 months reported most of their tickets being groomed and 15 out of the 40 estimated about half of tickets are groomed.
The first step to getting SEO work picked up into the development workflow is ensuring tickets are fully groomed.
* Caveat that the survey sample size is not large enough for statistical significance analysis.
Managing backlog efficiently will separate the winners from the losers, as AI-powered search surfaces new content needs and technical requirements faster than ever.
Glen McMurry · Director, SEO — Upwork
