Career In SEO: Advice To Those Considering SEO As Career

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a complex process that doesn’t happen overnight. On the other hand, it’s a constantly evolving field since Google and the other search engines are constantly tweaking their algorithms. So, if you are thinking of starting a career in SEO, know that you are going to enter a challenging—but fun—career path.

In this article, we discuss what you need to do to launch a career in SEO and grow in it.

Is SEO The Right Career Path For You?

Here are a few reasons why you should consider working in SEO:

• If you like writing or developing written content, SEO (along with content marketing) could be a great field for you

• You like learning. SEO is a very fluid field and you’d need to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry. Curiosity is a very important trait in this field.

• You like working with data. SEO requires you to be analytical and use various analytical tools. 

• Communication skills are very important in SEO. Link building is an important aspect of SEO and would require reaching out to other businesses and influencers; as well as a bit of PR.

• SEO requires versatility: you might be required to write content, perform technical optimizations and outreach. Creativity is an important skill to have as well.

Career Options In SEO

As you can see, SEO is a pretty wide and versatile field, and so typical career paths can vary. The most common approach is to start out as a junior SEO specialist and then work your way up to either an SEO consultant or a digital marketing manager. 

There are several ways of working in SEO: 

• Working in-house - This could be in the marketing division of a company doing SEO full-time.

• Working for an agency - You may work full-time in a digital marketing agency, or an agency specializing in SEO.

• Freelance - you may market yourself as a freelance SEO expert and can work with a variety of clients.

What Knowledge & Skills Are Required?

SEO comprises three sub-fields:

1. Technical: You’d need an understanding of how websites are built. Search engines prioritize websites that are built properly according to agreed ‘standards’. So, technical knowledge of website optimization according to technical ranking factors is necessary. 

2. Content creation: SEO is about content, and the SEO specialist must understand what kind of content is going to be valuable and relevant for the target audience, and at the same time, the content must be properly understood by the search engines. 

3. Analytics and evaluation: SEO is a long-term game, and we should generally expect to spend 6 to 12 months or more before we can see any significant results. Properly evaluating and monitoring progress by using various analytical tools to generate data is very important. 

With that being said, here are some of the most desirable SEO skills:

• Analytical skills and knowledge of various analytical tools, especially Google tools (Google Analytics, Google Search Console & Google Keyword Planner). 

• Understanding of the technical aspects of SEO and the current changes (for example, in Google’s algorithms, etc. ). Knowledge of CSS and HTML is also very important. 

• Critical thinking is also important. Different websites will require varying levels of SEO effort, and an SEO specialist is required to assess potential issues on the websites they work on with a view to developing potential solutions. 

• As mentioned, SEO is a long-term game and throughout the process, you might be required to make decisions based on various situations/contexts. So, decision-making skills are also very important.

• Writing - Although an SEO marketer might not be required to write content, they will need to supervise the content creation process followed by content writers. Knowledge of content creation best practices and content optimization is extremely valuable. 

• Technical website coding - Similar to content creation, an SEO specialist doesn’t have to be a web designer, but it’s important they understand the basics of web design, website coding and meta tags. Basic HTML and CSS knowledge are also important.

• Research-minded - Research is very important in many aspects of SEO, from keyword research to deciding on the target keywords, researching new algorithm changes, competitive analysis, market research, and so on. 

In addition to SEO expertise, there are other skills that can be useful (secondary skills): 

• PPC, also known as Pay-per-click advertising, especially Google Ads, can be used for implementing SEO campaigns, and there are various SEO approaches that can be implemented in PPC and vice versa.

• Social media: Social media is now an important channel for promoting content, and social media marketing knowledge can complement SEO expertise.

• Public Relations (PR): Basic PR knowledge can be useful especially when it comes to link building and content promotion. You might need to reach out to other businesses, news outlets, and influencers to promote your content and generate backlinks.

Key Responsibilities Of An SEO Specialist

The responsibilities of an SEO specialist will vary depending on the organization they work in and the client’s needs. Here are some key responsibilities to keep in mind:

• SEO audit: An SEO specialist must be able to evaluate the condition of a website, evaluate problems and determine the resources necessary to develop an SEO strategy

• Client relations: An SEO specialist must communicate with clients, consider the objectives of every client and provide suggestions when necessary. 

• Maintain search engine knowledge: This is probably the most important responsibility of an SEO specialist. It’s imperative for an SEO expert to stay up-to-date with various subjects related to SEO, considering it is a rapidly changing field

• Content creation: SEO specialists should be able to generate or supervise the generation of content that is optimized for SEO

• Website optimization: Skills related to both technical (page load speed, site structure, coding optimizations) and non-technical (keyword optimization, UX improvements, etc.) aspects are important.

How Much Can You Earn As An SEO Expert?

According to ZipRecruiter, as of May 2020, the average annual pay of an SEO specialist in the U.S. is $54,144, with the highest annual salaries being $89,500 and the lowest being $23,500. The majority currently range between $41,500 to $64,500.