Table of Contents
What Is An SEO Specialist?
An SEO Specialist, also known as a Search Engine Optimisation consultant, examines and modifies a website to make it search engine-friendly. The website will then rank higher in search results on major search engines like Google and Bing.
SEO experts perform page optimisation on a website to improve search engine results. They also create positive user experiences, increase website traffic, increase lead volume, and build brand awareness. An SEO Specialist is not different from any other traditional or digital marketing professional. They are ultimately trying to increase sales for the company that they work for.
An SEO Specialist can improve the visibility of a website’s Google search results by conducting keyword research and using SEO tools such as Google Analytics. This is a massive benefit for any company. They might work closely with other marketing team members to create new initiatives and better manage social media accounts to increase user engagement.
What are the Job Requirements for SEO Specialists?
The job responsibilities of an SEO Specialist vary depending on whether they are working in a digital marketing agency or for a company. However, the job description of most SEO Specialist posts will include the following:
- Optimise your company’s website search engine results to increase its ranking
- The SEO Specialist will conduct paid search campaigns and perform tests. They will analyse the data and results and identify trends to maximise ROI.
- SEO campaigns can be managed by estimating monthly costs, keeping within budget and reconciling any differences.
- Collaborate closely with web developers to ensure that SEO best practices are followed in website content
- To drive SEO in content creation and content marketing, work with the editorial and marketing departments.
- Page optimisation is a vital part of search engine marketing.
- Continue to research, discover and optimise keywords for use in company websites and marketing materials.
- Search engine optimisation tips can be researched and implemented.
- Implement and create a link-building strategy
- To improve your SEO position for targeted keywords, you can modify website architecture, content, linking, and other factors.
- Set measurable goals to improve marketing efforts
- To understand the performance of your SEO strategy, monitor daily performance metrics using SEO tools like Google analytics.
- To manage SEO strategy, collaborate with other marketing professionals.
- To improve search engine results, write compelling and high-quality content for your website.
Where do SEO specialists come from?
Many SEO Specialists and other search engine optimisation professionals started their careers in another field. They then hone their technical skills by leveraging their educational and transferable skills to get a job in SEO.
SEO is not a field that can be studied at a college or university. A four-year program in marketing will not give you the technical skills necessary to succeed in this field. However, it is infrequent to find a job description for an SEO Specialist without a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related area such as communications or business.
Many SEO professionals in this field seek additional certifications to prove to employers that they have the skills required to implement their digital marketing strategy, increase their search engine traffic, and ensure their website ranks near the top of search engine results pages. You can also take courses like BrainStation’s Search Engine Optimisation Certificate Course. This will allow you to produce accurate work that demonstrates your skills. It will be done under the guidance of an SEO industry professional who understands what employers want.
Even if your degree is relevant, it will likely be necessary to continue learning with an online certification course or another course. This will prove that you are up-to-date in the ever-changing field of SEO.
What are the characteristics of a successful SEO specialist?
These are the characteristics that SEO professionals must possess to succeed in digital marketing and search engine optimisation.
Understanding the Three Levels of Search Engine Optimisation
Search engine optimisation has three levels. Any SEO specialist who is good at developing a marketing strategy should keep all three in mind.
- Technical SEO refers to the non-content elements on your website. This section contains strategies to improve the foundation and backend structure of a website. This job includes a detailed website analysis. This will reveal opportunities for technical SEO to improve website speed and indexing, mobile-friendliness, crawlability, and website architecture. The technical SEO of a website will make it easier to read, enhancing user experience and showing search engines that the site is good.
- Onpage SEO refers to your website’s content. It optimises it to help search engines understand your topic and view your website as a valuable resource. On-page SEO uses elements such as keywords, meta tags and HTML title tags to increase search engine traffic. It also ensures that your website ranks near the top in Google results.
- Offpage optimisation is about building a stronger relationship between your site and other websites using various links building techniques. Off-page optimisation includes strategies that build trust and establish a website’s credibility. This will show search engines that the website is trustworthy.
SEO professionals need to understand how search engine optimisation affects how prominently your site ranks in Google search results.
Marketing with savviness
SEO’s technical aspects are a significant part of the job. Understanding the reasons Google might bury your site in search results is critical. Once you have overcome this hurdle, the SEO industry jobs tend to be similar to other digital or traditional marketing jobs. You need to position and create content that outlines the benefits of the consumer and guides them towards a sale.
It is challenging to create content that appeals to both the people on the other side of the search engine and Google’s algorithm. This is what comes with experience.
However, the SEO skills required to connect as a digital marketing specialist and SEO specialist go much deeper than that. You must consider the content marketing role at a deeper level. This includes consumer psychology, target audience, social media landscape, website design and development, and business goals to drive brand awareness and conversions.
A capacity to think big-picture
SEO is important for everything, as we have seen. SEO is so integral to company websites that it cannot be separated from all the other considerations.
Specific goals are essential for SEO campaigns. It is your goal as an SEO Specialist to concentrate on search engine rankings and to drive traffic.
An SEO Specialist will be able to achieve success by defining these goals and keeping the company’s bigger goals in mind when executing an SEO strategy.
High-Quality Communication Skills and a Collaborative Spirit
An SEO Specialist works with many departments within a company, including customer service, sales, web development, analytics and IT. It can be challenging to explain why changing a website will improve SEO and lead to more traffic and conversions. Your communication skills are key.
SEO specialists must communicate convincingly and understandably why changes are needed and how they will improve the website and the company’s bottom line. You must also be able to communicate with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.
You could also be involved in creating the content for the site. Therefore, you need to ensure your writing skills are top-notch for SEO jobs.
Adaptability and curiosity
Google is constantly changing its algorithm to rank search engine results. This could be frustrating or exciting, depending on how you view it. However, a skilled SEO Specialist will take on this challenge with enthusiasm.
To thrive in the SEO industry, you’ll need to be flexible. While many professionals could benefit from continual learning, an SEO Specialist must be agile to thrive in the space. You can’t afford to learn if you are responsible for a website for a single company. As an SEO expert, it’s your responsibility to review the content and ensure it conforms to ever-changing SEO best practices.
What are some job descriptions for SEO Specialists?
These are some typical jobs that may be related to SEO Specialists.
- Search Engine Marketing: While search engine optimisation (SEO) is often confused with search engine marketing (SEM), they are very distinct. Search engine marketing encompasses SEO, which is a much larger field. You will need to have skills in advertising, Pay Per Click marketing (PPC), and customer relationship management. Search engine marketing is a broad field that requires you to be able to market to search engines as well as consumers. Although search engine marketers specialise in paid search, others are skilled at SEO and search engine marketing. It is essential to master keyword research and use SEO tools such as Google AdWords and Bing AdWords.
- Business marketing consultant: SEO professionals are highly sought after for their insight. To be considered for the position of Business Marketing Consultant, you will need to have a track record of SEO success. This means that you will work with clients to solve their specific problems and plan and implement SEO and other marketing initiatives. You also need to measure the effectiveness and create long-term strategies to increase value for them.
- Digital Market Manager: SEO and digital marketing are closely interrelated. Digital marketers are responsible for online marketing, including SEO, PPC, SEM and social media. Digital marketers create and implement marketing strategies, manage content, and use the power of social media to increase brand awareness, traffic, sales, and traffic.
- Social Media Manager: A social media manager is responsible for creating compelling social media content. This content must be shared on all social media platforms and published in the most effective formats to reach the target audience. Social Media Managers are responsible for driving traffic to company websites and interacting with customers and users via their social media accounts.
- Email Marketing Specialist: By digging deeper into digital marketing, Email Marketing specialists know how to create engaging content for email campaigns that encourage customers to click. Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective methods of reaching a targeted audience. Email marketing primarily generates leads, so email marketing efforts should always be part of a larger marketing strategy.
Who do SEO Specialists work with?
Many SEO Specialists will work as part of a larger marketing or digital marketing team. They would also work with Search Engine Marketers and email marketing teams.
SEO can be applied to any part of a company’s website. An SEO Specialist might work in design, development, sales, IT, and customer service.
Why you should become an SEO specialist
An SEO Specialist career is a great choice. It’s a growing field that can be applied to many other areas of digital marketing and communication. These are just a few of the reasons to consider becoming an SEO specialist:
Words are your friend.
Sometimes we forget that SEO is all about writing. An SEO Specialist must communicate clearly and concisely while still creating content focused on the user’s intent. Wordsmiths may also enjoy the results of small changes in word choice and structure based on keyword research. It is not easy to communicate with search engines and people simultaneously while creating compelling content. Writing skills are critical.
Few fields are as dynamic as the ones in which we work.
A career in SEO is an excellent fit for those who have a constant thirst for knowledge and a passion for digital technology. SEO experts know that it is crucial to keep up with the latest Google algorithm changes and adjust accordingly to drive search engine traffic. As you never know what new changes may be, an SEO Specialist must stay alert. If this is exciting to you, then a career in SEO might be the right fit.
Strong job security
Search engine optimisation and search engine marketing are two areas where businesses have recently become more aware of the importance of investing in search engine optimisation. One recent study found that companies who spend more than $25,000 per year in marketing report that SEO and search engine optimisation provide the highest return on investment. Two-thirds of respondents ranked SEM and SEO as a very high or very high priority for the future, more so than email marketing and social media marketing. As digital marketing is becoming more popular, companies are already spending more money on it. It provides more value and should result in more people being skilled in SEO.
Make your own design!
SEO is not something that can be done in isolation by a good SEO Specialist. SEO experts must consider the entire website of a client or company. They should also take into consideration the overall user experience and look and feel. An SEO Specialist’s job is not just about writing quality content. They also have to be able to use their artistic eye and understand web design. You won’t find a job that allows you to be as creative as an SEO Specialist. This is why it’s so appealing.
SEO Skills Are Transferable
You will be a good candidate for many other jobs in various industries once you have mastered SEO tools and your SEO skills. You will still find SEO expertise in jobs such as communications, content management and marketing.
Further Reading
How to Become an SEO Expert, According to HubSpot’s SEO Team