There are over 3.5 billion searches every day. That’s 40,000 searches taking place every second. Through search engine optimization (SEO), you can position your website on Google’s first page.
In turn, this increases your chances of people seeing and visiting your website.
All SEO firms have specialists. These are people who implement key changes in websites. They help improve the latter’s appeal in the eyes of Google and other search engines.
As a business owner, you want to hire a firm with top notch SEO specialists to work along side your digital marketing manager. As a job hunter who wishes to become one, you need to have the right skills and knowledge.
But what exactly does it take to be a specialist in SEO? Continue reading below as we break down the tasks and duties the job requires.
How SEO Helps Businesses
To get a better grasp of what an SEO specialist does, let us take a look at why big and small businesses use SEO. If we are to summarise SEO, it involves optimising websites so they can rank higher in search engines.
Moreover, with SEO, companies will experience many other benefits.
First, SEO improves your website by making it user-friendly. This means fixing your site’s structure by keeping it clean and clutter-free. Doing so will help users navigate your site without any confusion.
They can easily see the right buttons to click. They can find the information that they want without losing direction. In turn, they will spend more time exploring your website.
Secondly, SEO helps bring in more customers. And with more customers visiting your site, you will increase your conversion rates.
With a solid SEO program in place, your website becomes faster. Surveys revealed that 70% of consumers consider page speed in their buying decisions.
If your website loads fast, visitors will get to read more of your content. They will not have to worry about waiting a long time for pages to load. Also, they will get to enjoy your content regardless if they’re using a desktop or a mobile device.
And as you climb up the search rankings, more people will learn about your products and services. You will create brand awareness and expand your market reach.
SEO Specialist Job Profile
Whether you are looking to hire an SEO check out our SEO specialist job description or you are searching for job openings as an SEO specialist, there is a certain skill set you need to look for or possess. Let’s take a look at what exactly an SEO specialist does.
Web Researcher
First, a good SEO specialist must know how to do extensive web research. With all the complexities and dynamic movements on the internet, the specialist must perform continuous research, analysis, and evaluation of trends and updates.
Through the data that they gather, they can help web developers, content writers, and link builders keep up with the changes. They can also contribute new information regarding SEO guidelines.
Furthermore, a specialist must know how to implement different search engine marketing techniques. They must ensure that site layouts and internal links are all working.
Additionally, it is the role of the specialist to make crucial decisions on the fly. There will be times when Google changes its algorithms. These changes affect how they rank websites.
In turn, the specialist must decide on which areas of the website need tweaking. He must apply these changes as quickly as possible so as not to lose a foothold in the search rankings.
Content Writer
A specialist is also capable of writing content. This involves creating short articles and blog posts. Sometimes, the client may need longer articles with extensive details and information.
The tricky part about content writing is creating articles that align with rules and guidelines in SEO. Thus, a specialist must know a lot about keyword research. He must identify the right keywords that will work best for the project.
He must know where to place the keywords in the articles. He must also stick to the limits in terms of keyword usage. A specialist is in-charge of using various kinds of on-pace tactics.
These include proper keyword tagging, using clean URLs, and applying internal linking. He is also responsible for maintaining title and meta tags, correcting 404 errors and redirects, and analysing the web presence of the competition.
But most importantly, he must have the skills to write quality articles. This means producing articles that are free of errors both in information and grammar. Keep in mind that Google flags articles that are poor in quality.
Though there are professional content writers, it is a must for a specialist to know how to write as well.
Link Builder
An SEO specialist must also know how to build a backlink profile. The specialist must use backlinks to increase to improve the reputation of the client’s website. Backlinks are like incoming links that come from another website.
When specialists use backlinks in their content, Google will view these links as a vote of confidence coming from another website.
Hence, the specialist must ensure the authenticity of the backlinks. This is where their human management skills come into play.
Technical Skills
Last but not least, a specialist must have a fundamental knowledge of web design. This doesn’t mean having extensive coding knowledge. Instead, a specialist must understand the basics of CSS and HTML.
Typically, SEO specialists have a degree in information technology, business, communications, or marketing. Moreover, SEO firms do not hire applicants who do not have any experience.
They tend to look for people who have at least a year or two of experience working in the digital marketing industry.
Hire or Become an SEO Specialist
Finding an SEO specialist requires careful assessment. You must find reputable companies or job market sources that employ strict screening of procedures. And if you’re looking for a specialist or wish to apply for an SEO job, you’re in the right place!
Check our job alerts section or upload a copy of your Resume. Let’s connect you with the right people, today!
