What Are SEO Specialist Job Responsibilities?
An SEO Specialist’s job responsibilities may differ depending on whether they work for a digital marketing agency, in-house, or as a freelancer, but the vast majority of postings include the following tasks:
Developing SEO Strategies
The primary responsibility of an SEO Specialist is to develop and implement optimization strategies that improve a company’s search engine rankings. This involves researching keywords, analyzing competitors, and using data to create a comprehensive optimization plan.
Budget Management
When conducting SEO search campaigns, the SEO Specialist is responsible for executing tests, analyzing data, and identifying trends to achieve maximum return on investment (ROI). They also manage the expenses of SEO campaigns and ensure they stay within budget.
Collaborating with Web Development Team
The SEO Specialist works closely with the web development team to ensure that SEO best practices are followed throughout the website. They provide that the website’s structure, content, links, and other things are set up so that search engines can find it easily.
Driving SEO in Content Creation
The SEO Specialist collaborates with the editorial and marketing teams to improve SEO in content creation and marketing. They are in charge of optimizing search engine marketing pages and ensuring that the company’s website and marketing materials are optimized for the right keywords.
Keyword Research
An SEO Specialist performs ongoing keyword research and optimization to find new relevant keywords for the company website and marketing materials. They set measurable goals that show how marketing efforts are getting better and use SEO tools like Google Analytics to track daily performance metrics.
Link Building Strategy
An SEO Specialist creates and executes a link-building strategy to improve a website’s search engine ranking. This means researching and putting search engine optimization (SEO) recommendations into action and making changes to the website’s structure, content, links, and other things as needed.
Creating Compelling SEO Content
An SEO Specialist writes compelling and high-quality website content, including blog posts and page descriptions, to improve website search results. They work with others in the marketing department to manage the overall SEO strategy and ensure that the website’s content is optimized for search engines and the target audience.
Where Does an SEO Specialist Start From?
Most SEO Specialists and other search engine optimization professionals start their careers in different fields before transitioning into SEO. Although there is no direct college or university degree in SEO, having a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in related areas such as business, marketing, or communications is highly preferred in most job postings for SEO specialists.
At our agency we hire people from all walks of life and train them to be SEO Specialists from the ground up in our specific style:
Since search engine algorithms and best practices are always changing, it’s important to keep learning and getting better at SEO. Getting more certifications, like the Search Engine Optimization Certificate Course from Hawk Academy or Semrush, can show how knowledgeable and dedicated a person is to the industry, and what SEO skill level they have.
These courses provide specific technical skills and the opportunity to create real-world projects under the guidance of seasoned SEO professionals.
How to be the best SEO Specialist?
SEO specialists who are good at their jobs have a deep understanding of all three levels of SEO (technical, on-page, and off-page), a marketing mindset, the ability to think about the big picture, good communication skills, and the ability to change. They need to explain why website changes are essential, work with people from different departments, and know how search engine algorithms are constantly changing. SEO specialists who are good at their jobs always look for ways to improve and stay ahead of the game.
What Roles Like an SEO Specialist?
These are the most common job descriptions related to SEO specialists, who they work with, and why you might consider a career in SEO.
Paid Search Specialists / Marketers
SEO and SEM (search engine marketing) are often confused with each other, but they are two different fields. SEM is a broader field encompassing SEO, pay-per-click marketing (PPC), and customer relationship management. A search engine marketer must be skilled in keyword research and tools like Google AdWords, Bing AdWords, and Google Analytics.
Copywriters & Content Writers
SEO content is a big industry. Not all SEO Specialists are copywriters by trade, so they often work closely with a content writer. The SEO specialists brief on what content needs to be created from keyword research, and the writer builds the written content.
Marketing Consultant
Marketing consultants with a background in SEO are in high demand, as they bring valuable expertise to the table. They work with clients to develop customized marketing solutions, implement SEO strategies, and provide ongoing support to ensure long-term success.
Digital Marketing Manager
SEO and digital marketing are closely related fields. Digital marketing managers are responsible for creating and executing marketing strategies across all digital channels, including SEO, SEM, PPC, and social media.
Who Do SEO Specialists Work With?
SEO specialists typically work as part of a more effective marketing or digital marketing team, collaborating with teams specializing in social media marketing, SEM, and email marketing. However, as SEO touches nearly every aspect of a company website, SEO specialists may also work with development, design, sales, IT, and customer service teams.
Reasons to Become an SEO Specialist
Evolving Industry
If you’re curious and enjoy staying up-to-date on the latest digital trends, a career in SEO may be a good fit for you. SEO is a fast-paced field that requires constant adaptation to changes in the Google algorithm.
Lots of SEO Jobs Out There
Companies are investing more in SEO and SEM than ever before, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. A recent report said that SEO gave the best return on investment for companies that spend more than $25,000 yearly on marketing. The demand for skilled SEO specialists should increase as digital marketing continues to grow.
Creative in Nature
Writing is at the heart of SEO, and an SEO specialist must be able to create content that is both clear and concise while focusing on user intent. A background in writing will take you far in this field.
You Love a Challenge & Competition
In my experience SEO has the hardest difficulty scale in exectuion, there is no hack or quick way to get results, it requires 1 – 2 years of consistent hard work and dedication on a website to build traction. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Your job is to take down the person ranking better than you, so you need to have a competitive nature to harness that motivation to drive those actions into results.
In the end, the world of SEO is exciting, constantly changing, and full of chances to grow and move up. Whether you’re a wordsmith with a passion for writing or a tech-savvy individual with a never-ending thirst for knowledge, a career in SEO could be right for you.
A Typical Day in the Life of an SEO Specialist
The daily life of an SEO specialist and what they do is often varied and exciting. These professionals are always looking for new ways to boost their online visibility. They do things like research keywords and optimize content.
Every day is a chance to work with other departments, find ways to get more people to visit the website, and analyze data to learn more about how people use the site. With a wide range of tasks available, SEO specialists never have a dull moment—and no two days look exactly alike!
How good is a career in SEO for the future?
A career in SEO is an excellent choice for the future. With technology and digital marketing constantly evolving, having expertise in search engine optimization can open up new opportunities that are both rewarding and challenging. SEO professionals can stay on top of trends and keep their skills current to stay ahead of the competition. Additionally, with an increasing number of businesses relying on digital marketing, plenty of work is available for those skilled in SEO techniques.
How hard is it to learn SEO?
Learning SEO is not an insurmountable task. With a little bit of time and effort, anyone can become proficient in the fundamentals of SEO. It requires dedication to research and practice and staying up-to-date with developments in search engine optimization techniques. However, it is certainly possible to acquire the skills needed to efficiently use SEO on your website or blog.
Is SEO a stressful job?
SEO can be a highly demanding job. It requires tremendous focus and dedication to ensure your website performs at its full potential in search engine rankings. While the results may not always come immediately, diligent effort and careful progress monitoring are essential for success – making it an often stressful task.
