In today’s digital era, digital marketing skills are must-have skills for growth, and the most important skill that helps a company’s website rank high on search engines is SEO. This blog explores all the details about the SEO specialist, about their skills, roles & responsibilities. If you want to enter this field and want to understand about SEO Specialisation, explore our blog.
This blog will cover:
- What is SEO?
- Who are SEO specialists?
- Types of SEO specialists
- Roles & responsibilities
- Skills required to be an SEO specialist
- Salary of an SEO expert
- How to prepare for an SEO specialist’s interview
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is the process of making your website more visible and attractive to search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo etc. In other words, SEO is used to improve the website’s presence in search engines. This helps your website rank better in search results and makes it easier for people to find your website.
Who are SEO specialists?
SEO specialists are experts who make websites appear higher in search engines. They use different strategies to help websites get more visitors from search engines. They have to make sure that more & more people visit your website & leads are generated.
Types of SEO Specialists Roles
- On-page SEO Specialists
On-page SEO specialists focus on optimizing web pages to rank higher and earn more traffic to the website. They ensure that content is relevant, optimized and engaging and use titles, meta descriptions, headers, and alt tag for images. They also update content regularly to keep it fresh.
- Off-page SEO Specialists
Off-page SEO specialists optimize the website through techniques outside the website. They acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, promote content on social media platforms, and build relationships with influencers and other websites to promote content and acquire backlinks.
- Technical SEO Specialists
Technical SEO specialists ensure that the website meets the technical requirements of search engines to improve organic ranking. They identify and fix issues such as broken links, duplicate content, and crawl errors, improve website loading time and ensure the website is mobile-friendly.
- Local SEO Specialists
Local SEO specialists optimize the website to attract more traffic from local searches. They optimize and manage Google My Business, local citations, and customer reviews.
- Content SEO specialists
Content SEO specialists create and optimize content to attract organic traffic and improve the website ranking. They develop high-quality and engaging content, plan and implement content strategies, write and publish blog posts and regularly update the existing content to attract more organic traffic to rank higher in search engines.
- E-commerce SEO specialists
E-commerce SEO specialist focuses on optimising the online stores to improve traffic, sales, and visibility. They optimize product title, descriptions, images, and URLs with relevant keywords for search engines and develop a clear and user-friendly website structure.
What are the Roles & Responsibilities of an SEO Specialist
Keyword Research
Identifying relevant and high-traffic keywords & phrases that customers use to search for information they need. This involves using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, etc. to analyze the keyword competition and select which keywords to target.
On-page Optimization
Enhancing website content by using titles, headings, meta descriptions, images, and videos to improve website ranking in search engines. Strategic keyword placed in the content, without overstuffing and regularly updating the existing content to keep it fresh.
Off-page Optimization
Building high-quality backlinks and managing the online reputation by monitoring brand feedback. Relationships with influencers, bloggers, and webmasters are built for link-building opportunities.
Content Creation
Creating high-quality, original & unique content by using the latest data that can engage more & more people. This involves writing and optimizing blog posts, articles, and other content, as well as regularly updating and refreshing existing content with relevant keywords.
Technical SEO
Improving website speed and making it easier to work on mobile. Regular site audits are conducted to identify and fix technical issues such as broken links, duplicate content, and crawl errors. Site speed is improved to enhance user experience and site ranking.
Competitor Analysis
Identifying opportunities & threats by analyzing the competitor’s SEO strategies. Competitor research and benchmarking is conducted to compare the website’s performance against competitors. This analysis helps in finding the areas for improvement.
Tracking Performance
Analyzing the websites performance by using various tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other software. Keyword ranking is tracked and SEO efforts are measured to make a regular report. These reports help in understanding the impact of SEO strategies.
Local SEO
Managing the website to be visible in local search results on Google. Local citations and Google My Business is optimized to improve local visibility. Customer reviews and content is managed to build trust and improve local ranking in the area.
SEO Audit
SEO audits help to develop a clear strategy to improve the site’s ranking, visibility, and traffic. It also helps in identifying issues and areas of improvement. The audit includes analyzing site architecture, crawl errors, mobile-friendliness, site speed, URL structure, and security protocols.
Collaboration
Working with web developers, content creators, and marketing team to apply SEO strategies. Effective communication and coordination are necessary and have to communicate with clients to understand their goals and provide updates on SEO progress.
Staying Updated
Identifying the latest SEO trends, and algorithm updates to stay updated and remain in competition. Engaging in continuous learning through reading industry blogs, publications, webinars, and courses helps in staying updated and informed.
Skills required to be an SEO specialist
- Technical skills
Understanding of search engine algorithms, website architecture & code, SEO tools, and content management systems (CSM) like WordPress, Joomla, etc.
- Analytical skills
Ability to analyze data, competitors’ strategies, critical thinking, identify trends, and proficiency in keyword research.
- Content creation
Ability to optimize and create high-quality content for better search engine results.
- Link building
Ability to build relations with other websites for backlink opportunities. - Soft skills
Strong verbal & written communication skills, ability to manage multiple projects, creative problem-solving skills to face challenges.
- SEO tools
Ability to use SEO tools like SENrush, Ahrefs, Moz, Google Keyword Planner, and many more.
Salary of an SEO specialist
The salary of an SEO specialist can vary depending on several factors including:
- Experience
Entry-level SEO specialists (0-2 years experience) can expect a starting salary of around INR 3,00,000 to 4,50,000 per year.
Mid-level SEO specialists (3-5 years experience) can earn INR 4,50,000 to 8,00,000 per year.
Senior SEO specialist (5+ years experience) can earn more than INR 8,00,000 per year.
- Location
Generally, salaries are higher in large metropolitan cities like Mumbai & Delhi as compared to small cities.
- Company size
Large companies can offer higher salaries as compared to smaller companies.
- Skillset
A person having a broader skill set can demand a higher salary.
- Industry
Industries with higher competition like healthcare, e-commerce, and finance can offer higher salaries.
How to prepare for an SEO specialist”s interview
- Understand the basics
Ensure you have a solid understanding of SEO basics and content optimization & know how to conduct keyword research using various tools.
- Know the tools
Be proficient and comfortable in using SEO tools (Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and others), keyword research tools (Ubersuggest and AnswerThePublic), and SEO audit tools.
- Stay updated
Be aware of the latest SEO trends, algorithm updates, recent case studies, and success stories in SEO.
- Practical experience
Create a portfolio of your SEO work and be prepared to discuss your specific projects.
- Soft skills
Showcase your ability to think creatively and practice explaining complex SEO concepts in simple terms.
- Company research
Research the company you are interviewing with.
- Questions for the interviewer
Prepare a list of questions for the interviewer about the company’s SEO strategies, the tools they use, and their expectations.
- Prepare common questions
Prepare for a mix of general and basic SEO questions. Here are some examples:
- What are some technical SEO best practices?
- How do you conduct keyword research?
- How do you build high-quality backlinks?
- Describe your experience with SEO tools.
- How do you track and measure SEO performance?
- What is your process of conducting an SEO audit?
- Can you explain a recent algorithm update and its impact on SEO?
- Describe a challenging SEO problem you have faced and how you solved it.
