Can you imagine a world without search engines?
You’ll be stuck linking endless pages of web content in a frustrating and usually vague struggle to find super important things like “chiropractors next to me” or “1976 Best Picture Winner.”
Fortunately, search engines exist. And because they do, there is a real need for skilled professionals who know how to optimize websites to appear at the top of their rankings.
Are you trying to get started in the field of search engine optimization (SEO)?
I’ve probably interviewed and hired over 100 different people into SEO & amp; I’ve been looking for roles in the market over the last 20 years and I’ve learned a lot of things that can help you make the right impression.
Here are my tips for landing the job of your dreams and starting your career in SEO.
What Types of SEO Jobs Are There?
Contents
Every business, blog, and e-commerce store can benefit from a search engine optimization expert to enhance their online presence.
But every organization has different needs. And that, of course, means a lot of different job opportunities.
While it would be impossible to list every SEO role, here are some of the most common jobs in the field:
Content Creator
When it comes to digital marketing, content is still king.
Content creators raise the search engine ranking of a website by writing a copy using keywords.
Tone, style and readability are also important considerations for content creators.
SEO Analyst
These professionals are responsible for maintaining the success and relevance of an organization’s website.
By following and implementing the latest best practices, they keep websites informative and accessible, and measure success by analyzing performative data.
SEM Specialist/Strategist
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Specialists and Strategists oversee paid search campaigns and other pay-per-click (PPC) initiatives.
They work with SEO and marketing teams to drive traffic and attract customers.
SEO Account Manager
Commonly found in agency settings, SEO Account Managers oversee SEO strategy and operations for one or several clients.
They provide customer service and serve as a liaison between the customer and the technical team.
Link Builder
These professionals focus on building and maintaining backlinks that increase traffic to a page.
They develop partnerships using email awareness, blogging networking, and forum posting.
SEO Consultant
Usually working as independent contractors, SEO consultants provide expert advice and guidance to organizations looking to optimize their search engine rankings.
They will analyze the website and current content, make recommendations to improve results, and in some cases, even redesign a customer’s online presence.
Is A Career In SEO Right For You?
As an important part of the digital success of any organization, the demand for SEO professionals is high and continues to grow. But like any career, it’s not for everyone.
To help you decide if this is the right choice for you, let’s take a quick look at some of the pros and cons:
Pro: It’s well paid. Let’s face it, money is important. Because SEO is so vital to modern businesses, they are willing to generously compensate people who can get the results they need.
Con: It’s delicate. SEO is a constantly changing landscape. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, Google changes its algorithm, and you want to rethink your entire strategy.
Pro: There is a lot of variety. As discussed in the previous section, there are a plethora of opportunities for SEO professionals.
From non-profits to professional sports franchises, mom-and-pop stores to multinational corporations – you can work in almost any industry, either independently or as part of a team.
Con: It takes time to get good. You will not become a search engine wizard in one day. You will spend a lot of time living with Google Analytics, and you need constant research to stay up to date on the latest techniques and best practices.
Pro: You are constantly learning. If you are the type of person who enjoys personal development, SEO may be perfect for you. From multi-keyword text writing to web designing, search engine optimization is nothing short of boring and gives you easily transferable skills.
Con: It takes patience. It can take days, weeks or even months for your latest implementation to reap the rewards.
Quality optimization provides long-term rewards. But even after all your hard work, you may not see the results you want.
There are hundreds of ranking factors, many of which Google does not disclose, and sometimes even a great strategy can be short-lived.
Whether the pros outweigh the cons is entirely up to you. But if you haven’t been deterred, read on for the SEO landing tips you want.
1. Identify What Employers Are Looking For
The key to finding a job, SEO or otherwise, is to have the qualifications that the employer is looking for.
But there is usually no one set requirement for every SEO position. Instead, it will vary from organization to organization.
For example, some employers want applicants to have a college degree, while others only accept applicants thanks to their professional portfolio.
Carefully read the job posting (if one exists) and consider the type of expertise the employer needs. Do you need in-depth technical skills or knowledge? Some positions may require someone familiar with Python NLP libraries, while others may require a Google Analytics wizard.
Some of the most common skills required include target audience identification, knowledge of Google Webmaster Guidelines, experience with website audits, keyword research, and competitive analysis.
In addition to the digital marketing experience, many companies also prefer candidates with proven verbal and written communication skills.
You can learn more about some of the most common SEO job requirements here.
2. Get To Know The Companies You’re Interested In
Before submitting an application, you should know as much as possible about the companies you are interested in.
This not only increases your chances of securing a job, but also helps you determine if it is culturally appropriate for you.
Research the history of the organization. How long have they been around? What are their primary products and services? Who are their competitors?
Spend some time investigating their core values. Read their website. Read their mission statement. Look for them on sites like GlassDoor and Indeed, where you can read employee reviews.
This is a great way to get an inside look at the culture and what it really is like to work in a company.
LinkedIn is also a great tool for research.
Look at the management of the company, as well as the team you may be working with. See if you share any connections or interests. This can help build a rapport during the interview process.
3. Stay Current With Emerging Trends And Hone Your Skills
Search Engine Optimization, more than any other field, is a constantly changing landscape.
Whether it’s changes to Google’s algorithm or emerging new technologies, what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.
Best practices are constantly changing. To stay on top of the field, you need to know about them.
Show potential employees that you not only know the latest trends and techniques, but understand how to use them by applying them to your current job.
Stay up to date by reading blogs and web resources (such as the one you are currently browsing, for example).
Participate in SEO forums where you can ask and answer questions. Enroll in a free certification course that looks good on your startup.
And of course, don’t forget about Google Career Certificates, a low-cost way to earn the equivalent of a four-year degree in just a fraction of the time.
You can read more about how these certificates can help you speed up your career in this article.
4. Build Your Online Brand
In an evolving job market, which also happens to coincide with a social media environment that looks at me, it’s more important than ever to stand out.
And that means more than just doing a good job and having an amazing portfolio – it means building your brand.
Not sure what that is? Think of it as how other people think of you. It’s both your talents and who you are, and that’s what sets everyone apart.
A good place to start tagging yourself is with a personal website. More than just telling your story or showing work, it also lets you show your employer your web knowledge.
Think about it: What can prove your expertise with better search engine optimization than a personal site at the top of the rankings?
Suddenly, you have shown both your expertise and your experience. And if you need a little help setting up that new website, we have a helpful guide to get you started.
You can also consider optimizing your social media profile for the work you want. Make sure you are presenting a consistent and professional message across all platforms. And yes, that means deleting those pictures of the embarrassing party from college.
5. Customize Your Resume To The Role
Many job seekers fall into the trap of creating a “good enough” resume and submitting that to every position they apply for. That’s a mistake.
The employer needs to know that you are not only reading the job posting, but that you are qualified for the role.
Before you hit “send” in your next application, take some time to assess your strengths and demonstrate the qualities that hiring managers are looking for.
It can be as simple as restructuring the bulleted list of your skills. Or, it may call for a massive rewrite of your entire startup to focus on a more relevant experience.
Do an online search for examples again for similar roles and draw your own around them. SEO jobs need to know the specifics of your performance.
Did you take a website from the third page of Google results for the first place? Emphasizes that.
Did organic traffic grow by 32%? Your resume should show it.
Be sure to list not only your experience but also your achievements.
For more assistance in designing SEO resumes, be sure to read this article.
6. Nail The Interview
Your sequel has been polished, and I’ve gotten the attention of the hiring manager. Now comes the really tricky part – the interview.
Many people know better than to show off with uncombed hair, in ripped jeans and a crumpled Justin Bieber t-shirt, but there’s so much more to good interviews than just looking great.
Body language is also important. Sit up straight, look people in the eye, and smile. Basically do all the things your kindergarten teacher taught you.
Let’s be prepared with questions to ask. Interviewers like it when you have done your research. Show your interest in the position and that you are taking the interview process seriously.
Try your answers to the common interview questions and be prepared to highlight your creativity and relevant skills.
Not sure what kind of questions to ask? We have provided a list of 46 common questions that may arise during an SEO job interview.
7. Know Your Worth
All your life you have probably been told that it is bad manners to discuss money. There is, however, one exception to this rule – during job interviews.
Be confident in your skills and ask for proportionate compensation.
Research how much jobs at this level generally pay based on job title and experience. Not sure where to start? Take a look at State of SEO 2021 SEO Salary Report.
And, be prepared to negotiate. Most jobs expect you to get a counteroffer.
A good general rule of thumb is to charge 10% more than you think you will get.
Unless your counter is completely realistic, it’s not harmful to ask for more money, and who knows? Only you can achieve this. But you won’t know if you don’t ask.
Takeaways
During this piece, we took a look at what types of SEO positions are out there, what are the pros and cons of a career in this field, and what job landing strategies you want. .
If there’s one thing to take, let it be this: SEO is a good career choice, where you’re going to be in high demand.
With the huge global shift to digital, people are more connected to the web than ever before. And that means more content that needs optimization.
According to Business Wire, the global market for SEO services is expected to grow by 19.6% to reach $ 83.7 billion in 2025.
And that means the sky is the limit for the right SEO professionals. Now go there and get that job done.
Featured Print: iJeab / Shutterstock
Social media is not a rating factor, so it will not directly help your ratings. While there is no direct ranking correlation between the two, the benefits of social media combine into SEO. And if you’re trying to improve your SEO, it’s especially important for you to invest in social.
What is som digital marketing?
The marketable service (SOM) is an estimate of the portion of revenue in a specific product segment that a company is able to capture. Factors contributing to the SOM include market size / range, product and competition.
How is som calculated? Marketable Measurement (SOM) Calculate your revenue from last year with the addressable market that can serve your industry from last year. This percentage is your market share from last year. Then, multiply your market share from last year by addressing your industry service market from this year.
What is this digital marketing?
Digital marketing, also called online marketing, is the promotion of brands to connect with potential customers using the internet and other forms of digital communication. This includes not only email, social media, and web-based advertising, but also text and multimedia messaging as a marketing channel.
What are the four types of digital marketing?
4 Types of Digital Marketing to Consider for Your Business
- Content Marketing. …
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) …
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM) …
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
What do we do in digital marketing?
Digital marketers are in charge of driving brand awareness and lead generation through all the digital channels – both free and paid – that are available to the company. These channels include social media, the company’s own website, search engine rankings, email, display advertising, and the company’s blog.
What’s an example of digital marketing?
Examples of digital marketing include: Social Media Marketing (SMM) Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
What is a good som percentage?
For most successful startups, SOM is a small percentage of SAM (1–10%). SOM is basically the long-term annual income of your startup. Typically, a SOM for a large startup is less than 1% of the TAM. If you have a bomb test plan to take over 10% of SAM, great – just back it up.
The Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) is an estimate of the portion of revenue in a specific product segment that a company is able to capture. Another way to look at it is to estimate the market share for a particular product that a company can collect.
What percentage of Sam is SOM?
This means that your SOM is about 16 percent of your SAM (or about 5 percent of your TAM, or just under 1 percent of your city’s total population). If you are looking for financing, savvy investors will ask you for these items in your business plan, and they want you to be able to back up your numbers.
What is a good Serviceable Obtainable Market?
The Ottenable Serviceable Market refers to the group of customers that you can realistically get business from. While you can identify a target market in the form of an Addressable Service Market or SAM, SOM is only a percentage of SAM.
What does SOM mean in marketing?
Available Market Serviceable (SAM) – represents the portion of TAM that can be served by a company’s products and services. Achievable Market or Market Share (SOM) – represents the realistic portion of SAM that can be captured and used.
How do you define SOM?
Summary
- The marketable service (SOM) is an estimate of the portion of revenue in a specific product segment that a company is able to capture.
- Factors contributing to the SOM include market size / range, product and competition.
What does TAM SAM and SOM mean?
TAM or Total Available Market is the total market demand for a product or service. SAM or Serviceable Available Market is the TAM segment targeted by your products and services located within your geographic range. SOM or Serviceable Obtainable Market is the portion of SAM that you can catch.
What is SOM in entrepreneurship?
What is SOM? SOM = Service Obtainable Market is the subset of your SAM that will realistically get you used to your product. This is actually your target market that you will initially try to sell.
What are SEO keywords?
Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about. In terms of SEO, it is the words and phrases that search engines enter into search engines, also called & quot; search queries. & Quot; If you boil everything on your page – all images, video, copy, etc.
What keywords should I use for SEO? The best keywords for your SEO strategy will consider relevance, authority and volume. You want to find highly sought after keywords that you can reasonably compete with based on: The level of competition you are competing against.
What are examples of keywords?
Keywords are the words and phrases that people type in the search engines to find what they are looking for. For example, if you were looking to buy a new jacket, you could type something like â € œmens leather jacketâ € into Google. Even if that phrase consists of more than one word, it is still a keyword.
What are the types of keywords?
There are 9 types of keywords: short tail, longtail, short-term, long-term, product definition, customer definition, geo-targeting, and target intent.
What are the 4 types of keywords?
When we search for a user’s intentions after a search, we can classify all keywords into four main categories of intent: commercial, transactional, informational, and navigational. We will identify what these types are with a short breakdown of each type.
What are keywords give five examples?
Examples of keywords are the primitive types, int and boolean; control flow statements for and if; access modifiers such as public words, and special ones that mark the declaration and definition of Java classes, packages, and interfaces: class, package, interface.
How do I find SEO keywords for my website?
The easiest way to find out the keywords your competitors are using is to visit their website and then see the Page Source or HTML code underlying their homepage. In Google Chrome, just click the toolbar (the three lines in the top right corner) then select Tools> Developer Tools.
How do I find SEO keywords?
How To Research Keyword Keywords For Your SEO Strategy
- Step 1: Make a list of important and relevant topics based on what you know about your business. …
- Step 2: Fill in those subject buckets with keywords. …
- Step 3: Understand How Intention Affects Keyma Keyword Research and Analysis Appropriately. …
- Step 4: Research related search terms.
Is Google AdWords an SEM?
Search Engine Marketing Platforms The most well-known (and effective) platform to use is Google AdWords. Bing Ads and Yahoo Search Ads are also two SEM platforms that you can use. It is important to note that — while all SEM platforms utilize a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising model — not all PPC is SEM.
Google display ads are SEM? Search engine marketing puts your web page at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), such as Google or Bing, tagged with a sponsored ad tag. On the other hand, display advertising allows you to place banners on websites with audiences that are interested in your product.
Is SEM and PPC the same?
PPC is SEM. That is, pay-per-click advertising (PPC) is the same as search engine marketing (SEM), or at least a vital part of it.
Is SEM and Google AdWords the same?
Search Engine Marketing Platforms The most well-known (and effective) platform to use is Google AdWords. Bing Ads and Yahoo Search Ads are also two SEM platforms that you can use. It is important to note that – while all SEM platforms use a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising model – not all PPC is SEM.
What are the difference between SEO vs SEM vs PPC?
According to the definitions below: SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and PPC (Pay-Per Click) are paid search engine strategies, as well as various other online marketing platforms. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an organic marketing strategy that is pushed through search engine platforms.
Is paid search the same as PPC?
Often the terms are used interchangeably. Basically, “paid search” refers to all the ads you can place on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) such as search results pages on Google, Bing, and more. â € œPPCâ € â € “meaning ads that advertisers only pay for when people click on them â €“ is a very common pattern in paid search advertising.
Are Google Ads SEO or SEM?
PPC ads using Google, Bing, or other search engines fall under the paid SEM category. Most advertising platforms, including Google Ads, work with real-time bidding.
Is Google Ads considered SEM?
An SEM platform is a search engine where a brand can place search ads that are displayed when users search. The most common SEM platforms are Google and Bing. Google Ads is the most widely used SEM platform.
Are Google Ads SEO?
SEO and Ads have unique but complementary roles. The discipline of SEO management revolves around making your site attractive to customers as well as creating content that addresses their needs and engages them. … Google Ads, on the other hand, are a form of online display advertising.
Is AdWords SEM or SEO?
Search Engine Marketing Platforms The most well-known (and effective) platform to use is Google AdWords. Bing Ads and Yahoo Search Ads are also two SEM platforms that you can use. It is important to note that – while all SEM platforms use a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising model – not all PPC is SEM.
What are examples of SEM?
Google AdWords is probably the most popular search engine marketing platform. Bing Ads is also another prominent SEM platform, such as Yahoo! Gemini and IgnitionOne.
SEM is search engine marketing. It is a combination of SEO and PPC advertising. These are the ads at the top of your Google search. Social Media Marketing (SMM) is social media marketing including Facebook, Twitter, and unpaid Instagram marketing on social media and paid ads.
Is Facebook a SEM?
Google and Facebook are two of the most popular and commonly used platforms when it comes to marketing. Google is for search engine marketing (SEM), while Facebook is for social media marketing (SMM). Sure, these two marketing platforms are very different from each other.
What is SEM in digital marketing with examples?
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy used to increase the visibility of a website in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
How SEO works step by step?
What Is An SEO Strategy?
- Step # 1: Create a Keyword List.
- Step # 2: Analyze Google’s First Page.
- Step # 3: Create Something Different or Better.
- Step # 4: Add a Hook.
- Step # 5: Optimize for On-Page SEO
- Step # 6: Optimize for Search Intent.
- Step # 7: Focus on Content Design.
- Step # 8: Build Links to Your Page.
What is an example of search engine optimization? White hat SEO helps to improve the performance of a website while still following the rules and regulations of the search engine. For example, if a company uses Google, it will respect their terms and conditions when using their SEO services.
What is SEM example?
| Keyword Type | An example |
|---|---|
| Exact match | For the targeted keyword virtual assistant, a campaign can also target virtual assistants, virtual assistance, and virtual assistants. |
| Negative | For the target virtual assistant target may include virtual assistant salary or virtual assistant training. |
Is Facebook a SEM?
Google and Facebook are two of the most popular and commonly used platforms when it comes to marketing. Google is for search engine marketing (SEM), while Facebook is for social media marketing (SMM). Sure, these two marketing platforms are very different from each other.
What is SEM in digital marketing with examples?
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy used to increase the visibility of a website in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
SEM is search engine marketing. It is a combination of SEO and PPC advertising. These are the ads at the top of your Google search. Social Media Marketing (SMM) is social media marketing including Facebook, Twitter, and unpaid Instagram marketing on social media and paid ads.
What is SEO and how it works?
Also, SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’, which is the process of getting traffic from free, organic, editorial or natural search results in search engines. It aims to improve the position of your website in the search results pages. Remember, the more expensive the website, the more people view it.
What is SEO in simple words?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is a set of practices designed to improve the appearance and positioning of web pages in organic search results.
What is SEO example?
Companies seek search engine optimization, or SEO, to help them gain more awareness and to make their company rank higher in the search engine rankings. SEO is utilized through search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Bing, and so on. Search engine optimization uses keywords that attract a user to the company.
How much does SEO cost per month?
| Tip | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cheap SEO | $ 500 to $ 3,000 a month |
| Medium range SEO | $ 3,000 to $ 15,000 a month |
| High-end SEO | $ 15,000- $ 30,000 per month |
| SEO Enterprise | $ 30,000-1 Million + per month |
How Much Does SEO Cost? The average SEO costs are $ 100- $ 250 per hour for US SEO agencies. SEO costs often range from $ 2,500 – $ 10,000 a month for US agencies. The average SEO plan costs $ 2819 per month (per Ahrefs) Overseas SEO companies can charge $ 10- $ 50 per hour.
How much should I spend a month on SEO?
How Much Can You Expect to Spend on SEO? If you are hiring a top SEO company to run a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. A national or international campaign requires a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month.
Is monthly SEO worth?
The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not only in generating traffic but also in leads and sales. Don’t worry. The long answer includes research and data, not just blank statements. Most SEOs get caught up too much in search-specific metrics such as SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
How much time should I spend on SEO?
How do I budget for SEO?
To generalize, most SEO experts will charge a recurring monthly investment of $ 3,000 to $ 10,000 per month. A national or international SEO budget should never be less than $ 5000 a month and it is possible to start a local SEO campaign in the range of $ 500 to $ 2500.
How much does SEO cost per month for a small business?
The average cost of SEO for small businesses is $ 750 to $ 2000 per month or $ 5000 to $ 30,000 for one-time projects. Smaller companies that invest in SEO consulting services can expect to pay $ 80 to $ 200 per hour.
How much should I pay local SEO?
Typical local SEO campaigns cost between $ 300 and $ 2,000 a month depending on the needs of your business, your competition, and your geographic location.
Is SEO worth it for small business?
Even if you choose to invest money in SEO, ROI can more than double if the marketing campaign is well orchestrated. So, the simple answer is “yes,” SEO is worth it for any small business, even those that don’t operate online.
How much does SEO cost 2021?
In 2021, the cost of SEO for local campaigns averaged about $ 1,000 a month, while nationally focused SEO campaign costs ranged from $ 2,500 to $ 7,500 a month on average. The cost of SEO services varies depending on the complexity of the keywords and the services included.