Before we get started, it’s important to distinguish the difference between the closely related disciplines of SEO & SEM…
SEO is different from SEM (search engine marketing), but sometimes the same strategist may be responsible for both, which only contributes to the confusion. SEM is related to placing ads next to organic search results (paying Google for this privilege), and SEO is getting Google to place your page organically (without paying them anything).
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s focus on what SEO strategists do…
Successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy depends on having a top notch SEO strategist leading it. To get an SEO expert, you have 2 options:
- post your SEO strategist jobs on a job board and hire an employee to lead your efforts
- outsource this work to an SEO consultant
To become a successful SEO manager, you will need to have skills & traits as well as master certain responsibilities. Let’s discover what strategists actually do and how to ensure you hire the best one for your company (or become a reputable one).
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11 Crucial Skills Needed to Rank Higher in Search Engines
Like any career, there is a unique skill set required to be a successful SEO strategist.
In total, we’ve identified 11 key skills required to make it in this job. When hiring for this role, make sure to test all of these qualities. The more accomplished they are in these areas, the more likely they are to be a successful SEO strategist.
If you’re looking to become one, be sure to identify weak points in order to upskill in these areas:
- Strategic thinking
- Positive attitude
- Long-term focus
- Critical thinking
- Project management
- Written and verbal communication
- Computer coding (html, javascript, css, etc.)
- Analytic thinking
- Data analysis
- Research skills
- Marketing knowledge
9 Key Traits of an SEO Strategist
Skills are one thing, but it’s also important to display certain personality traits. Doing so will help you identify whether you/they have what it takes to thrive in an SEO career path.
Skills can be learned through experience and online classes but traits are harder to teach. Even if a person is lacking in some skills or traits, they may still make a great SEO strategist based on having a good amount of the following 9 traits:
- Adaptability
- Curiosity
- Willingness to learn
- Sense of humor
- Eye for detail
- Analytical mind
- Thoughtful decision-making
- Proven experience
- Ability to build relationships
14 Vital Responsibilities of SEO Managers
When hiring an SEO specialist, you need to be clear on what they’ll be doing.
Being specific about this ensures that the most qualified candidates apply and makes it easy to check that they’re able to do the job successfully.
In a varied role like SEO, there are a number of responsibilities that a specialist might take on (spanning from technical coding knowledge to copywriting chops needed). It also varies depending on where your company or marketing agency is at and what its priorities are.
These are 14 of the most common responsibilities that SEO specialists will be expected to carry out:
- Keyword research (to uncover relevant keywords with the right search intent)
- Creating content strategy
- Optimizing web pages (articles, products, service, etc.)
- Improving user experience (UX) & user interface (UI)
- Technical SEO (using a tool like Screaming Frog)
- Writing quality content
- Checking analytics tools like Google Analytics & Search Console
- Conducting market research
- Building sound SEO strategy
- Setting company targets
- Meeting client goals
- Analyzing SEO traffic and conversion rates
- Keeping up with SEO trends
- Executing SEO strategies