Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is used by millions of websites, blogs, and e-commerce stores. It is the practice of optimizing online content to make it appear higher in search results generated by search engines such as Google.
There are a lot of different job opportunities in SEO right now. You can find opportunities for in-house SEO positions, marketing agency SEO roles, and freelance SEO opportunities. In-house SEO professionals will be hired as an employee of a company to manage relevant aspects of that company’s SEO operations. In-house SEO staff are generally hired by larger companies with an active online presence. They may also have several brands or offshoots of the company with their own SEO needs.
Not every company is large enough to require a full-time SEO staff member, so they will often turn to agencies or freelancers. SEO Agencies hire SEO professionals to help a variety of clients with their SEO needs. Since these companies specialize in SEO, they will often have different roles that manage different aspects of SEO, as well as client communications. SEO freelancers can provide ongoing SEO services on an as-needed basis or can be engaged to provide consultation on SEO strategy and development.
To help you navigate your job search and find the SEO role for you, here is a list of the different types of SEO jobs:
SEO Analyst: An SEO Analyst is primarily responsible for maintaining the success and relevance of the company’s website. SEO Analysts work to keep the website informative, easily accessible, and at the top of the search results on relevant searches. They measure the success of SEO efforts by analyzing relevant performance data.
SEO Strategist: SEO Strategists are responsible for developing the overall SEO strategy for an organization. They need to understand the overall marketing strategy and goals of the organization and tailor the SEO strategy to meet the key objectives and reach the organization’s target audience. SEO Strategists should be skilled at researching to find the right keywords for each project and need to stay up to date with search trends and algorithm changes.
SEO Specialist: SEO Specialists optimize the company’s website content to identify and add relevant keywords and search terms so that it will appear higher up in the search results on Google and similar search engines. This is one of the more common SEO job titles and can be used for in-house staff, freelancers, and agency staff members. An SEO Specialist in-house is often part of the digital marketing team and the only dedicated SEO employee, so this can be quite a generalist role encompassing all areas of SEO. This can be an entry-level SEO role, though some organizations will also offer Senior SEO Specialist roles.
Link Builder: Link Builders are SEO professionals that focus on backlinking. They work to increase traffic to your page by finding other high-quality sites and posts that can link back to your page. They create partnerships with other sites and generate backlinks through various forms of outreach including email campaigns, contacting resource or article directories, networking with influential bloggers and site owners, and posting on forums. To be successful as a Link Builder you must be a strong communicator, a thorough researcher, persistent, persuasive, and skilled at relationship-building. Link Builders can work in house, for an agency, or on a freelance basis.
SEO Consultant: SEO Consultants provide expert advice and guidance to help organizations improve their SEO efforts and develop strategies. They analyze the organization’s current web content and SEO performance, identify opportunities and recommend the next steps to help improve SEO performance. They will work to improve the current website and content, and can also provide recommendations for content development to steer organizations in the right direction with their website, digital marketing, and copywriting strategies. In some cases, SEO consultants will recommend and lead a redesign of the client’s website and online presence. This is a versatile role that can have a big impact on an organization’s sales and brand presence.
SEO consultants can work for a consulting firm or SEO agency, or they can work for themselves! If you’re looking for an SEO role that will allow you to freelance or start your own business, SEO consulting is a great role to pursue.
SEO Account Manager: SEO Account Managers oversee the SEO strategy and operations for several client accounts. SEO Account Managers must have an understanding of SEO and strong technical skills while also displaying people skills and providing strong customer service while working with clients. SEO Account Managers are often the middlemen between the client and the technical team so they need to communicate well with both.
This role is most commonly offered by SEO or marketing agencies. Working at an agency rather than in-house will allow you to work on a wider variety of projects and be exposed to SEO practices for different industries, organizations, and types of content. If you have a background in sales, customer relations, or account management and want to jump into the SEO field, this can be a great place to start. Ultimately, SEO services can be sold just like any other product or service, so the skills are quite transferable.
SEO Manager: A more senior role in SEO, an SEO Manager will lead the company’s SEO efforts. They oversee the research of SEO and the identification of keywords to help the digital marketing team run effective campaigns, optimize the company’s website, social media pages, and other content published online. They may oversee SEO staff, writers, designers, social media assistants, or other content development roles to ensure that all content is aligned with the SEO strategy and goals. Though some SEO Manager roles do not have any direct reports. This will depend on the size and structure of the organization.
Director of SEO: Not all companies will have a director-level role in SEO. Director of SEO positions tend to be seen in large company’s whose online operations are their primary revenue streams such as online delivery services, SAAS companies, or streaming services. This position will generally report to the VP of Growth or Marketing. SEO Directors look at the bigger picture and manage all areas of SEO strategy, research, analysis, and operations.
SEO Content Writer: Content Writers also utilize SEO to provide their employer or client with content that will appear at the top of search results! Having an understanding of or background in SEO will help you stand out as a writer or editor. SEO Content Writers or Editors will ensure that articles, titles, and headlines contain the right keywords to improve the visibility of the blog, web page, or article.
