Proper search engine optimization (SEO) is a necessity for businesses to gain greater visibility with search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. An SEO expert has the skill to help clients vault their way up the search engines, all the while focusing on things like customer engagement and conversion rates. Additionally, an SEO expert is a lifelong student of their craft since the rules and requirements are in a state of constant evolution.
Common Skills of an SEO Expert
It’s important to note that SEO experts have a variety of backgrounds and skill sets. For example, some may have programming backgrounds and focus more on technical optimization, while others may have extensive experience in the design, writing, or advertising fields. Regardless of their particular focus, they’ll know the ins and outs of how search engines work.
Most SEO experts will specialize in several of the areas mentioned below:
In-depth keyword research
Studying traffic and analytics
Split-testing similar pages
Building natural backlinks
Analyzing the client’s competitors
Maximizing local search exposure
Developing strong calls to action
Working with writers and designers
Programming in HTML, PHP, etc.
Expertise with WordPress or Joomla
Creating effective ranking strategies
Researching the latest SEO practices
Since hundreds of aspects can affect a website’s overall desirability to search engines, an SEO expert also has to be well-versed in numerous evaluation tools like Google Analytics and Moz’s Open Site Explorer in order to create a thorough action plan. Likewise, they also have to continually research the latest search engine updates of core ranking algorithms, plus understand how those changes will impact their clients.
Projects Done by an SEO Expert
So what does an SEO expert actually do on a day-to-day basis? In most cases, they wear many hats to help drive their clients’ SEO objectives. Every project begins with a thorough evaluation of the client’s website to learn things like:
The quality of the content and how customers interact with it
Which keywords are most important for that client
Page errors and problems with loading times
The amount and quality of other websites linking back to the client
Potential SEO violations that are incurring a penalty
Page authority, domain authority, and other metrics
An SEO expert’s primary concern is always the end result for their clients, which will revolve around strong search engine placement and/or increased organic traffic. Initial optimizations require a look at the actual website itself and things like page speed, the site’s navigational structure, and any conflicts/errors that could be limiting overall success. These issues are always addressed first to ensure the best possible results from adding new content.
After the website code and layouts are optimized, an SEO expert then turns their focus towards the consumer. What do they search for when approaching this type of business? What kinds of information would help make a purchase decision? This line of questioning helps to determine the types of content that should be present.
Key Traits of an SEO Professional
A search engine optimization consultant will possess both technical and creative abilities in order to have the greatest impact on their clients’ domains. Since there are several factors involved with achieving favorable rankings and varying processes within each step, an SEO professional also needs to be highly organized and an excellent multitasker.
Here are just a few of the ranking criteria an SEO expert will be knowledgeable of:
Writing great content geared towards ideal customers
Adding photos and graphics to make pages visually appealing and engaging
Ensuring keywords are used properly (in the title, first paragraph, etc.)
The importance of having a mobile-optimized website
Building quality backlinks from different reputable sources
Creating citations to strengthen the business’s local presence
Driving traffic from numerous sources around the web
Making content authoritative, yet easy to read as well
Another trait of a strong search engine optimizer is being comfortable doing independent research on the latest algorithm updates, where other marketers are having success, and getting to know the client’s business and customers. Strong customer service and interpersonal skills are also a necessity. Clients may have limited knowledge of how search optimization works, so it’s up to the SEO expert to explain their techniques in a non-technical, understandable way.
Sample Project Description
Below is a sample of how a project description may look. Keep in mind that many people use the term “job description,” but a full job description is only needed for employees. When engaging a freelancer as an independent contractor, you typically just need a statement of work, job post, or any other document that describes the work to be done.
Title: SEO Consulting for Automotive Repair Facility Website
I am searching for an awesome search engine optimization specialist to help potential customers in the Dallas, Texas area find my website online. My website does not currently rank at all in the top 50 on Google, Yahoo, or Bing, so I want to find someone that can provide a detailed action plan of how they will help me gain a lot more organic visibility. I also need help with local rankings on Google Business so I will appear high in those results on the local map.
You can visit my site at <website> to get a better idea of the work it will need.
Services and deliverables to be provided:
Create a full action plan for our domain’s SEO, including:
Analyze competitor websites for organic traffic insights
Determine the best keywords to focus on throughout campaign
Optimize content for terms like “Automotive Repair Dallas, Texas”
Perform on-page and back-end optimizations for better rankings
Provide regular updates throughout the process
Qualifications:
A portfolio that shows steady search rank increases for other businesses
A deep understanding of how the search engines rank websites
Experience with content writing, building backlinks, and optimizing webpages
Familiarity with the WordPress platform and proper formatting practices
Understanding of how local search works and best practices
Great overall research and analytics skills
Knowledge of how an automotive repair business works a big plus
To submit a proposal, please give a short summary of your experience and provide at least one example of how you’ve helped a similar business achieve favorable results in search engines. Also, please explain a little bit of your strategy to help my website’s rankings and provide an estimation on how long it could take to get my site on the first page of Google.
Read this article for more tips on how to write a great project description.
Choosing the Right SEO Expert
An SEO pro will be able to provide numerous examples of how they’ve helped similar websites increase their rankings and visibility, plus show how those optimizations changed each client’s overall bottom line. Furthermore, most professionals are willing to perform a site audit before giving a price quote. This helps determine the amount of work required to reach the client’s overall goals.
Likewise, it’s important to keep in mind that proper search optimization takes time. Do not expect drastic results in a short period of time since that is not how the search engines work. Most campaigns will require three months minimum to see real changes in organic traffic patterns, while more competitive terms could require six months to a year or more.