Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art of fine-tuning digital content to be favorable to search engines. Although many people understand the basics of SEO, many techniques are shrouded in mystery because the leading search engines don’t release the exact algorithmic ranking criteria. Instead, SEO specialists spend time testing theories and sharing ideas. To do this, they need specific skills, tech, and digital tools.
Essential Skills
Every job requires skills, and many of them are transferable. If you’re considering working as an SEO specialist, look within for these skills:
- Speaking and writing. As well as writing articles, SEO specialists need to create case studies and POVs, which all capture speaking and writing skills. Further, articulating complex ideas to a wider network is essential.
- Critical thinking. This is the ability to turn data into actionable insights. “What happened?”, “Why?”, and “What’s the solution?”.
- Social skills. Attending events and being active on LinkedIn is a great way to improve SEO knowledge, meaning you must be sociable.
- Tech and programming skills. SEO means providing insights on HTML tags, redirects, loading speeds, rendering, microdata, and much more. Turning insights into developer-friendly language is much more effective than listing demands.
- Motivation and adaptability. The world never stops, meaning SEO specialists never truly sleep. You need to have the motivation to get stuck in, solve problems, and work out ways to automate tasks.
- Data skills. A thorough understanding of Excel is entry-level. To excel with SEO, it helps to understand data studios, API data pulling, Python, and Tableau. All of this helps to present data awesomely.
Necessary Tech
As well as having appropriate skills, an SEO specialist needs the right technology to complement their ability. In most cases, this means having a powerful computer or laptop alongside essential peripherals. For example, when attending digital conferencing events, a decent webcam, speakers, and microphone go a long way.
You can have the flashiest tech on the planet, but you won’t get anywhere without a stable internet connection. As well as making sure you’ve got the best Trilogy internet provider, you need to spend time optimizing your router to get the most out of your promised network speeds.
Handy Tools
Without SEO tools, gathering data, analysis, competitor research, and keyword searching will feel like an impossible task. There are plenty of tools out there, ranging from free to premium. If you ask us, here are the best SEO tools:
- Ahrefs. When it comes to keywords and competitor research, Ahrefs is one of the most recommended, and with good reason.
- Google Search Console. This tool is free with all websites, and it lets you monitor the current SERP ranking and assess the traffic.
- SEMrush. This is a beast of a marketing tool, and it takes care of every function you can ever think of, which is why it’s a consistent favorite.
SEO specialists work hard behind the scenes to rank websites at the top of the SERPs. Everything outlined above, and much more, is essential when it comes to SEO work.