Are you an aspiring marketer or an SEO enthusiast? Looking to learn how to be an SEO specialist but unsure where to start? This article is for you!
Whether you want to be an SEO specialist in Bangladesh or any other country, the blueprint is more or less the same. This article discusses the skills required to be an SEO specialist and how to become one.
What is SEO, and why is it important?
Search engine optimization, more commonly known as SEO, is the process of improving a website’s visibility and searchability to drive organic traffic.
SEO helps websites become more visible in search engine results by leveraging keywords that people search for. Companies use SEO to bring their products and services to the attention of target audiences.
When a website is SEO optimized, search engines identify the site as having the most relevant and accurate information or content compared to the searchers’ query and intent.
Since almost 95% of all search traffic comes from the first page of search results, businesses must be present on it. This is where an SEO specialist comes in, helping and monitoring the overall SEO process.
Who is an SEO specialist?
An SEO specialist creates strategies that leverage the latest trends and changes in search engine algorithms to increase a website ranking. They also prioritize user experience, which means they try to make the website’s content as beneficial and accessible to searchers as possible while ensuring their search intent is met.
An SEO specialist’s main purpose is to make the brand they are promoting as visible to their target audience as possible. This can do in multiple ways, as will be discussed later in the article.
What does an SEO specialist do?
Below is a list of things an SEO specialist does for their client or employer. They may even produce content depending on their client’s requirements.
- Keyword research
- Content strategy
- SEO audit
- Paid search campaign
- Website optimization
- Collaborate with teams
- Leverage algorithms
- Review performance
What skills does an SEO specialist need?
Here are a few skills of an SEO specialist that you need to have in order to be called one.
On-page SEO
This refers to all the optimization done on the site itself. It can be in the form of optimizing visible content and HTML code of the site as well as tweaking and updating the content on the site, optimizing header tags, titles, meta tags, creating backlinks, and much more.
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Off-page SEO
As the name suggests, this is all the work you can do to improve your sites outside the website. This includes all offsite efforts such as link building, social media marketing, reviews, content marketing, etc., to increase your site’s credibility and authority.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is the work done behind the scenes to make your site easier for search engines to crawl and index. SEO specialists also find ways to increase their site’s speed and try to remove dead links or duplicate content to ensure that pages are secure and have structured data.
Link building
SEO specialists add backlinks to your website using high-quality inbound links from authority sites. This signals search engines that the site is also high-quality.
Keyword research
An SEO specialist uses relevant, high-quality keywords that they incorporate throughout the website so that search engine crawlers find your website’s content relevant to searchers. They find keywords with high volume and low competition to ensure high-quality traffic.
Content marketing
SEO specialists focus on creating blogs, infographics, and other content to generate interest in products and services among their target audience. They optimize the content to ensure maximum searchability and relevance.
Analytics
An SEO expert is responsible for analyzing the market by gathering data on site performance, competitors, and current market trends to make informed strategic decisions.
Basic coding knowledge
Although SEO specialists don’t need coding for most of their purposes, it helps if they have some knowledge. This can help them with technical SEO or understand how long the web development team will take to incorporate changes.
Decision making
SEO specialists must be decisive as their decision determines the site’s ultimate performance. They must gather all relevant information, understand the needs of all stakeholders, and make decisions that positively impact the site’s performance.
Project management
An SEO specialist must be able to handle multiple projects simultaneously. They must ensure that all teams coordinate properly and that all resources are used adequately to deliver on time.
How do you become an SEO specialist?
After reading the required skills above, if you think you have what it takes to be an SEO specialist, here is what you should do:
Take free courses:
There are countless free online courses to begin your journey as an SEO specialist. These courses can teach you the basics while also allowing you to build a great portfolio and gain credibility through reviews. You can even get certificates after completion.
Gather work experience:
One of the best ways to become an SEO specialist is by gaining knowledge through work. Many entry-level marketing jobs require SEO which you can learn on the side and apply on the job. Some employers want proof that you know at least the basics, however.
Get certifications:
These signal that you have advanced SEO knowledge and have learned proven techniques. Be careful, as some are just longer courses with few practical applications.
Do an apprenticeship:
With an apprenticeship, you can learn directly from expert mentors or the best SEO experts and work on real-life projects regularly. Your mentor will guide you throughout the process and give you priceless feedback.
Conclusion
Becoming an SEO specialist may seem like a daunting task, but in reality, it is something anyone can learn to do regardless of their background. You don’t even need a professional degree to get a job as one. But you need a passion for learning and determination to perform to the best of your abilities.
Hopefully, this article has successfully provided you with a guide on becoming an SEO specialist. Now go on and become the next big SEO master!
