Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving a page or website’s visibility and rank in search engine results pages. It is a complex process that does not happen like magic. As the world of search engines keeps changing, it makes SEO a little bit difficult but worthwhile. Hence, you cannot just start an SEO career without taking certain steps that will make you stand out in what you do. You need some technical knowledge to be able to boost a website’s visibility and engagement. Here are steps on how to start your SEO career:
1. Work on your SEO skills:
Nobody will like to seek the services of inexperienced SEO personnel. Therefore, before you decide to start your career in SEO or apply for any SEO-related job, it is necessary to make sure you have the required SEO knowledge. Devote quality time to learn how search engines work. Get familiar with features of the SEO process such as Off-Page SEO, technical SEO and on-Page SEO. Make sure you know the concept of SEO, Link Building, White hat SEO, among other SEO-related topics. This will help you to build an excellent SEO career.
2. Boost your writing skills:
The common SEO tasks are to optimize the page title, meta description, headings and content. However, you cannot decide to start a career in SEO if you do not have good writing skills that will help you perform those tasks successfully. In fact, if English is not your first language and your focus is to work with the United States (US) or United Kingdom (UK) customers, you have to learn the English Language either by taking courses or any other possible way.
3. Learn basic development skills:
As regards this, it is not compulsory for you to be a developer, but to start an SEO career, you should have some knowledge of web development that will help you work effectively as SEO personnel. You should know how a website is structured, be able to read and understand HTML code, and know the role of JavaScript in the web development process. You should also be able to work with WordPress to edit descriptions and titles of a page including other SEO-related settings such as permalinks, sitemaps, comment settings and so on.
4. Hone your Analytical Skills:
Before you start an SEO career, you should acquire the analytical skills of reading and interpreting information in a meaningful way because, for every SEO task you perform, you have to prepare reports for the client or your boss. A good SEO report entails information from different sources like SEMRUSH, Google search console and Google analytics. Therefore, it is compulsory to have knowledge of these skills before you build a career in SEO.
5. Acquire the knowledge of how to use SEO tools:
To start an SEO career, knowing how to use some SEO tools will make things easier for you. Apart from being familiar with essential tools like Google console and Google analytics, you also need to learn how to use and configure other SEO tools like Yoast SEO, SEMRUSH, Chrome Developer Tools, Page speed insights and Lighthouse. This will help you start a good SEO career.
6. Be a professional in Google Webmaster Guidelines:
Google consists of rules known as the Google Webmaster Guidelines. They are regulations that govern how Google works. Therefore, to start an SEO career, you must understand Google Webmaster Guidelines perfectly because SEO can be a bit complicated. If you are not familiar with these guidelines, you may put a website at the risk of losing ranks, visibility and traffic. You can also be asked about these guidelines in an interview. So, it is good to read and understand them.
7. Act and boost your SEO experience:
SEO is not only about knowing the concepts and theory; it is mostly practical. Whether you have undergone formal education or not or you have an SEO certificate or not, what really matters is to be an excellent SEO expert, you need to practise SEO and prove to your future clients or employers that you can boost their website’s rank and visibility.
A company or SEO agency will only request your services if you are capable and experienced. So, it is important to have your website and practise SEO for yourself before you start a career in SEO.
8. Be certified in Google Ads:
SEO and Google Ads match so well. Hence, learning them gives you an opportunity to improve your professionalism and render a wide range of digital marketing services to your clients. Hence, before you start your SEO career, you need to know how Google Ads work. This will help you to know how to build a website’s traffic, rank and visibility.
9. Work on getting your first client:
In as much as you are convinced that you are doing the right thing and have produced many positive results, you can work on getting your first client. This will help you start your SEO career and marketing skills in reality. You can also register on job websites like Upwork, Fiverr and PeoplePerHour where you can apply for SEO jobs based on your knowledge and experience. For a start, you can keep your prices low in order to build good connections.
10. Get ready for the SEO interview:
Once you have boosted your skills and experience in SEO, the next step is to prepare for your first SEO interview. In a typical interview, you will be asked to introduce yourself. It is very important to mention examples of SEO works you did for clients or on your website. You can also mention SEO Certifications or courses you have enrolled for. You might be asked to say some Google Webmaster Guidelines and or answer questions like:
1. “How would you optimize a page for a particular keyword”
2. “Do you need links to rank a website high on the results page?”
3. “How long does it take for SEO to work?”
Conclusion
When you practise these steps appropriately, you can successfully start an SEO career that will boost the visibility and rank of websites and pages. You can also boost your knowledge of SEO with skills like Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, Content creation, Social media marketing and Programming. Good luck as you start your SEO career on a good note.
