SEO specialist – who is he and what he does
In the era of the Internet, a large number of entrepreneurs have moved their companies to the web. Although this makes it possible to reach a much wider group of potential customers, it forces the company to adapt its marketing strategy and advertising campaign to the new environment . It becomes important not only in which channels to advertise, but also – and perhaps most importantly – what content to place in them in order to reach the target audience, which we first need to identify. Where is the place for an SEO specialist in all this? How can he help us and what should he do to make his presence in the company profitable?
What is SEO?
The mysterious acronym of SEO hides Search Engine Optimization, i.e. a set of treatments aimed at improving the visibility of a website in the natural (organic) search engine results. The higher the position on the search results pages is provided by an SEO specialist, the greater the likelihood of Internet users visiting and making the conversion that we want (it may be, for example, signing up for a newsletter, registering in a store, purchasing goods or booking a service date). In this way, we create the brand of our company and generate sales income.
The goal of an SEO strategy is to anticipate Internet users’ thoughts and predict what goods, services or other things they will be looking for on the Internet. This means analyzing keywords in the content on the page and evaluating the behavior of the search engine. It is also part of a wider website optimization process, which also includes: analysis of obstacles to indexing sites by crawlers and the necessary modification of the website code.
What SEO activities do we distinguish?
SEO specialists distinguish two parts of the SEO strategy. The first one is the optimization of websites in terms of keywords and other problems already mentioned. These are called on-site activities
The second part of SEO is the so-called link building, i.e. off-site activities. They consist in acquiring links for the website from pages recognized by the search engine as valuable (e.g. Wikipedia or government websites or websites of NGOs). The trust rank has become one of the most important factors in the process of improving the website’s visibility in the search engine, which is why SEO specialists ensure that the link is of the highest quality.
What is Black Hat SEO?
Black Hat SEO practices are activities that are against the policy of search engines, undesirable and combated by complex algorithms that are part of indexing and content search systems. Examples of such techniques include stuffing as many keywords as possible at any cost. As a result, such a text is essentially worthless, therefore search engines, recognizing it more and more often, eliminate such content from indexation.
Another unfair practice is to trade link just so that the site gets as many testimonials as possible on the Internet. Often, unfortunately, these links are of poor quality or even empty.
The role of an SEO specialist is to distinguish Black Hat SEO from White Hat SEO in order to use the latter. SEO strategies often combine several industries, such as content writing, social media-oriented marketing and website optimization for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
What does an SEO specialist need to know?
This is a good example between theory and practice. In theory, an SEO specialist is a qualified computer specialist specializing in the functioning of the network, a creative writer and a statistician who knows how to process data. I do not think you need to convince anyone that it is impossible.
In practice, technical skills are useful, but we don’t have to master them that much. A good SEO specialist knows the basics of coding and the basics of server functioning. On the other hand, equally important, if not more important, is the ability to write valuable content, as well as commission it to appropriate people and assess the effect of their work. The basic skill set needs to be mastered in both areas, but most likely we will only specialize in one
The most interesting element in the work of an SEO specialist is the need for changes that he regularly introduces in his Google algorithms. Very often, it is even several hundred changes a year. This profession has no place for routine and standard work . It is a constant change that forces you to learn and adapt your strategy.
The work of an SEO Specialist also means cooperation with people, the ability to decipher their expectations and business goals. It is extremely satisfying to observe the growth in statistics such as Google Analytics, which translates into the company’s success, successful project and remuneration.
Where is it worth looking for a job?
The market offer is rich. We can look for employment in advertising agencies that are happy to hire new, thriving people. SEO companies that specialize in increasing the visibility of websites in SERP, i.e. pages with search results, are also a good place to look for a job.
A beginner SEO specialist can count on a net salary of PLN 3-4,000, but with the increase in experience, the salary becomes more and more attractive. A lot also depends on the implemented projects, because the SEO specialists’ remuneration system is often of a bonus nature.
