SEO consultant: what does the job involve?
The SEO consultant plays a central role in building and optimizing a website. It is one of the most sought-after web jobs. Today, the role shows up often in job listings. Here is an overview of what a search consultant does.
SEO consultant: definition
SEO
SEO (search engine optimization), or organic search, is distinct from paid search: it means putting a sound digital strategy in place with the help of many ranking tools.
It is the science of ranking a website in search results. A privileged spot gives your site excellent visibility. According to ignitevisibility.com, in 2017 more than 20% of visitors chose the first result, while about 13% chose the second result in the list. SEO involves creating high-quality content. Google favors the qualitative side of content, not the quantitative one. A reference site has good content and an intuitive interface that makes navigation easier. That requirement implies a solid internal link structure, informative URLs, and catchy titles and meta descriptions. Finally, a good website adapts to every device in use, including tablets and smartphones.
The first results of an SEO ranking strategy can take time to appear if you handle it yourself. The SEO consultant, whether freelance or working inside an SEO agency, will make the work easier by issuing recommendations. On the basis of those recommendations, you can boost your SEO and rank your site better in Google. You will then get more traffic.
The job
The SEO consultant role brings together several web jobs: web marketing on one side and communication jobs on the other. Search marketing and web content writing sit there too. It is a relatively recent profession that grew with the upheaval of the internet and e-business.
The SEO consultant is a professional who advises on organic search and runs SEO audits. This person is an expert in the web and new technologies and has a firm grasp of the basic rules of organic search for search engines. Those regulatory norms are the lever used to push sites to the top of the search results. That placement increases traffic volume and conversion rate. The job also requires knowledge of new SEO tactics and digital marketing strategies.
Salary
An SEO consultant’s salary depends on seniority, experience, and status. A freelance SEO consultant will not earn the same as a salaried SEO consultant, for example. Some SEO experts are paid by the hour, on retainer, or by project. Companies tend to prefer project-based payment. The amount varies with the size and complexity of the project. In general, a standard contract between a company and a consultant costs about 800 to 6,000 euros a month, according to a study of 600 companies focused on search. That survey also found that the minimum rate for an SEO consultant is around 400 euros, while the highest salary reaches 4,000 euros a month. Consultants working for SMEs, however, earn a lower monthly salary.
SEO consultant: the work
Site optimization
The SEO consultant’s main job is to optimize the ranking of the site they are responsible for in search engines. That task involves many factors and strategies. It also requires a strong organic-search strategy and sharp ranking techniques. To use the best SEO tools available, the consultant keeps an SEO watch, which is how they stay current.
Google’s working methods change constantly, so search experts have to update their approach. First, organic search requires keyword and META tag optimization (especially the meta description). Second, the professional has to understand the importance of internal and external links, the marketing campaign, link building, emerging SEO trends, and social media. The organic-search expert also takes PPC into account (pay per click is a billing method for ads). The specialist also inspects On site SEO (actions the optimizer takes on the platform) and Off site SEO (actions the optimizer takes outside the site).
Goals and analysis
Improving rankings breaks down into several goals. Improving traffic is one of the goals to reach in search. Increasing revenue is also one of the organic-search expert’s concerns. This SEO specialist analyzes what already exists On site and Off site. Hiring an SEO consultant is therefore a sign of reliability and results. For that, you of course need a site. The technical audit looks at what is already there, to find the strengths and the gaps. The professional then does a deeper analysis with a view to SEO optimization of the existing site. Page structure, qualitative and quantitative content analysis, the design of meta tags, H1s and titles, the URL, and load time: all of these are scrutinized by the SEO consultant. Off-site work, for its part, refers to the analysis of the competition, social media, and links.
Ranking strategy and reporting
Building a ranking strategy is about anticipating possible technical changes and redesigns, including a full website redesign. This work also means putting a plan and a schedule of actions in place. When needed, the search specialist brings in partners and contributors, especially for the content strategy. In content writing, the SEO consultant handles the encoding of HTML tags. This specialist improves the texts by weaving in the essential keywords. On top of keywords, this expert multiplies link building (inbound links) to maximize the site’s visibility and improve its popularity on the internet (or e-reputation). They also have to write a report covering the site’s rankings, updates, and traffic. That report is for clients and employers.
The SEO consultant’s working environment
How does an SEO consultant work?
To do the job, the search expert takes every aspect of the site into account. That is what lets the SEO consultant make sure the site gets more traffic and that its competitive position lasts.
Working methods are specific to each expert. In general their process splits into 4 steps. The first step is launching a technical SEO audit of the site to identify the strengths and weaknesses, the blockers, and the items that need revision. The work then continues by improving the platform’s technical structure. During this step, the consultant improves usability, display time, and markup so that search-engine robots can scan the site more easily. The next step is to optimize the keywords in the content according to the client’s choices, trends, and competitors. Finally, the consultant reviews inbound links to increase visibility, awareness, and the site’s reputation. Hiring an SEO consultant therefore gives you a site-redesign effort that is essential if the site is to stay visible and avoid a Google penalty.
In what setting does this specialist work?
The search consultant works as a freelancer or according to the agency they work for. That setting shapes their reputation and their future. Depending on their responsibilities, the professional specializes in writing, communication, marketing, or the technical side. As for environment, the SEO professional may work in an SEO agency or in a web-marketing agency. They can also work as a freelancer. The consultant can work in a team. In that case, the specialist focuses on site optimization. The job therefore requires deep knowledge of the web and computing, as well as of content writing and marketing.
How do you communicate with the SEO consultant?
The client communicates directly with the consultant, even when that person works in an agency. The mode still varies with the setting. In freelance work, the SEO consultant and the client communicate by phone, SMS, email, or Skype. The choice of tool depends on both parties’ needs, the nature of the service, and the reason for the contact. That is how the two sides set the working line, the site architecture, the editorial line, and the stated traffic-acquisition goals. At the end of the contract, the SEO consultant and the client keep the optimized content. The contract states that once the collaboration ends, consultants lose the right to edit the site’s content.
Becoming an SEO consultant
Required qualities
An SEO consultant knows how to stay humble. Search engines offer no certainty about rankings. The job also requires a sharp understanding of how ranking rules and strategies change. The SEO consultant therefore has to keep an SEO watch. Some background in computing and development is needed so they can intervene when the site’s encoding changes. An SEO consultant can also analyze a site’s usability and extract ways to improve it. This search specialist helps optimize the user experience. Finally, the SEO expert needs strong writing skills to improve the site’s content. That covers keywords, structure, character counts on brochure-site pages, and more.
Training
There is no dedicated training path to become an SEO consultant. A few credentials are still essential. The profession typically asks for a two- to five-year degree in computing and marketing. The job comes out of web-marketing and technical training. Some SEO consultants are self-taught. Many search experts learned on the job or through a specialized internship. Some programs focused on e-commerce, digital business, and web business also include study in the field. Experience turns a junior SEO consultant into a senior SEO consultant. Some hold Google certifications and/or have taken SEO training.