How to Start a Career in SEO?

By NIIT Editorial

Published on 08/03/2021

6 minutes

Search engine optimization lets website owners attract relevant traffic. This is done by optimizing the website through several factors but first and foremost through keyword optimization. Relevant keywords extracted from tools such as the Google Keyword Planner are embedded into web pages or articles that are then picked up by the search engine when the user enters the query in the search bar. But it isn’t as simple as that.

In what used to be a straightforward process, now each page has to compete with thousands of similar pages to appear on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Below we’ll share some tips on how you can establish yourself in the SEO playground as an outright professional.

Consolidate SEO basics

You must have a good understanding of certain topics such as the following:

How do search engines work?
Website Optimization techniques
Website audits, sitemap creation
On-page optimization techniques
Off-page optimization
Link building strategies
Black hat SEO techniques

Do note that SEO is best portrayed through practice and not words. It is best if marketers can establish the authority of a website through such techniques to bring out the same in interviews.

Development Skills

It is an added advantage if you can acquire a basic understanding of coding. No, you won’t be asked to develop a website, but unless you know how one is engineered, or even to read code, it would be impossible for you to make out loose spots in its architecture. Knowing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript goes a long way. At the same time, having your hands set on content management systems such as WordPress is also very necessary. This combined knowledge would guide you to direct website developers in creating SEO-friendly web pages.

Learn SEO Analytics

Website optimization is of no use if you cannot measure the incoming traffic. SEMRush, Google Analytics, and Moz are some of the tools that most organizations use for measuring quality leads. It allows account admins to adjust their strategy against sporadic Google updates and foster healthy website health. You must also be able to present your findings in an Excel or a Google spreadsheet.

Get Google Certifications

Although experience speaks for itself, yet certifications play a lead role in establishing authority, both on paper and otherwise. For this reason, massive online open courses have spurred up and taken the Edtech industry to a whole new level. Google Ad certification, as well as the Google Analytics certification, are expected in the least out-of-job candidates.

Update Yourself with the Google Webmaster Guidelines

To rank on Google you have to do as Google wishes. Google’s webmaster guidelines act as a referential source for SEO practitioners when it comes to implementing website design/architecture standards. Based on Google’s algorithmic releases, webmaster admins must tweak the website design to continue ranking web pages. Failure to do the same might result in a slip-up and fall from grace.

Gain Copywriting Skills

Copywriting adds an entirely new flavour to your SEO skill set. It is one thing to advise writers to create content in a specific style and another to know how to do so in the interest of the website. You would see the cross-over benefits of copywriting as you continue to mature into the field and can create cross-platform ad campaigns.