Which of the following best describes the role of an SEO specialist
In this article, we will be narrowing down the 3 key traits that every SEO specialist has. But before this, I would like to give context to every point mentioned. To start off, what is an SEO specialist?
An SEO specialist is responsible for getting a website ranked higher on Google. Although, there is a lot more to it than that.
The process of getting a website ranked higher can be fairly vigorous. Let’s take a look at some of the steps an SEO specialist would take on a client’s website.
- SEO audit
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Client relationship management
Most SEO specialists would be aware of an SEO audit. In fact, they may offer this to their clients. A free SEO audit provides an analysis of their client’s website. Factors such as keyword research, user experience, backlinks, and more will be brought up in the analysis.
It provides the specialist with a starting block to help develop the ultimate SEO strategy for their clients.
On-page optimisation refers to everything on the website. This includes content, which a specialist will work on.
Off-page optimisation deals with all the external work of the client’s website. This includes the link strategy and social media marketing. Both of these forms of SEO are important when we think about the whole SEO package.
From there on, a specialist will be working closely with the client, and therefore client management will need to be well maintained. But, the end goal is to get that brand a page 1 ranking. This is what runs through their DNA throughout the whole SEO process. Let’s take a look at the image below.
Pages after page 1 have a lower chance of getting seen. This is typically when a specialist will come in and work on brands that have failed to get a high ranking. This can be their target audience, and sometimes they reach out to those brands and offer them a free SEO audit.
An SEO specialist can also be referred to as an SEO consultant. An SEO consultant is a figure behind all of the decisions that are made. The client goes to the consultant for advice, as typically, business owners have limited working knowledge of SEO. It can take years to master the process.
Experience as an SEO specialist
This brings me to my first trait. An SEO specialist will have experience. This is a must-have trait. Without experience in SEO, you cannot be an SEO specialist. Perhaps they took an SEO course or had practical experience with real brands in the past. Whatever the case, experience is a necessity.
With every project that the specialist works on, they need to ensure trust with their client. Trust is so important in SEO. As a specialist, you need to convince your client that you are suitable for the job. They may visit your website, and in this case, showing your experience and the brands you’ve worked on will make a good impression.
The expertise of SEO
An SEO specialist has most likely spent hours and even years perfecting their craft. Perhaps, it’s specific traits of SEO that they’ve worked on. It could be local SEO, e-commerce SEO, and even the whole spectrum of SEO. There is a specialist for each department of SEO. Therefore, their expertise comes in the form of understanding the technical elements of SEO and sharpening their brand identity and business model. These two traits help them to narrow down their target audience.
They also need to be industry adaptable. The chances of clients coming to them for assistance from a range of different industries is very high. The specialist needs to be able to carry out SEO-related tasks, including keyword research from a handful of industries, unless they specifically state on their website what niche they work in.
Pricing of SEO
This is an essential part of running an SEO service. Every SEO specialist will set a price tag for clients. The factors that influence that price come under.
- The scale of the client’s project
- Experience of website
- Experience as an SEO specialist
- Price model
- SEO strategy
The price model for SEO is either a monthly or an hourly basis. The typical monthly rate is a little over $1000. An SEO specialist will take the above 5 points into account to offer the most reasonable price tag for their clients.
The price can influence the client’s perception of the quality of service.
To conclude
The three traits that best describe an SEO specialist are an experience, expertise, and a firm understanding of the price they offer a client.
These three traits will ensure greater trust to the client and carry out SEO tasks with affirming ability.
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