5 SEO approaches and skills in demand

Given that we speak with many digital marketers on a daily basis, we wanted to collate and share insights that we have gathered, some approaches and skills that those hiring SEO professionals are looking for in candidates.

From the perspective of our Digital Marketing Recruitment team, the points mentioned most commonly are as follows:

Know your Audience

A general theme recently from both the SEO Executive and more senior levels has been to make sure you understand your target audience and what they are trying to do. It sounds logical enough, but it can sometimes be tricky to decide on broader terms vs more specific terms, where customers are more knowledgeable about a particular market. Keyword research for more target phrases can make sure you aren’t missing a trick.

Networking is a must!

Make sure you get out and network! I’d recommend attending meetups and conferences such as Brighton SEO, Bristol SEO and London SEO. This will better your understanding of the market and ensure you don’t miss out on innovation.

Analysis is the key to consistency

Analysis is a key skill to develop early on in your SEO career. The ability to use data to glean relevant insights will set your future campaigns in the best direction. It will mean your websites will not just get found, they’ll stay found. Ranking #1 is great, but only if you understand how you got there and what you need to do to consistently achieve the top spot.

Local vs National SEO

From speaking to candidates and clients working in SEO, we’ve seen that a combination of National and Local SEO skills are important. Local specifically is a very necessary part of SEO roles which quite a few people don’t seem to gain until a little later in their career, so getting this is early and training yourself up would be a huge benefit. It covers a reasonably complex area many employers will look for. Local SEO will also help to drive footfall and in turn offline revenue.

Know your Competition

Another must-have in the SEO department is the ability to compare your websites against competitors. This will allow you to construct a clear plan to not only improve rankings for client sites – including a backlink, on-page content and technical standing, but also analyse and report on success metrics using data analytics.

Our latest roles in SEO & Marketing this way.