Many people in the SEO profession got into the field unintentionally. It is the curiosity or thrill of the field that attracted these professionals. It is a fascinating career choice nowadays. Given that so many professionals started their SEO career knowing nothing about it, you would be in an advantageous position if you know what to expect before you enter the field of SEO. Most people take Google and the Internet for granted. When they search for something, they get a response by simply entering a query. Getting to know about SEO is all about discovering what’s beneath this process.
What is SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is the science and art of optimizing your web pages so that it can be found by the major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The scientific aspect of SEO involves technology, with all the technicalities and engineering behind a website, including code, user experience, information architecture, etc. The art remains in understanding the business and the behavior of the customers and trying to have a positive influence on it. It is all about adding value via a service, product, or solution, or getting value in return in the form of leads, branding, and sales.
SEO plays a huge role in the scaling of business, whether it is completely online or an offline business, and improving the rate of their growth.
Reasons behind the growth of the SEO industry
- Day-to-day increases in the use of search engines to find information on the internet. Google now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average.
- SEO is being actively used by even the large brand advertisers both locally and internationally
- Direct and traditional marketers are also adopting SEO more and more.
- Local search requests have also increased significantly due to the increase in mobile web search
- An SEO listing that appears organically on Google search result is more reliable than Ads
- Google is evolving at a rapid rate and they are now targeting geographics and demographics to provide search results.
Is SEO a good career choice?
SEO is a great career choice and there is ample proof of that. There are well-recognized courses and certifications for Digital Marketing and specifically SEO. Many professionals are looking to undergo SEO courses to give their careers a boost. It is a clear indication of the demand for this field currently and the scope for its future growth. There has been an incredible shift in expenditure on traditional media like TV, newspaper, tele-calling, and billboards to Social Media and Organic SEO.
Marketing is an important function for any industry, be it an MNC, SME, or a small company. So, employment opportunities are bound to exist in different departments like web development, PR and communications, animation, multimedia design, education and e-learning, e-commerce, game development, software, distribution or buying/selling of media, multimedia production, mobile media technologies, etc.
The growth of the online industry has no limitations and it is SEO that plays a critical role in bringing traffic to a website, which is why most companies spend a good amount of money on SEO. It is one of the most happening fields nowadays and there are ample job opportunities in SEO. Almost all websites look to procure SEO services either externally or internally, depending on the availability of expertise and the budget at hand.
You are likely to have a good future in SEO if you are dynamic and have decent analytic skills. Ideally, you should be passionate about researching, willing to keep up with the latest trends in the field, and capable of formulating a creative and clever marketing strategy for beating your competitors and have an edge over the others.
Students from any background can get into SEO
As mentioned before, SEO involves both science and art. So, if you have a Science background and have the necessary technical skills, SEO adds immense value to your CV as it helps you get in touch with the practical aspect of the business. Through SEO, you can grow professionally and also learn relevant skills related to internet marketing strategy and people management.
On the other hand, if you come from an art or commerce background, the technical skill requirement of SEO might appear a bit complicated to you. However, the good news is that it is easy to learn and implement the technical aspects of SEO.
If you have an advertising or marketing background already, SEO is the next logical step you should be taking. The advent of the internet has changed the way companies do business. So, to a certain extent, today’s advertisers and marketers are required to have at least some knowledge of SEO if they want to be successful. SEO is even a good career for linguistics, statisticians, BBA, MBA, and passionate writers.
Job designations or categories in SEO
Most of the SEM or SEO firms have employees in different job categories like:
- Analytics
- Link Building
- Business Management or Development
- Event Management
- Social Media Analyst
- Organic Search Engine Optimization
- Web Development and Programming
- Web Design
- Public Relations and Reputation Management
- Offline Marketing or Advertising
- Paid Search and PPC Management
- Writing or Blogging
- Web Design
Working as a self-employed individual or freelancer in SEO
You can even be self-employed in the SEO field. Here are a few tips for that:
- Try teaming up with web design firms and their web designers. The clients of these firms usually need SEO services
- Connect with people in the SEO industry by attending conferences
- Social networking sites like LinkedIn are great for exploring networking opportunities and meeting people who require SEM/SEO services.
- Try offering trial services to gain the trust of businesses. Try to gain as many referrals as possible.
- There are great networking opportunities if you attend local SEO workshops.
In summary, SEO services are in high demand nowadays, which has increased job opportunities in the industry of digital marketing. You can practice SEO as a professional by working for a company or even as a solo practitioner. SEO provides opportunities to learn and upgrade your skills.
