Sometimes I feel like I have the Chandler Bing or Barney Stinson of jobs. Aka, no one really knows what I do. So today, I thought I would do a short, but straight to the point blog post answering the question – what does a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Specialist do?
To be honest, this post is probably going to go out via a bulk email to most of my family and friends. There is just so much confusion around what I do. And I don’t want them to feel silly for one second about it. Heck, I am at a loss wondering what some of them actually do!
In fact, probably one of the best people to describe what I do in everyday terms is Morgan, my husband. This is his 10-second explanation:
“She helps you get your website to the top of Google, so more people find your business and use your services/products.”
I like it! Simple, straight forward and in a nutshell it sums up my job as an SEO specialist.
So the question is if we understand that showing up high on Google (I mean, really who goes to no-mans-land, aka page 2?) means more potential customers for your business, then how is SEO done? Well, let’s delve in a bit deeper…
By understanding how people search online
A big part of what I do as an SEO Specialist is researching what people are searching for online. I look into what people are typing into Google’s search box to find particular products, services and content that my clients have on their website. By using various tools, I can find out these specific keyword phrases, how popular they are, and if certain topics are trending upwards or downwards.
Once I have this sort of data, I can then ‘optimise’ my client’s websites to make sure they provide people with what they are looking for. At the end of the day, if I can help my clients create websites and content which their potential customers are searching for, then I am going to help my clients get more business.
For example, if someone is searching for a ‘hairdresser in Sale Victoria’ then I want to make sure my hairdressing client in Sale, is showing as close to the top of the Google search result page as possible.
HubSpot’s research shows that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.
Ensure websites work and function well
I am pretty sure we have all been on an annoying website at some stage. Perhaps the text was too small, you couldn’t click a button, or you ended up on a broken page. Ahhhh… it’s annoying!
As an SEO Specialist, I help my clients keep their websites working and functioning as best as they can. Because if I keep the people who are visiting my client’s websites happy, then Google will also be happy. It’s a win-win situation.
Before I go any further, I also want to point out that I am not a web developer or designer. I work alongside these specialists to advise them on what changes need to be made to a website to help us meet Google’s SEO best practices. Think of an SEO Specialist as a Business Coach for your website.
Some of my typical monthly tasks for my monthly SEO retainer clients include:
- Checking there are no broken links on their websites
- Reviewing Google Analytics data to see what webpages are doing well or need work
- Editing metadata (the snippet of text which shows on the search result pages)
- Keyword research
- Technical advice on website development
- Content development (e.g. writing blog posts or new pages)
- Keeping Google My Business listings up to date and active
- Getting mentions of my clients on other websites
And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Modern-day SEO is so much more than just keywords and meta tags.
An SEO Specialist must be able to provide technical and creative advice and strategies on an ongoing basis.
Proactive strategies are a must
Lastly, a big part of being an expert in my field is to keep up with the ever-changing world of SEO, Google, and digital marketing. It changes so quickly that I need to be up with the latest updates and algorithm changes. Being proactive is key to being exceptional at doing SEO.
By being on top of the latest news, it means my clients and their websites also stay on top. I am constantly evolving my strategies based on the latest Google announcements and the more I learn about my clients’ businesses and their audiences.
Ready to hire an SEO Specialist?
So now hopefully have a better idea of what an SEO Specialist does. If you’re thinking about hiring an SEO, my advice would be to first watch this video by Google. It will help you hire an SEO Specialist which is right for you and your business.
