How to Kick Start your Fabulous SEO Career
If you are looking for a dynamic and evolving career, then SEO might be just the thing. More and more businesses realise that a great looking, client-focussed website is only part of their overall Internet marketing package. Web design, marketing and PR companies are now offering SEO as part of their service.
SEO has become one of the fastest growing fields and if you are Internet-savvy and are looking for a change then here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Provide your potential employer with a total package. The Internet is evolving every day, if you are just starting your SEO career, it’s important that you’ve got a good working knowledge of blogging, social media for business, as well as trends in web design and Google Analytics.
If you can also combine this with some marketing knowledge, you are going to have a great foundation for your new career.
2. Experience. Potential employers want to see your work in action. Do SEO for your friend’s blogs or unpaid work for small businesses or business start-ups. This will form the basis of your portfolio to add credence to your CV. And don’t forget, you’re also marketing yourself, use social media to your advantage.
3. Keep up! You’ve got to be completely comfortable with the concept of a rapidly evolving industry.
Flexibility and adaptability are the keys to a successful and long-term career in this field. Five years are an eternity in this industry. Make sure you’re not left behind – participate in industry forums. Be prepared to demonstrate you’ve been part of the latest debates.
4. Say ‘yes’! If you have your foot in the door and you know there are big projects happening at work, even if it’s not currently part of your job description, be a helping hand. It will broaden your experience and you’ll learn different aspects about the industry and your company, than if you just keep with your day-to-day responsibilities.
It will establish you as an enthusiastic and willing employee that will launch your career into the stratosphere.
5. SEO is not just about manipulation of technology, it’s about the clients and relationships. It’s your inter-personal skills and your ability to manage expectations that will enable you to attract new clients and to keep current ones.
Your communication skills, as well as your effectiveness to deliver, will make you a valuable asset to your employers and they will act as a solid foundation for your career in SEO. Here are some SEO jobs to whet your appetite.
A career in SEO in the long-term could well mean you might want to work for yourself and run your own business. The long-term prospects will only be limited by your ambition, commitment and ability to envisage your future.
If you do decide running your own business is part of your long-term strategy, ensure you not only keep abreast of the latest SEO developments, but you also acquire the new skills that will be evaluable to your fledgling business.
Featured images:
Image by My Blog Guest
License: Creative Commons image source
Sam Wright is a freelance journalist interested in SEO.