In the digital marketing industry, SEO jobs are a hot commodity. Search Engine Optimisation is one of the fastest-growing industries of the last decade with it being worth $65 billion in 2016, $80 billion in 2018, it’s safe to say that SEO will be around for a while.
Having worked in SEO jobs and digital marketing jobs for a few years. I thought I’d share some tips on how to get into the ever-changing industry.
Create a website
An SEO’s job is all about getting websites to rank on google for particular keywords. So what’s the best way to show potential employers that you can rank a website on google? By ranking your website on Google!
No brainer, right?!
Well, sometimes it can be overlooked. It took me two years of working in digital marketing and dabbling in SEO before it clicked and I decided to create this website. It was one of the best decisions that I have made in my SEO jobs. While working for an agency or an in-house marketing department you might not end up getting the full picture of everything that goes into getting SEO to work from the ground up.
At my first job, I thought that all Search Engine Optimisation is was creating blogs to put up on websites. While that is a big part of it, it doesn’t take into account all the keyword research, link building, and technical page optimisation that will go into it.
Starting your website can give you invaluable real-world experience away from the stress of the company you work for. You will end up treating it with so much extra care because it is your project. But this also allows you to make mistakes, which is the most important part of learning and growing.
Certifications
Certifications are the part of the CV that a lot of employers are very interested in. This can show potential employers that no only do you have years of experience in a specific field but you are also willing to go the extra mile to further your understanding of your specialist area. This works particularly well for SEO jobs as there are many places where you can get a strong education in the subject.
One certification that I can personally vouch for is the Moz Academy. Moz offers lots of different courses under the SEO umbrella. Being one of the leading authorities in the Search Engine Optimization community you know that there is a lot of quality and experience going into these courses. With Moz Academy, you learn everything from SEO fundamentals and page optimization to preparing for client pitches and client onboarding. It gives you the perfect toolkit for a job in SEO. The only knock against Moz Academy is that it is quite pricey so bear that in mind before you sign up.
Semrush, also offers a full range of online courses and exams, for a range of different knowledge levels. A great place to start for beginners is with the Content Marketing and SEO Fundamentals courses and later exams, these will give you an idea of what route you’ll want to go down with the rest of the courses. This course will give you the fundamentals for more advanced training in different areas of SEO jobs with the Semrush Academy.
Now I haven’t used this training personally but I have heard that it is a good way to get your fundamentals down. As with Moz, it’s also a leading voice in the SEO community so if you have this on your CV you won’t be waiting long for those SEO jobs.
Udemy, while it isn’t a traditional certification can offer lots of valuable information from some very knowledgeable people. There are thousands of courses surrounding Search Engine Optimization, which range from the masterclasses that will give you a wide understanding. Then we have the courses which are very niche like courses on Google Optimize (which is a fantastic tool I’d love to write a whole blog about).
These courses aren’t recognized names usually but, they offer a good broader understanding of a job in SEO. The courses are usually on sale so if you see them for full price wait a little longer and you’ll save a ton of money.
YouTube
YouTube is one of the best things to ever be put on the internet. It can be such a valuable source of information. On many occasions, I’ve been stuck with certain tasks or issues and YouTube has always provided an answer. There are many different YouTube channels to recommend but ill narrow it down to a few
Ahrefs is the biggest name in SEO. But their YouTube channel is my favourite source for video SEO content. Hosted by Sam Oh, Ahrefs does deep dives on different areas of SEO with their highly produced content. I personally love when they run experiments such as trying to gain backlinks through Google Ads. Give it a watch.
Another big name in SEO is Brian Dean AKA Backlinko. His youtube channel is also excellent and gives a great understanding of SEO and all its facets.
One smaller channel is by Nathan Gotch, I love his channel because he does very lengthy videos with other people in SEO. But I love that sometimes he has videos of him working with outside digital marketers while working as a consultant. They can be very informative and I highly recommend them.
End
A career in SEO can be tricky to get into but, with this blog, I hope that you’ve learned something and even give you some ideas on how to move forward. There’s plenty of SEO jobs out there waiting for you so good luck and speak to you soon.
– Ben
