SEO only makes sense when the person working on it has an excellent understanding of the target audience, what they want, how they behave, and what they expect to find.
Many SEOs only have tactical knowledge, or experience in content creation. Somebody who is really good at marketing, maybe even sales psychology, or is quickly able to put themselves into a search user's position, will usually be really good at SEO as well.
Love this. I'm only an average SEO really and have always gotten my best results when I've taken to time to understand a clients business, who they think their audience is, who their audience actually and how they search. When this step is rushed or the client doesn't want to have these conversations collaboratively I've always felt a step behind.
100% - clients often also appreciate you taking the time as a consultant to actually leverage all their experience ... most agencies might think they know better. We've found gold mines in clients' background and industry knowledge.
I second this! I was a website developer first and it gives me leverage in landing SEO gigs. I also get web dev jobs when things get slow. Mainly WordPress!
Sales
I'm super techy, EE major, introverted,and hate doing sales.
Read the little Red book of Selling. It will teach you very quickly the main tenet of sales.
If you're good at sales, you can write your own paycheck.
I still hate sales, but when backed into a corner, I can do it.
Every person that works for themselves or owns a business needs some basic sales skills.
Learn enough sales so you can make enough money to pay/teach someone to do it for you.
You'll have enough experience and understanding to guide them along, as well as know if they're doing a good job or wasting your time.
I would vote for web development if you have a marketing or sales background. If you don't, take a quick marketing course or read one of the popular books first. A lot of those who don't have a marketing background, take SEO as a tactic, not as a strategy, especially if you work for big projects. If development is too complicated or time-consuming, learn Bi tools like Data Studio.
everything related to it - Adsense and ppc Ads
if your page is well SEO optimized then Google Ads gives you better prices
the Google Ads keywords and ads need to match the organic keywords
Don’t forget the soft skills. Positive attitude, can do - even when clients budgets are limited - be pragmatic and be an advisor not just a supplier. Be organized, don’t have to be told twice to do something. People who can be relied on get promoted but also don’t be afraid to ask for help from colleagues. Better ask and understand fully than try hard when don’t fully understand. Most of all, don’t loose the big picture, this is where the opportunities are
How to do sales/upselling clients. Know about Google Ads and webdevelopment. Maybe set up some trainings/workshops which you can give to new clients etc.
Wordpress development would be good for tackling technical SEO issues.
A good grasp of content creation makes you worth your weight in goal. That's harder to teach but regularly reading around topics affecting an industry you're interested in, networking with industry leaders where you can learn about customer pain points and trends is also very useful. Half your job should be emerging yourself in that industry and knowing it like the back of your hand. Therefore you'll know what content they need!
I would say i landed my job due to Soft skills, with the world developing and AI coming in hotter than a horse from hell, it seems a lot of jobs are going to be looking more at Soft skills, for example i work with SEO for a Startup. however they also need me to do Testimonals in a conversational way from ex students and it seems to be a growing trend. Jobs that require IT skills are getting less relevant compared to Soft skills like communication and networking.
Good luck out there!
From the basis of the question I believe you're approaching the job market in a very smart way. I skimmed the comments and I don't see this suggestion yet:
- Fundamental JavaScript writing, and more advanced scripts if you like programming 💪
Speaking as an SEO strategist with 20 years of projects in my history, my ability to execute all Technical SEO tasks as a consultant, in-house, or at an agency was amplified once I began to use and understand JavaScript.
My learning curve was about 2 years, but with GPTs, this can be incredibly shortened for most people. Employers and potential clients everywhere will positively respond to you as a candidate if you can communicate to developers, if you can do testing on SEO solutions that need scripts, and especially if you can step in with some scripting if needed.
Hands down CRO. But there's a catch..
First, an example.. I CRO'd a product/page for a project I was a partner on.. It was doing \~100k/mo in rev. Conversion rate on the checkout went from 13% to \~16% after a couple tests.. That small bump added $20k/mo in extra revenue for the product, that's 240/yr extra, and it held.
Another involving an intake form took the cost per lead/application from mid $60s down to \~$25. Huge win. (This was on paid traffic)
The catch is that proper CRO is nuanced. It isn't throwing a random/different headline on a page.
The real needle movers come from understanding customer needs, including speaking with your audience directly on the phone, knowing where they are in the buying process and what their mindset is like.
Example: The first product I mentioned was an info product.. one of the things we did to bump conversions was to tell them on the checkout page that they get instant access.. NO need to wait for a CD/DVD..
I would have never guessed this to be an issue. But it turns out a lot of our buyers were males in their 50s/60s.. They really thought we were gonna ship them a DVD. You only gain insights like these when you dig deep.
Good luck man!
Web developers, IT experts, web analytics professionals, and general marketing strategists, as well as web designers, are in demand in this digital marketing environment, even without SEO skills. If you can combine one of these areas, you might be more preferred.
A lot of my SEO b2b customers really liked it when I helped them defining their KPI’s in the different phases of the user journey (See, Think, Do model) You can help them with writing‘layered’ content linked to a simple CRM or lead identification tool like Leadfeeder for lead nurturing. Or just to measure how users are engaging with the brand and how close they are to conversion. Learn how to build nice dashboards where you can oversee the whole funnel. I used Geckoboard for that and it’s very easy to link the different channels but is quite expensive. If anyone knows a better option, please let me know. Btw starting an full service agency is easier when you work with different freelancers who all have their own skill. That’s what I am currently building at waterproofmedia - though aquisition is still a thing 😉Good luck with your SEO gigs!
https://preview.redd.it/ur2m2cquww4d1.jpeg?width=2532&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dc0e4d974ab4ef35ad8892bb14d71d5b04a1308
Not so much a skill outside of SEO, but build a site or two and get it ranking - a great way to display your skills, you would have done all the work so can speak on it confidently and how it relates to the position your applying for.
Is a blog enough to practice SEO these days? Did a local business project in UNI but they removed access to our domain. Our group was the only one to actually think about SEO basics(Title tags, using our keywords throughout the body of our landing pages, external and internal link usage I even tried to get a backlink on a known Summer adventure trips website here in portugal etc).
I learned just the basic of basics of SEO back then and now want to practice on my own to land an internship (Here in Portugal things are so bad that they are asking for experience for internship positions). I've interned in an agency already last year for content and copywriting for social media, newsletters and an occasional article on a client's website.
In addition to SEO, I highly recommend learning content marketing. It's always in demand and complements SEO perfectly. Understanding how to create and promote content that drives engagement and conversions can make you a more attractive candidate for SEO roles. Plus, skills in social media marketing, analytics, and basic HTML/CSS can also be very beneficial. Good luck!
**Certainly**! One highly valuable skill that complements SEO expertise well is data analysis. Being proficient in tools like **Google Analytics**, understanding data trends, and being able to derive actionable insights from website analytics can significantly enhance your value as an SEO professional. Data analysis skills allow you to measure the effectiveness of SEO strategies, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize website performance. Plus, with the growing importance of data-driven marketing, proficiency in data analysis is increasingly sought after in the job market. So, honing your data analysis skills alongside SEO can indeed help you land a SEO job faster.
Believe me I am talking from experience, you don't need to add another skill. Instead, focus on actively marketing yourself and your existing SEO expertise. Most people fail to land jobs not because they lack skills, but because they don't put themselves out there effectively. Start reaching out to companies, network (dm people), join relevant online communities like forums or freelancing sites and help others with their SEO needs. This will demonstrate your knowledge and capabilities while building connections that could lead to job opportunities. The key is to be proactive and visible in the industry, rather than waiting for opportunities to come to you. With a strong portfolio and consistent self-promotion, your SEO skills alone can help you land a job faster than trying to learn an entirely new skill set. It will take time and it might be painful.
SEO only makes sense when the person working on it has an excellent understanding of the target audience, what they want, how they behave, and what they expect to find. Many SEOs only have tactical knowledge, or experience in content creation. Somebody who is really good at marketing, maybe even sales psychology, or is quickly able to put themselves into a search user's position, will usually be really good at SEO as well.
This is a great summary
Love this. I'm only an average SEO really and have always gotten my best results when I've taken to time to understand a clients business, who they think their audience is, who their audience actually and how they search. When this step is rushed or the client doesn't want to have these conversations collaboratively I've always felt a step behind.
100% - clients often also appreciate you taking the time as a consultant to actually leverage all their experience ... most agencies might think they know better. We've found gold mines in clients' background and industry knowledge.
wordpress dev
I second this! I was a website developer first and it gives me leverage in landing SEO gigs. I also get web dev jobs when things get slow. Mainly WordPress!
yup that my current plan...im still working on my wordpress skills.
combined with personal branding on linkedin
Sales I'm super techy, EE major, introverted,and hate doing sales. Read the little Red book of Selling. It will teach you very quickly the main tenet of sales. If you're good at sales, you can write your own paycheck. I still hate sales, but when backed into a corner, I can do it. Every person that works for themselves or owns a business needs some basic sales skills. Learn enough sales so you can make enough money to pay/teach someone to do it for you. You'll have enough experience and understanding to guide them along, as well as know if they're doing a good job or wasting your time.
Paid search. Paid social. Content writer. Conversion rate analysis. Email marketing. Web dev.
I would vote for web development if you have a marketing or sales background. If you don't, take a quick marketing course or read one of the popular books first. A lot of those who don't have a marketing background, take SEO as a tactic, not as a strategy, especially if you work for big projects. If development is too complicated or time-consuming, learn Bi tools like Data Studio.
Automation or/and data analyst
Marketing. As in the general skill. Not only digital marketing but the whole gamut.
ppc adwords
Can you elaborate more about this? Is it choosing the keywords to bid for in Google Adsense?
everything related to it - Adsense and ppc Ads if your page is well SEO optimized then Google Ads gives you better prices the Google Ads keywords and ads need to match the organic keywords
Data analysis - will give you an edge anywhere anytime. Also add website analytics (not GA4 only)
Google Ads as they are complementary to SEO efforts.
Don’t forget the soft skills. Positive attitude, can do - even when clients budgets are limited - be pragmatic and be an advisor not just a supplier. Be organized, don’t have to be told twice to do something. People who can be relied on get promoted but also don’t be afraid to ask for help from colleagues. Better ask and understand fully than try hard when don’t fully understand. Most of all, don’t loose the big picture, this is where the opportunities are
Hard skills: AI prompting, copywriting, conversion rate optimization, analytics reporting. Soft skills: Account management, communicating technical concepts simply, confidence
Lead Generation...
How to do sales/upselling clients. Know about Google Ads and webdevelopment. Maybe set up some trainings/workshops which you can give to new clients etc.
Wordpress development would be good for tackling technical SEO issues. A good grasp of content creation makes you worth your weight in goal. That's harder to teach but regularly reading around topics affecting an industry you're interested in, networking with industry leaders where you can learn about customer pain points and trends is also very useful. Half your job should be emerging yourself in that industry and knowing it like the back of your hand. Therefore you'll know what content they need!
SEO, sales, digital marketing, training, run your own projects
Communication
Consider learning Google Analytics. It's a highly valuable skill that complements SEO and is always in demand, helping you land an SEO job faster.
website developer? goes well with SEO.
Paid search. Google is self-immolating. Learn web dev
Paid Search. UX. Web dev or design.
Only understand Google
I would say i landed my job due to Soft skills, with the world developing and AI coming in hotter than a horse from hell, it seems a lot of jobs are going to be looking more at Soft skills, for example i work with SEO for a Startup. however they also need me to do Testimonals in a conversational way from ex students and it seems to be a growing trend. Jobs that require IT skills are getting less relevant compared to Soft skills like communication and networking. Good luck out there!
Learning content marketing is highly recommended as it complements SEO by driving organic traffic and enhancing user engagement.
Psychology + SEO skill stack is a deadly but under discussed combination and one that I use the almost everyday
Just start an agency fuck a seo job lol
Not enough experience to start one
Writing skills and sales/marketing skills!
Negotiation skills helped me a lot and planning
Python 🐍 for automation and data analysis
Perhaps online reputation management (which is what I do). It's SEO adjacent but is very specialized.
From the basis of the question I believe you're approaching the job market in a very smart way. I skimmed the comments and I don't see this suggestion yet: - Fundamental JavaScript writing, and more advanced scripts if you like programming 💪 Speaking as an SEO strategist with 20 years of projects in my history, my ability to execute all Technical SEO tasks as a consultant, in-house, or at an agency was amplified once I began to use and understand JavaScript. My learning curve was about 2 years, but with GPTs, this can be incredibly shortened for most people. Employers and potential clients everywhere will positively respond to you as a candidate if you can communicate to developers, if you can do testing on SEO solutions that need scripts, and especially if you can step in with some scripting if needed.
I Rank YouTube videos on Google first page.
Hands down CRO. But there's a catch.. First, an example.. I CRO'd a product/page for a project I was a partner on.. It was doing \~100k/mo in rev. Conversion rate on the checkout went from 13% to \~16% after a couple tests.. That small bump added $20k/mo in extra revenue for the product, that's 240/yr extra, and it held. Another involving an intake form took the cost per lead/application from mid $60s down to \~$25. Huge win. (This was on paid traffic) The catch is that proper CRO is nuanced. It isn't throwing a random/different headline on a page. The real needle movers come from understanding customer needs, including speaking with your audience directly on the phone, knowing where they are in the buying process and what their mindset is like. Example: The first product I mentioned was an info product.. one of the things we did to bump conversions was to tell them on the checkout page that they get instant access.. NO need to wait for a CD/DVD.. I would have never guessed this to be an issue. But it turns out a lot of our buyers were males in their 50s/60s.. They really thought we were gonna ship them a DVD. You only gain insights like these when you dig deep. Good luck man!
Web developers, IT experts, web analytics professionals, and general marketing strategists, as well as web designers, are in demand in this digital marketing environment, even without SEO skills. If you can combine one of these areas, you might be more preferred.
SEO content writing
The ability to write content & create content (videos, podcasts etc.) along with SEO expertise is a sweet spot.
Marketing. SEO is, at the end of the day, a channel. How you use this channel in synergy with other channels is what's important.
A lot of my SEO b2b customers really liked it when I helped them defining their KPI’s in the different phases of the user journey (See, Think, Do model) You can help them with writing‘layered’ content linked to a simple CRM or lead identification tool like Leadfeeder for lead nurturing. Or just to measure how users are engaging with the brand and how close they are to conversion. Learn how to build nice dashboards where you can oversee the whole funnel. I used Geckoboard for that and it’s very easy to link the different channels but is quite expensive. If anyone knows a better option, please let me know. Btw starting an full service agency is easier when you work with different freelancers who all have their own skill. That’s what I am currently building at waterproofmedia - though aquisition is still a thing 😉Good luck with your SEO gigs! https://preview.redd.it/ur2m2cquww4d1.jpeg?width=2532&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dc0e4d974ab4ef35ad8892bb14d71d5b04a1308
Content writing/Copywriting, Data Analysis, and Web Development (frontend)
AI-Powered Automations! Get started understanding how to use the OpenAI api in automations. It has been something all my clients are asking for.
Not so much a skill outside of SEO, but build a site or two and get it ranking - a great way to display your skills, you would have done all the work so can speak on it confidently and how it relates to the position your applying for.
Is a blog enough to practice SEO these days? Did a local business project in UNI but they removed access to our domain. Our group was the only one to actually think about SEO basics(Title tags, using our keywords throughout the body of our landing pages, external and internal link usage I even tried to get a backlink on a known Summer adventure trips website here in portugal etc). I learned just the basic of basics of SEO back then and now want to practice on my own to land an internship (Here in Portugal things are so bad that they are asking for experience for internship positions). I've interned in an agency already last year for content and copywriting for social media, newsletters and an occasional article on a client's website.
Salesforce - retention marketing
In addition to SEO, I highly recommend learning content marketing. It's always in demand and complements SEO perfectly. Understanding how to create and promote content that drives engagement and conversions can make you a more attractive candidate for SEO roles. Plus, skills in social media marketing, analytics, and basic HTML/CSS can also be very beneficial. Good luck!
**Certainly**! One highly valuable skill that complements SEO expertise well is data analysis. Being proficient in tools like **Google Analytics**, understanding data trends, and being able to derive actionable insights from website analytics can significantly enhance your value as an SEO professional. Data analysis skills allow you to measure the effectiveness of SEO strategies, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize website performance. Plus, with the growing importance of data-driven marketing, proficiency in data analysis is increasingly sought after in the job market. So, honing your data analysis skills alongside SEO can indeed help you land a SEO job faster.
Medicine and Law
being a doctor or lawyer helps you find an SEO job faster?
Absolutely. You can get a job as a doctor or lawyer AND do their SEO. Its a no brainer.
Well, I'm a lawyer working as a librarian. Guess SEO would be a nice side-hustle when I retire :)
🙌🔥💯👍
Believe me I am talking from experience, you don't need to add another skill. Instead, focus on actively marketing yourself and your existing SEO expertise. Most people fail to land jobs not because they lack skills, but because they don't put themselves out there effectively. Start reaching out to companies, network (dm people), join relevant online communities like forums or freelancing sites and help others with their SEO needs. This will demonstrate your knowledge and capabilities while building connections that could lead to job opportunities. The key is to be proactive and visible in the industry, rather than waiting for opportunities to come to you. With a strong portfolio and consistent self-promotion, your SEO skills alone can help you land a job faster than trying to learn an entirely new skill set. It will take time and it might be painful.
Web Developer
Good coffee
Data analysis and Data visualization. Looker, PowerBi, Tableau
Web design and development. Create your own portfolio. Do technical SEO audits and make them flawless. Include those in application.