Can they work under their own initiative? For me, this is the most important quality an SEO professional must have in order to be successful. SEO requires you to not only know the best practices, but to also constantly test these within your own niche. As SEO is constantly changing with new algorithm updates, techniques and tools, it is essential that SEOs are able to use their initiative to incorporate these new developments into their campaigns.
The overlooked attribute business owners should prioritize in an SEO hire is adaptability. In my 15+ years, I've witnessed seismic shifts in SEO: from the early efficacy of doorways and cloaking to the sophisticated algorithms we navigate today. An adaptable specialist can pivot strategies based on real-time data and unprecedented changes—like the COVID-19 pandemic, where we reoriented towards local SEO for small businesses, yielding significant ROI. This quality is invaluable. I've consistently found that adaptability outperforms traditional metrics and helps companies stay ahead of curveball tactics like emergent black hat methods. Best regards, Roman Borissov CEO, SEOBRO.Agency https://seobro.agency/
I think communication skills are often the most underatted qualities for most industries especially SEO. The ability to communicate is not just speaking but listening and understanding. The really great SEO specialist are able to understand a business and what they are trying to achieve and "translate" this into great SEO campaigns. I certainly think resilience and flexibility are great qualities but the ability to communicate and understand a business is rarer and takes SEO campaigns to another level.
As someone who has both purchased SEO services and run an SEO agency, I can attest that a crucial quality to look for is the effort the agency makes to understand your industry. The more questions they ask to gain insights into your field, the more reliable they are likely to be in delivering effective results.
When hiring an SEO specialist, definitely make sure that the candidate has link-building expertise, and doesn't just product content. High-quality, SEO-informed content won't increase traffic to your website unless your site's "Domain Authority" improves; the primary way Google infers Domain Authority is by the number of other websites linking to yours. SEO specialists should be able to provide an overview of the link-building process, and also research the backlink situation of competitor businesses. Ideally, the SEO specialist can place some backlinks themselves, even if the most important links will need to be achieved by the business owner or their internal team.
Business owners should look for an SEO specialist who follows ethical practices and avoids any black-hat techniques that could harm the website's reputation in the long run. Ethical SEO specialists prioritize sustainable, long-term strategies that align with search engine guidelines. For example, they focus on creating valuable content, improving user experience, and building organic backlinks. By avoiding shortcuts and manipulative tactics, they safeguard the website's credibility and ensure its visibility and rankings are maintained consistently over time.
One key quality that business owners should look for when hiring an SEO specialist is well-rounded knowledge. A mistake that many business owners tend to make is they look for someone with specific knowledge of a small niche and, while this is great, it limits your SEO capabilities. There are plenty of excellent benefits that you can get for your company by hiring an SEO specialist with broad knowledge of different industries, techniques, and more. Of course, they do need to have an understanding of your industry too, but don’t disregard someone just because their knowledge seems “too broad”. They might be able to apply that knowledge to your business, boosting it as a result. Name: Michael Maroney Title: Marketing Director / Lead Biologist Website: https://infiniteoutdoorsusa.com/
Trying to find a marketer to help boost your business’ footprint and generate more traffic is not easy. There are so many different types or marketing specialist to choose from. However, if you are looking to boost your business’ SEO metrics, there are a few things that you need to consider when you are hiring a specialist. The first is how they leverage current trends in the industry, and the results they received from it. For example generative AI is the talk of the town in marketing circles, but you need to know how AI affects SEO metrics and how the specialist you choose uses AI in optimizing your website. What is also important is how the make you understand the processes of what they are doing. SEO has a lot of fancy jargon that can dazzle you, but being dazzling is not going to make you understand how the company you are hiring is going to get you your desired results. They need to be able to explain how each thing they implement will aid the optimization process.
Someone who sets realistic timelines for ranking results When hiring an SEO specialist, business owners should look for someone who sets realistic timelines for ranking results. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, and instant results are a red flag. A good specialist will provide a general time estimate based on similar past campaigns, keeping in mind that search engines frequently update. This level-headed approach ensures that your business is investing in sustainable, long-term growth rather than quick, unstable wins.
The best SEO specialists also have a good grasp on project management, so check that when researching who to hire. SEO experts must handle different aspects when managing online digital marketing campaigns for their client’s businesses. They must study and plan which marketing strategies best suit their client and their goals. Then, they have to coordinate each aspect of the marketing campaign, like link building, assigning tasks to different team members, etc. They also coordinate with the business owner about their SEO requirements for overall website optimization. Since there are many stages that SEO specialists must focus on, check that they prioritize project management well. Check how they plan their work processes and manage the whole team while meeting deadlines on time.
Local SEO Specialization When hiring an SEO expert business owners should look for the ability of local SEO. Local SEO specialization means the SEO expert should have knowledge and experience of ranking businesses in the local area. They should excel in tasks like citation building, optimizing your Google My Business profile, and crafting location-focused strategies to improve your visibility in local search results.
One key quality that business owners should look for when hiring an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) specialist is analytical skills. SEO is a data-driven field that requires constant analysis and adjustment to improve a website's performance in search engines.
One key quality to look for when hiring an SEO specialist is a proven track record of results. Evaluate their past projects and ask for case studies or examples of websites they've successfully improved in search rankings. A top-notch SEO specialist should have a portfolio of achievements that demonstrate their ability to increase organic traffic, keyword rankings, and overall online visibility. Additionally, assess their problem-solving skills and whether they are performance-driven, as SEO often involves overcoming challenges and continuously adapting to algorithm changes to achieve long-term success.
One key quality business owners should look for when hiring an SEO specialist is their ability to communicate effectively. SEO specialists must be able to explain the complexities of search engine optimization in a way that is easy for others to understand. Additionally, they should be able to listen to and interpret the goals of the business in order to create an SEO strategy that aligns with those goals.
general manager at 88stacks
Answered 3 years ago
When hiring an SEO specialist, business owners should prioritize the quality of adaptability. SEO landscape is constantly evolving, and an effective specialist needs to stay updated with the latest algorithms, trends, and strategies. Being able to quickly adjust and experiment with new techniques is crucial for success. Look for someone who not only understands the current SEO principles but also shows a willingness to learn and experiment.
When you're on the hunt for that perfect SEO specialist, one key quality to keep a keen eye on is their enthusiasm for the nitty-gritty world of on-page elements. You want someone who's as excited about optimizing meta tags, writing content, meta descriptions and title tags, and you're on the right track to SEO success!
Business owners should look for an SEO specialist with business acumen. This quality ensures that the specialist can align SEO strategies with the overall business objectives, contributing to the company's success in terms of revenue, leads, or brand visibility. For example, a skilled SEO specialist with business acumen will prioritize optimizing website content and keywords relevant to the target audience, increasing organic traffic and conversions. They will also consider the competitive landscape, industry trends, and consumer behavior to design SEO strategies that give the business a competitive edge. By understanding the business's goals and combining it with SEO expertise, an SEO specialist with business acumen can provide valuable insights and recommendations on how SEO can impact the company's bottom line.
Beyond technical SEO skills, it's crucial that the SEO specialist understands your business's sales goals, customer journey, and conversion funnel. They should be able to align SEO strategies with sales objectives, identifying high-intent keywords, optimizing product/service pages for conversions, and ensuring that the website not only attracts traffic but effectively guides visitors towards making a purchase or inquiry.
Adaptability SEO specialists must have this quality of being adaptable. Google algorithm keeps updating which is the reason online rules change, industry trends shift, or how people search online alters. So it is important to have this quality of being aware of these changes and quickly adapt to them. It will also help businesses stay visible and competitive on the web.
Approach to SEO There are many varying ways to SEO and white hat is the only future proof method for success. The business owner should ask for detailed examples of how they've achieved results across technical, content and off-site SEO. By looking at these examples they'll be able to determine if the approach of the SEO specialist is safe for the business and could they drive results.