An experienced SEO Specialist dedicated to enhancing online visibility and search engine ranking through targeted SEO strategies. Specializes in crafting and executing effective link-building campaigns and PR distributions that increase site metrics and drive significant traffic growth. Adept at analyzing trends and adjusting strategies to keep pace with changing search engine algorithms.
Key Skills and Highlights:
Link Building: Expert in developing and implementing robust link-building strategies to enhance domain authority and page rank. Skilled in identifying high-quality link opportunities and securing beneficial placements.
Outreach: Demonstrates strong abilities in outreach campaigns, effectively communicating with bloggers, influencers, and website owners to foster partnerships and obtain valuable backlinks.
Link Placement: Proficient in strategic link placement within content to maximize the SEO value while maintaining content quality and relevance.
PR Distribution: Experienced in creating and distributing press releases to relevant media outlets, ensuring wide visibility and direct impact on SEO performance through high-authority links.
Increasing Site Metrics: Uses advanced tools and analytical skills to track website metrics such as bounce rate, traffic, and conversion rates, implementing optimizations to improve these figures.
Traffic Growth: Focused on driving substantial increases in site traffic through organic search strategies, including keyword optimization, content generation, and technical SEO enhancements.
By leveraging these skills, the SEO Specialist ensures that websites not only achieve but also maintain top rankings in search engine results, ultimately boosting online presence and business success.
Since SEO is highly competitive, your website and, by extension, your company will immensely benefit from having an expert with sufficient skillset and the ability to come up with solutions as needed. If you cannot have one of your employees at the helm of your SEO affairs, then you will need to outsource your company's SEO tasks to a freelance specialist. It can, however, be a challenge to find the right site to hire the best SEO freelancer specialist. To help, this article examines what you need to know about hiring SEO freelancer experts.
What is the usual rate of SEO Specialist?
Table Of Contents
Pros and Cons of Hiring an SEO Freelance Specialist
Outsourcing your SEO projects to an SEO freelancer comes with its pros and cons. Here are some of them.
Pros
Cost-effectiveness
Hiring an SEO freelancer is more cost-effective than having an in-house employee perform SEO tasks. This is because there will be no need to incur costs by recruiting and training employees.
Expertise
SEO expert companies and freelancers often have years of experience that you can rely on. Even as SEO rules and techniques constantly change, expertise in SEO makes it easier to adapt and you can trust SEO freelancer specialists to deliver effective results.
Cons
Virtual services
Services provided by SEO freelancer specialist or specialists are mostly virtual. This could leave you with a vague idea of whom you are working with. However, tools that ease communication and productivity with remote workers will come in handy to address this con.
Limited oversight
The hired SEO freelancer is not necessarily bound by company policy. As such, oversight is relatively limited, in comparison to having an in-house SEO expert.
How to Hire the Best SEO Freelancer Specialist
These considerations will help you hire an effective SEO freelancer specialist after you have highlighted the size and scope of your SEO goals.
Seek proof of expertise / SEO Case Studies
It is important to have proof of the SEO skills of the expert you seek to hire. SEO performance case studies prepared for previous clients or results from past projects are a good measure of the expertise of any potential freelance SEO specialist recruit.
Analyze the rates as against your budget
When seeking to hire SEO freelancers, you are likely to find an option for every price range you can imagine. That said, it will be in the best interests of your company if you examine the freelancer's rates in light of your budget and spending capacity. This will ensure that you make the most of your funds and keep your SEO endeavors cost-effective.
Look out for basic SEO expert skills
At a minimum, any SEO specialist you seek to hire should have the following –
an understanding of modern content and design-specific SEO, SEO-based user experience, as well as goal-oriented optimization
keen insights and awareness of industry trends, including updates to Google algorithm
experience with major analysis and optimization platforms such as Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and SEMrush, to mention some
very importantly, an understanding of the specifics of your project and overall SEO goals
Skills and Tools for an SEO Specialist
Skills Every SEO Specialist Must Have
Analytical Thinking: SEO requires the ability to analyze performance data and interpret trends in search engine behavior, user engagement, and website traffic. SEO specialists must sift through vast amounts of data to glean actionable insights and devise effective strategies.
Technical Skills: Understanding the technical aspects of SEO is crucial. This includes knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as these languages influence how content is displayed on a website and interacted with by search engines. Skills in server management, response codes, and redirects also play a vital role.
Content Creation: Content is at the heart of SEO. An SEO Specialist needs to be adept at creating high-quality, engaging, and optimized content. This involves not only writing skills but also the ability to integrate keywords seamlessly, understand user intent, and create content that aligns with what search engines deem valuable.
Strategic Planning: SEO Specialists must be able to develop long-term plans that align with business goals. This includes campaign planning, resource allocation, and the ongoing evaluation of tactics based on shifting trends and algorithm updates.
Communication Skills: Clear communication is essential for collaborating with other team members, such as content creators, web developers, and marketing professionals. Additionally, SEO Specialists often need to explain complex concepts in a way that stakeholders without an SEO background can understand.
Overview of Common Tools Used by SEO Professionals
Google Analytics: A fundamental tool for any SEO professional, Google Analytics provides detailed insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion metrics. This tool is critical for understanding how users interact with a website and identifying areas for improvement.
SEMrush: SEMrush offers a broad suite of SEO tools that cover keyword research, competitive analysis, traffic measurement, and more. It’s particularly useful for understanding how your site compares to competitors and finding opportunities in keywords and backlinking strategies.
Ahrefs: Known for its powerful backlink analysis capabilities, Ahrefs is a favorite among SEO professionals. It provides comprehensive tools for auditing websites, tracking backlinks, and researching keywords. Ahrefs also offers insights into competitor strategies, which can be invaluable for benchmarking and strategy development.
Moz Pro: Moz Pro includes tools for on-page optimization, keyword research, and link building. Its MozBar browser extension can provide instant metrics while browsing or analyzing SERPs, which is especially handy for quick insights.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: This tool is essential for those focusing on technical SEO. It crawls websites to mimic how a search engine perceives and indexes a site. It identifies issues like broken links, improper redirects, and problems with metadata which are crucial for maintaining the health of a website.
Yoast SEO: For those working within the WordPress content management system, Yoast SEO is a plugin that provides comprehensive SEO tools to help optimize web content, including readability analysis, keyword optimization, and automatic technical SEO improvements.
Each of these tools provides different functionalities that help SEO Specialists perform their job more effectively, from daily tasks to strategic decision-making. These tools, combined with essential skills, form the backbone of effective SEO practice.
Key Elements to Look for in an SEO Freelancer
Local SEO
Every business is striving to gain a competitive edge in the market by enhancing its online presence. One effective approach to achieve this goal is adopting Local SEO, which focuses on optimizing your website for searches within a specified location. With an optimized local search strategy, businesses can expect to enjoy increased visibility, higher traffic, and improved brand awareness.
The dynamics of local SEO
Understanding the methods used to improve your local search ranking will allow your business to make the most out of what local SEO has to offer. Some fundamental aspects of local search optimization include:
Listing your business on Google My Business (GMB)
Listing to high quality Citation / Business listing
Optimizing content with geo-specific keywords
Acquiring high-quality relevant backlinks
Gathering customer reviews across different platforms
Ensuring accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information for your business
Targeting long-tail keywords to rank faster
Implementing schema markup on your site
Link Building
Link building is the cornerstone of SEO, as it involves acquiring backlinks or inbound links to one's domain from other websites, thereby improving its visibility, authority, and relevance in search engine algorithms. Search engines use these links to crawl through different pages on your site, helping them identify which content is valuable and worth ranking higher in their search results. The more high-quality, authoritative, and relevant sites you have linking to you, the better your chances are of increasing organic visibility, attracting targeted visitors, and gaining an edge over competitors.
Why Link Building Is Essential for SEO Success
While numerous factors contribute to SEO success, link building remains at the top of the list due to several reasons:
Higher rankings in search engine result pages (SERPs): Backlinks serve as signals of reliability, relevance, and popularity of a website. As such, search engines reward sites with high-quality backlinks by ranking them higher in SERPs.
Increased referral traffic: When a person visits another site and clicks on the backlink pointing to your website, they become a potential customer. This direct influx of visitors originating from authoritative sources can lead to increased conversion rates.
Improved brand credibility: Having backlinks from well-known and trustworthy sites can elevate your brand's online reputation as users associate you with these established organizations.
Online relationships: Building links often involves interacting with other website owners, bloggers, or media outlets, establishing mutually beneficial partnerships that strengthen your network.
A Quality Backlink
Incorporating the right kind of backlinks into your link building strategy is crucial for SEO success. Here are four critical attributes that define what a quality backlink should be:
Relevance: It is vital to gain backlinks from contextually related websites or ones that share similar niches or topics. Irrelevant links might not only end up being ignored but can also adversely affect your rankings in search results.
Authority: Links from high-authority domains can pass more "link juice" to your site compared to those from low-domain authority sources. Backlinks from recognized industry experts or authoritative sites enhance your credibility and help establish your domain as an industry leader.
Diversity: A diverse and natural link profile comprising various link types, anchor texts, and sources will seem organic and less spammy to search engines. Therefore, it's essential to avoid repetitive or identical links and seek diversity while building connections.
Do-follow vs no-follow: Ideally, aim to get do-follow links because they pass on link equity to your site, aiding in better SEO performance. While no-follow links won't directly contribute to your domain's authority, they still carry value by driving referral traffic and diversifying your backlink profile.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is the foundation of your SEO strategy, enabling you to identify the right keywords to optimize your website and write engaging, informative content that answers your customers' needs. This process involves analyzing popular search terms, determining their relevancy, competitiveness, and value for your specific niche.
Focusing on Search Intent
Another critical aspect of keyword research is understanding your target audience's search intent. To rank higher in search results, make sure your content matches what users expect when they type in a particular search query. The goal is to provide useful information, answer questions, and address concerns related to those keywords.
Tools to Help You Conduct Keyword Research
In mastering this art, employing various tools can streamline the process and pave the way for successful keyword-driven content. Some popular and effective options include:
Google Keyword Planner: A free Google Ads tool that helps you find relevant keywords, search volume data, and competition rates.
SEMrush: This comprehensive SEO suite provides vast keyword research functionality to simplify analyzing your target keywords and finding opportunities for growth.
Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer: Known for its extensive data
SEO Audits
An SEO audit refers to the comprehensive evaluation of a website's overall performance in terms of search engine rankings. It involves identifying elements that may need improvement or revision, as well as detecting and fixing any issues that could potentially impact the site's organic search traffic results and user experience.
The primary objective of an SEO audit
The main goal of conducting an SEO audit is to discover areas where improvements can be made on a website to optimize its performance in search engines. This includes ensuring that the content meets the needs of potential customers, adhering to search engine best practices, and maintaining technical efficiency for fast, error-free browsing. Ultimately, these efforts result in increased organic traffic, higher conversions, and improved online visibility for the business.
On-Page Elements
On-page elements directly represent your site's quality and relevance to users, which makes them integral to your SEO efforts. Some of the critical on-page factors to consider in an SEO audit are:
Keyword optimization: Ensuring that target keywords for your content are strategically placed in headers, titles, and meta descriptions to achieve optimal search engine indexing.
Content quality: Evaluating the uniqueness, depth, and relevancy of website content to provide users with valuable information.
Meta tags and schema markup: Implementing the correct schema markup types and optimizing metadata such as title tags and meta descriptions for better search rankings.
URL structure: Organizing site URLs in a logical hierarchy that reflects the structure of pages and improve user navigation on your site.
Off-Page Factors
Off-page factors comprise elements that promote trust and authority for your site from external sources. These factors have an impact on which websites rank higher than others in search engine results. A few essential off-page elements to consider are:
Backlink profile: Analyzing the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your site and identifying any potentially harmful or low-quality links that need immediate attention.
Social signals: Assessing your presence on social media platforms and discovering ways to foster audience engagement and enhance the visibility of your content.
Online reputation: Reviewing customer reviews and online mentions to understand your brand's overall perception and reputation in the market.
Technical Aspects
Technical aspects deal with your site's coding, hosting environment, and functionality. By ensuring your website's backend operations run seamlessly, you can provide exceptional user experiences while also increasing your search ranking potential. Some notable technical areas to examine in your audit include:
Page load speed: Measuring the time it takes for pages to load and addressing issues that may be causing performance delays.
Mobile optimization: Ensuring that your site is responsive, accessible, and visually appealing to mobile users to improve user experience and search engine rankings.
Crawling and indexing: Verifying that your website pages are correctly crawlable by search engines so they can be indexed appropriately.
Sitemap and robots.txt configuration: Properly managing XML sitemaps and robots.txt files to assist search engines in easily navigating your site, understanding its architecture, and maintaining optimal indexing rates.
Content Marketing
Content marketing has become an essential aspect of business strategy, and its benefits are redefining how businesses communicate with their customers. The practice of crafting valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a targeted audience ultimately drives success in sales, boosts loyalty, and increases brand awareness. In this article, we'll uncover the key aspects of content marketing that every marketer should know and implement to maximize their online presence and business potential.
Refining your content strategy using performance insights
Analyzing performance metrics allows you to identify trends and patterns in your content's performance, giving you valuable information on what works well and where improvements can be made. By regularly evaluating these insights, you can fine-tune your content strategy, focusing on the topics, formats, and distribution methods that generate the best results for your business.
Content marketing offers a myriad of benefits for businesses looking to drive sales, increase brand awareness, and boost customer loyalty.
Finding the right mix of content types and maintaining consistency in publishing can significantly impact your audience's engagement levels and overall satisfaction with your brand.
Effective content promotion and distribution, including SEO, social media marketing, and paid advertising, is crucial in reaching your target audience and maximizing results from your content efforts.
Finally, tracking relevant KPIs and making data-driven improvements to your content strategy ensures ongoing success for your content marketing initiatives.
Social Media Integration
Social media integration refers to the process of embedding various social networking platforms and their functionalities into your website, blog, or other online channels. This not only enhances user experience but also helps businesses connect and engage with their target audience more effectively. There are several ways you can integrate social media into your online presence, and we will discuss the most common methods and tips to make your efforts successful.
Mobile Optimization
Benefits of Social Media Integration
Social media integration offers several advantages that should not be overlooked when planning your marketing and branding strategies:
Increased visibility: Integrating social media with your website helps establish a strong online presence, directing traffic to your site, eventually leading to higher chances of increased sales.
Better search engine rankings: Effective use of social media platforms can improve your site's organic visibility in search results. Also, major search engines like Google consider social signals as an essential factor for ranking pages, making it critical to have them integrated into your online platform.
Reduced marketing costs: Compared to traditional marketing methods, social media is cost-effective and allows you to reach a wider audience without breaking the bank.
Improved customer engagement: By connecting with customers through various channels, you create a bond that drives loyalty and long-term retention.
Instant feedback: Users love voicing their opinions on different experiences and products, allowing businesses to listen to their clients' sentiment and make improvements based on real-time feedback.
Mobile Optimization
Mobile optimization refers to the process of designing, formatting, and adjusting your website content to ensure it loads quickly and looks appealing on various devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This is essential because mobile device users typically have shorter attention spans than desktop users, so fast load times and easy navigation are crucial for maintaining user engagement and increasing conversion rates.
Design considerations
To create a visually appealing and user-friendly mobile experience, consider the following design elements:
Opt for a simpler, cleaner layout – Less is often more when it comes to mobile design, as overly complex designs can be difficult to navigate on smaller screens.
Use larger, easy-to-read fonts – Ensure that your text is legible and clearly visible on small screens.
Maintain sufficient white space – Including adequate amounts of white space between content blocks can make your website feel less cluttered and crowded on mobile devices.
Utilize scalable vector graphics (SVGs) – SVG images are resolution-independent and will look crisp and clear on any device, no matter the size.
Content optimization
The type of content you provide on your website and how you present it can have a significant impact on mobile user engagement. Here are some content optimization tips to keep in mind:
Create scannable, bite-sized chunks of information – Break up lengthy paragraphs into shorter sections with descriptive subheadings to make it easier for users to skim and find key points.
Leverage visual aids – Utilize images, infographics, and videos to complement your written content, making it more visually engaging and easier to digest for mobile users.
Avoid pop-ups and intrusive interstitials – These elements can be particularly annoying for mobile users, often leading to high bounce rates and negative user experiences.
Optimize meta tags – Ensure your title and description tags are optimized for both search engines and mobile users, providing relevant and concise information about your content.
Performance improvements
Fast load times are essential for mobile visitors, who may be using slower or unreliable internet connections. To improve your site's performance, consider the following optimizations:
Enable browser caching – Storing commonly-used files in the user's cache can significantly reduce page load times on subsequent visits.
Compress images – Use tools like ImageOptim or ShortPixel to compress your images without compromising their quality, resulting in faster load times.
Minify CSS and JavaScript files – Removing unnecessary whitespace, comments, and characters from these files can lead to smaller file sizes and quicker load times.
Implement lazy loading – This technique involves only loading the images and other media elements that are immediately visible to the user, speeding up the initial page load time.
Using analytics to gauge mobile performance
Once you've implemented various optimization techniques, use web analytics tools, like Google Analytics, to track and measure your website's performance, focusing specifically on metrics relevant to mobile users. Some key metrics to monitor include:
Mobile traffic – Track how many visitors arrive at your site through mobile devices versus desktop computers, as this can help you prioritize your optimization efforts.
Bounce rates – High bounce rates for mobile visitors may indicate issues with your website's design, content, or functionality that require further investigation and improvement.
Average session duration – Comparing the average time spent on your site by mobile and desktop users can shed light on areas where your mobile experience may be lacking.
Challenges Faced by SEO Specialists
Common Challenges in SEO
Algorithm Updates: Search engines frequently update their algorithms to improve the quality of search results and to penalize poor SEO practices. These updates can significantly impact website rankings and traffic, sometimes unexpectedly.
High Competition: For many industries, the digital space is highly competitive. Ranking for popular keywords can be challenging, especially for newer or smaller businesses competing against well-established companies with more resources.
Changing Searcher Behavior: The ways in which users search for information online are constantly evolving, particularly with the rise of mobile and voice search. Keeping up with these trends and understanding user intent can be challenging.
SEO Metrics and ROI Measurement: Demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of SEO efforts can be complex due to the long-term nature of SEO and the multitude of factors that influence results.
Maintaining Organic Visibility: With search engines increasingly monetizing search results (e.g., more ads), maintaining organic visibility requires continuous effort and adaptation to ever-changing search engine landscapes.
Solutions and Best Practices for Overcoming These Challenges
Staying Informed About Algorithm Updates:
Regularly follow SEO news from reliable sources such as Search Engine Journal, Moz, and Google’s own updates.
Participate in SEO forums and communities to learn from other professionals about how they're adapting to recent changes.
Strategies for Dealing with Competition:
Focus on niche keywords that are less competitive but highly relevant to your specific audience.
Improve the quality of your content and ensure it provides unique value that cannot be found on other sites.
Use comprehensive content strategies that include videos, infographics, and original research to differentiate from competitors.
Adapting to Changing Searcher Behavior:
Conduct ongoing keyword research to capture the latest trends and user intents.
Optimize for mobile and voice search by focusing on conversational keywords and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly.
Enhance user experience (UX) to reduce bounce rates and improve engagement metrics.
Improving SEO Metrics and ROI Measurement:
Set clear, measurable goals for your SEO campaigns, such as traffic, rankings, and conversions.
Use analytics tools to track these goals and adjust strategies based on performance data.
Educate stakeholders about the nature of SEO and set realistic expectations for results.
Boosting Organic Visibility Amid Increasing Ads:
Optimize for featured snippets and other SERP features like local packs or knowledge panels.
Increase brand visibility and authority through social media, content marketing, and public relations.
Engage in long-term brand building and quality backlink strategies to enhance domain authority.
Best Practices in SEO
Always focus on creating high-quality content that meets the needs and intents of users.
Build a comprehensive backlink strategy that emphasizes quality over quantity.
Regularly audit your website to identify and fix technical SEO issues that could impact performance.
Be patient and persistent, as SEO is a long-term investment that doesn’t yield overnight success.
By adopting these strategies, SEO specialists can navigate challenges more effectively and maintain strong performance in their SEO campaigns.
Career Path and Development for an SEO Specialist
How to Start a Career as an SEO Specialist
Educational Background: Although there are no strict educational requirements to become an SEO Specialist, a background in marketing, business, information technology, or communications can be beneficial. Fundamental understanding of how the internet works is also essential.
Learn SEO Basics: Start by understanding the fundamentals of SEO, including how search engines work, the differences between on-page and off-page SEO, and the basics of content marketing and technical SEO. Many free resources and blogs provide foundational knowledge, such as Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO and Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.
Hands-On Practice: SEO is a field where practical experience is crucial. Start your own website or blog to apply your SEO knowledge. This hands-on practice will be invaluable as you learn to navigate real-world challenges and see the effects of your strategies firsthand.
Stay Updated: SEO is a rapidly changing field. Regularly follow industry news and participate in SEO forums and professional groups to stay updated with the latest tools, trends, and algorithm updates.
Networking: Connect with other SEO professionals. Networking can provide mentorship opportunities and help you stay ahead of emerging trends. Attend industry conferences, seminars, and webinars to meet peers and experts.
Key Certifications and Courses Beneficial for SEO Professionals
Google Analytics Certification: Understanding how to use Google Analytics is essential for any SEO professional. This certification teaches you how to interpret and use Google Analytics data to improve your SEO strategy.
HubSpot Content Marketing Certification: This course covers aspects of content marketing that intersect strongly with SEO, including how to create and promote content that drives traffic and converts leads.
SEMrush SEO Toolkit Course: SEMrush offers various courses that teach how to use their tools to improve SEO, along with general SEO strategies.
Moz SEO Essentials Certificate: A series of instructor-led courses that cover SEO from the ground up, hosted by Moz’s team of SEO experts.
Yoast SEO Academy: Known for its popular WordPress SEO plugin, Yoast offers courses ranging from basic SEO to technical SEO training.
Career Advancement Opportunities in SEO
Specialization: As you gain experience, you can specialize in areas like technical SEO, local SEO, or content marketing. Specialization can make you more valuable to specific types of businesses or larger companies that need expert-level skills in a particular area.
Leadership Roles: Experienced SEO specialists can move into leadership roles such as SEO Team Leader, SEO Manager, or Head of SEO, where you manage teams and strategize SEO at higher levels.
Freelance Consulting: With enough experience and a solid network, many SEO professionals choose to work as independent consultants. This can provide flexibility and the opportunity to work on a variety of projects.
Educator or Trainer: Those with a deep understanding of SEO and a knack for teaching might find opportunities in education and training, either by creating courses, writing books, or conducting workshops and seminars.
Developing a career in SEO requires a blend of technical knowledge, continuous learning, and practical experience. With the right skills and dedication, an SEO career can be both lucrative and fulfilling, offering numerous paths for progression and specialization.
What is the usual rate of SEO Specialist?
The rate for an SEO Specialist can vary widely depending on several factors, including their level of experience, the complexity of the project, the geographic location, and whether they are freelancing or employed by a company. Here are some general guidelines:
Freelance SEO Specialists: Freelancers may charge either by the hour, by the project, or a monthly retainer for ongoing services. Hourly rates can range from $10 to $150 or more. For project-based or monthly rates, costs can vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the scope of the project.
In-House SEO Specialists: Salaries for in-house positions can vary based on the company size and location. In the United States, for instance, the average salary for an SEO Specialist is typically between $40,000 and $80,000 per year, with senior-level positions or those in high-cost living areas earning more.
SEO Agencies: Agencies may charge a monthly retainer for ongoing SEO services, which can range from $500 to over $5,000 per month, depending on the agency's reputation, the complexity of services provided, and client needs.
For the most accurate estimation, it's best to get quotes from several providers or consult salary databases to see current rates in specific locations or industries.
Sign if you have the right SEO Specialist
Choosing the right SEO Specialist is crucial for the success of your digital marketing efforts. Here are some signs that you have hired the right SEO Specialist:
Clear Understanding of Your Goals: The SEO Specialist should understand your business objectives and how SEO can help achieve them. They should align their strategies with your goals, whether it's increasing traffic, improving conversion rates, or enhancing brand visibility.
Transparency and Reporting: They should be transparent about their methods and regularly provide you with detailed reports showing what actions have been taken and how these actions impact your site’s performance. Good communication about progress and setbacks is essential.
Knowledge and Experience: The right SEO Specialist should have a solid track record and expertise. They should be up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes and have experience with both the technical and creative aspects of SEO.
Ethical Strategies: They should use white hat SEO techniques, adhering to search engine guidelines. Avoid specialists who promise quick results using dubious methods, as these can lead to your site being penalized by search engines.
Problem-Solving Skills: SEO can involve unexpected challenges. A good specialist should be proactive in identifying potential or existing issues with your SEO strategy and agile in developing solutions.
Cultural Fit: They should fit well with your company’s culture and values. SEO often requires collaboration with different teams (e.g., marketing, IT), so having someone who can work well with others is beneficial.
Positive ROI: Ultimately, the right SEO Specialist should deliver a positive return on investment. Over time, the traffic gains and conversions from their SEO efforts should justify the costs of their services.
If your current SEO Specialist checks these boxes, it’s a good sign that you’ve made the right choice. If not, it may be time to consider how well their capabilities align with your needs.
SEO Freelancer Online Platform
Upwork is an online workplace that is home to thousands of SEO specialists and consultants. It has a large pool of remote SEO professionals with a proven skillset. On Upwork, you can find a freelancer that fits your project size and scope, as well as your budget.
Upwork profile for SEO experts usually contains some measure of proof of SEO expertise. And this would be visible to you as a potential client. However, having a basic knowledge of SEO can help you judge each SEO pitch you receive or profile you come across. This will come in handy since Upwork does not have a dedicated or intensive process of vetting freelancers. The site completely leaves the screening and interviews to potential hirers.
How Upwork Works
Making use of this online workplace is very easy. For starters who seek to hire the best SEO freelance specialist, you need to post a job. This involves stating the profile of the freelancer you need, the expertise level, and your budget. It opens the door to receive applications. Next, you have to review the applications that stream in from the job opening and select the freelancer that suits the profile you need. When your preferred freelancer completes the task, Upwork releases payment to them.
As simple as the process sounds, you have to take certain measures to ensure that you have a great experience on this platform. Bear in mind that Upwork functions like a job board. This means that if you want great results, you must invest much effort into screening your applicants. This might take some time in certain cases until the best candidate turns up.
SEO experts' profiles on Upwork feature hourly rates and this makes it easy to gauge the costs of hiring any candidate. There is a wide range of services available on this platform, even among SEO professionals. These include blogpost and copywriting for SEO, designing optimized webpages, SEO audit, and analytics, among others. However, with Upwork's search algorithm, you can filter through tons of freelancers to find the one that best suits your requirements. To help with making your choice, Upwork also generates a score for profile and project completion. This can serve as an index of the potential recruit's expertise and reliability.
Online freelancer platforms like Upwork often house SEO specialists that efficiently handle short-term SEO tasks. Apart from Upwork, there are several freelancer job boards or platforms where you can find affordable remote SEO experts. These freelancer platforms have overlapping features with perks and problems that are peculiar to themselves. Thus, it will be necessary to examine your options before choosing the freelancer site to hire your SEO specialist from.
You can find a decent proportion of both SEO freelancers and agencies alike on Guru. The simplified search process lets you use various filters while searching for a suitable potential recruit. This platform, however, does not interview or profile the freelancers allowed on the site. Clients are left to sort out their options and find out, from working with the freelancer, whether the recruit is ideal.
Here is a very popular name in the field of freelancer platforms. Among the several fields of freelance professionals you can find on freelancer.com are SEO consultants or specialists. However, the majority of those in the SEO field that you can find on Freelancer are entry-level or mid-level at best. The highly competitive platform sometimes hosts contests that allow freelancers to showcase their expertise. Analyzing the diverse skills showcased by your potential recruit candidate(s) can make the hiring process easier. Yet, if your project is a crucial one that requires high expertise, you might need to search for SEO specialists on another platform.
Final Thoughts
Choosing to hire an SEO freelancer specialist has its advantages and disadvantages. You will, no doubt, need the services of a hired SEO freelancer to meet your SEO goals if your company does not have an in-house SEO expert. Even when you have an SEO team, some projects may require that you hire an SEO specialist to ensure that you are at the top of your SEO game.
After you have determined your company's goals, the next step would be to search for qualified experts that would help you reach those goals. You can carry out this search on a freelancer platform like Upwork or any trusted platform in the above list. Overall, giving careful consideration to the profile of the potential recruit will help you choose the best SEO freelancer specialist for your company's SEO goals.