Not everyone is suitable to work in search engine optimisation. There are many facets to the role and when working as a lead in an agency, the challenge is even greater. It’s certainly not the same as being a web designer or a web programmer, even if for small agencies there may be some overlap in the roles undertaken to save on staffing costs.
Let’s break down what type of person is likely to perform well in the SEO field.
Detail-oriented
Some people are detail-oriented, and some are not. It is possible to train yourself to focus more on the little things, but it’s an uphill struggle when it just doesn’t come naturally to you. It doesn’t just come down to creating lists to avoid having to remember every step necessary when launching a site or performing proper on-site SEO for a client; the details must be right to avoid a mistake causing a ranking issue with Google later.
Failing to complete important information is a major failure for any SEO who prides themselves on their attention to detail. When collecting the wrong information on a competitor, which will lead to choosing the wrong strategy to outrank them, is just one example where mistakes cause time and money to be lost.
Good with Software Tools
Modern SEO is conducted using various software tools. Spreadsheets might be utilised to track the ranking of individual pages, note down key information on a site’s competitors or set targets and mark them off as they’re achieved. When you’re uncomfortable using computers and industry software to perform research and track data, you’re going to struggle. Similarly, a person who finds using software second nature to them and finds a way to optimise their usage to get the most out of them is likely to be several steps ahead of their competition.
Enjoys an Ever-changing Landscape
One thing about SEO that’s certainly true is that it never stands still. This can be difficult to handle as what works today is likely to be redundant in six months to a year. When using cutting-edge techniques like those used by digital marketers clickintelligence.co.uk, the lead time could be even shorter than that.
Anyone who wishes to work in SEO should be prepared for things never to stay as they were. Doing things that way “because that’s the way they’ve always been done” is a recipe for disaster. Whereas if you enjoy the fact that the job will change, new ideas will need to be proven to see if they are working and old techniques will be thrown out for newer, better replacements, then there will be a lot to like in the SEO profession for you.
SEO is not for everyone and a job in SEO surely isn’t either. It’s perfectly fine if you’d prefer to stay with web design and not get involved with SEO at all (unless your boss expects you to be multi-skilled). However, if you match the kind of personality traits above, you could be a very good fit for the SEO trade.
