Search Engine Optimization Jobs

What makes a website the number one search engine result on Google or Yahoo? It takes a lot of work to get a website to number one. SEO specialists can get you to the top spot.

SEO specialists, also known as SEO consultants or SEO optimizers, increase a website’s visibility and search engine ranking. A higher search engine ranking is the difference between 10 hits a day and a 1,000,000 hits a day.

Every website wants to generate traffic. It’s what pays the bills.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. A SEO optimizer learns to analyze, review, change, and develop websites so they are more visible to search engines like Google, Yahoo, or MSN. Search engines use complex formulas to explore websites and assign them a ranking. They use spiders that explore websites looking for keywords, content, links, and activity.

SEO optimizers have a mish-mash of jobs – copywriting, coding, designing, social networking, marketing, researching, and advertising. The SEO specialist places keywords and creates functional headlines, researches popular keywords and frequently searched terms, builds and submits links, writes and corrects HTML and CSS, develops a following through Facebook and Twitter, uses Pay-Per-Click advertising, updates pages, and adds content regularly. All of this increases the websites visibility.

Every website has keywords and descriptions that help define the site and its pages. Go to any website and from your browser’s menu bar, view the source. Near the top of the source code you’ll see the page meta data: <title>, <description>, and sometimes <keywords>. The first two items are the most important when it comes to SEO.

If you have built a page on your website about “nursing jobs,” then you would include those words in the <title> and in the <description> too because it tells Google or Bing, “Hey – this page is about Unique Jobs! Please include my page in the search results for that term!”

Website editors are careful to tell search engines, such as Google and Bing, what every page of the website is about. In part, this is done by putting primary keywords or terms into the HTML code of every page. If the page is about How to Make Gingerbread Cookies, then you include this information in the <title> tag for the page. Confused? Do a little more reading on the topic – the basics are not too complicated.

Along with keywords, building links is very important. When more websites link to your site, it increases your visibility and activity. SEO specialists do link exchanges, submit links to advertisers, and write blog posts to get more exposure. And it works.

SEO optimizers must always stay up to date on changing technologies. Websites that are updated regularly help the rankings. Also constant keyword research helps keep keywords current and trendy. By tracking and determining user behavior, they will ensure their client’s virtual presence.

An SEO professional studies search engines, finds out how they work, and then optimizes websites. They must have a strong command of computers and the Internet. They need to understand HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other programming languages. Many have degrees in computer science or information technologies, but technically there are no formal requirements for this job. Many SEO optimizers are self-taught.

The best way to learn SEO is to create a website and try to boost your own search engine rankings. Get a feel for code, keywords, link building, and SEO in general. Try to gain experience through freelance websites like Elance or Guru.

Most SEO work is contract based, which means you can work just about anywhere you want. But there are also plenty of jobs that are in-house for larger companies. Once a SEO optimizer is established, they make $32,000 to $68,000 per year.

SEO is vital for any company with a web presence. It can mean the difference between making bank or going bankrupt. Generating web traffic takes hard work and analytical skills. SEO optimizers operate behind the scenes, but when the site hits number one, their work gets noticed.

Quick Facts About SEO Employment

Job Title: SEO Consultant, SEO Specialist
Office: In Front of A Computer
Description: Increase a website’s visibility and search engine ranking
Certifications/Education: No formal education required
Necessary Skills: Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Potential Employers: Freelance, Websites
Pay: $32,000 to $68,000 per year

Helpful Search Engine Optimization Employment Links:

Search Search Engine Optimization Jobs on JobMonkey
SEOMoz
Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization
Search Engine Land
SEO Tools
SEO Book