SEO is an essential skill for anyone working with the web or marketing. Search engines drive traffic to websites, the goal of most marketers and web developers. Search engines are the ever-changing beasts that run on machine learning algorithms.
It's a field that requires staying up-to-date and watching trends. While learning SEO is important, it won’t get you a job on its own. It’s a powerful tool to use in a digital marketing career alongside strategies and tools like Google Analytics and SEM Rush or Moz.
Digital Marketers use SEO to create advertising campaigns that drive traffic to a specific website. Marketing Analysts research and analyze those campaigns before they run, using SEO to make sure they target their ideal client. Search Managers use SEO to create advertising campaigns that appear on search engines with search terms that are relevant to what they’re advertising.
Digital Strategists develop the plans for digital advertising campaigns while a Marketing Manager oversees larger, long term advertising efforts. These roles rely on SEO to target a specific audience with the right keywords.
SEO Career Options
Here are a few career paths for which you’ll likely need SEO skills in order to succeed. We also include additional info about their average salaries, their day-to-day responsibilities, and a link to learn more about each career.
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Digital Marketer
Digital marketers are responsible for designing, managing, and reviewing digital marketing campaigns. Using their expertise in search engine optimization (SEO), social media, backlinks, and digital ads, digital marketers provide data and demographic-driven marketing strategies. They may also help companies develop content marketing strategies through the use of blogs. Digital marketers also use data analytics to review digital marketing campaign results and provide guidance for future campaigns.
Learn about becoming a Digital Marketer -
Search Manager
A search manager brings expertise with search engines and a deep understanding of how they work to drive results. They will generally work across search from organic search (SEO) to paid search. In this type of role, the manager would oversee both organic and paid search operations, including strategy, optimization, and reporting. In organic search, the manager would be in charge of finding the right keywords to target, improving rank for those keywords, and optimizing the site for SEO. Within paid search, the manager would build the strategy, manage the campaigns, and continually test and optimize for the best performance.
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Marketing Analyst
A marketing analyst brings marketing expertise to companies and organizations to assist with their marketing initiatives. Depending on the type of role and company they are working for, the marketing analyst's job can vary in channels and the type of work. In some cases, the marketing analyst will be in charge of providing analytical support for a specific channel or set of marketing channels. The marketing analyst may also be involved in coming up with strategies, finding the right audiences, performing competitive analyses, and optimizing channels.
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Digital Strategist
Digital Strategy is the work behind digitally rich projects like websites, social media, SEO content, digital marketing, and more. Digital Strategists identify opportunities for growth and make plans for new website releases, content for their client with a specific end goal in mind, or an advertising campaign.
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Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers oversee a team of marketing professionals who find ways to grow the business they're working for, execute those growth ideas through campaigns, and analyze and report on those campaigns.
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Web Optimization Specialist
Web optimization specialists are experts at analyzing web traffic and making targeted recommendations to increase user engagement. Acting as user-surrogates, web optimization specialists analyze data on user behavior and advocate for new features or functionalities to improve the end-user experience. Web optimization specialists often work with web developers and designers to create funnels, web applications, and marketing campaigns. These professionals must have experience with data analysis, user-testing, prototyping and digital marketing development.
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Paid Search Manager
A paid search manager is tasked with leading search marketing campaigns, generally on Google and Bing Ads. The manager leads the day-to-day strategy, reporting, analysis, and optimization of paid search campaigns. Day-to-day campaign management includes updating bids, adding/removing keywords, monitoring profitability, and more. Strategy and optimization include designing and adjusting paid search strategy to align with overall business goals, running tests to improve performance, and working with other digital partners to develop omnichannel marketing campaigns.
Learn about becoming a Paid Search Manager