Day in the life of
SEO Specialist – Georgi Todorov
A Search Marketing Strategist usually works as a consultant to a team or a company. The strategist sets the direction for a team of diverse professionals, such as content creators, editors, and web developers. As the name suggests, they outline the strategy that will help a website rank higher in search results.
My Typical Day
My typical day at work involves a lot of research. I spend most of my time using a variety of software tools to uncover what the competition is doing, what is working well for them, and what is not. I also delve into diverse niches to try to come up with ideas that would be unique to my niche. Finally, based on the research, I start to develop creative strategies to help a page outrank its competitors.
Keyword research with SEMrush
When creating a search marketing strategy, one has to focus on both long and short-term goals, without losing sight of one or the other.
A key element of any strategy is keyword research. For example, I recently created a piece targeting a large keyword ‘how to start a blog’ – 36,000 monthly searches and keyword difficulty 88 out of 100. Ranking for this keyword is a long-term goal. At the same time, my piece is keyword-rich with other natural phrases related to this topic that have lower search volume and keyword difficulty, hence they are my short-term goals. Such keywords might be ‘how to start a WordPress blog’, ‘how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost’, and ‘how much does it cost to start a blog’. Ranking in search for these lower-competition keywords in the short term will help me rank for keywords with more traffic in the long run.
Diving deeper into my main keyword
Another point to the strategy is performing a competitor analysis. In search results, a page’s competitors are not only the businesses whose products and services solve the same problems. A search competitor is any page that ranks for the same keywords you’re targeting. For instance, Baccarat is a luxury hotel in Manhattan. However, its search competitors are not only other hotels of the same range but also TimeOut, TripAdvisor, and Booking.
Keyword research and competitor analysis set the basis for creating an editorial calendar – what type of content needs to be created and when.
For every keyword, I then research the top search results and dissect the parts of the best-ranking articles. They give me an excellent idea about what information searchers are looking for when they type a given keyword. Based on this I prepare a detailed article outline, in line with the overall search marketing strategy, and pass it on to writers to develop the piece.
Next, comes the promotion of the piece, on media and social media outlets.
Oftentimes, a company needs to improve not only their content strategy but some technical aspects of their website. Again, it is my job to discover the needs, and the opportunities, and to create a process that will lead to the final goals.
Pros
The main advantage of this job is that it doesn’t require a college degree. The field of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is so fast developing that it’s more worthwhile to study on the internet, invest in courses from leaders in the industry, and learn a lot by trial and error on your projects. With this said, becoming an SEO professional can be much more affordable than most jobs.
I graduated college with a degree in Ethnic Studies. It has nothing to do with SEO but this has not hindered my path to becoming a successful Search Marketing Strategist. Based on my experience, I believe I could have had the same career path without a college degree. Or even had a better career by investing my time and money in courses that would have propelled me further and faster.
The ranking factors on Google are constantly changing. This July, a set of metrics evaluating the user experience of a website became a ranking factor. Introducing new rules means the game is constantly changing. A college curriculum can hardly keep up to date with such a dynamic industry.
At the same time, Search Marketing Strategists are generally well-paid. 60% of professionals earn more than the US median and the top 20% in the business make six figures a year.
Another advantage of working in SEO is it allows a lot of flexibility. Usually, you’re often not paid for the number of hours you spend in front of the screen in a specific place, such as your desk in the office. You’re also not paid for the number of hours you’re available on instant-communication channels. Your work is based on achieving targets, and it shouldn’t matter whether you hit them at 2 PM or 2 AM local time. As the job is done primarily online, it is excellent for those who like to work remotely. I have been working remotely since 2013.
Cons
Like any other job done in front of a screen, working in SEO is sedentary, which may affect your posture or eyesight negatively. Taking regular breaks and staying physically active are a must.
Another downside of the job is that professionals are usually working for several clients, which makes it easy to lose focus or feel overwhelmed. It’s essential to be organized and allocate blocks of time for uninterrupted work.
SEO work, even when done for an agency, can often feel solitary. As most of the tasks are done online, the job doesn’t involve a lot of, if any, face-to-face interaction.
Advice to aspiring SEOs
I would advise students to make use of the free resources online to learn about SEO and see if it sparks their interest. There are countless websites, YouTube videos, podcasts, and courses that they could use to gradually progress. However, being able to apply all of this new knowledge is the most important thing. That’s why I highly encourage them to start their own blog where they can see their strategies in action. Having a personal project takes away the risks of handling a client project and allows you to be more daring, creative, and learn by doing.
I strongly encourage anyone who has an interest in the field to pursue this career as it’s rewarding, flexible, and ever-growing. The knowledge you acquire by working for clients can also set the ground for starting your own business as I did after 8 years of freelancing. This, in my view, gives an entirely new outlook to work and provides an unmatched level of job satisfaction.
