SEO Specialist
MarketingYou manipulate search engine rankings — legally — by optimizing website content, building backlinks, and obsessing over keywords that change value faster than cryptocurrency. Google's algorithm updates can destroy your work overnight, your clients expect page-one rankings by next month, and every conference you attend has someone selling a 'guaranteed #1 ranking' snake oil.
Salary Range
Low
$40k
Median
$62k
High
$95k
10-Year Growth
faster than average
US Workers
80K
Education
No formal requirement — Google Analytics certification + demonstrable results
Environment
remote
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Screaming Frog)
- ▸Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4
- ▸Technical SEO (site speed, schema markup, crawlability)
- ▸Keyword research and content strategy
- ▸Link building and digital PR
- ▸HTML, CSS, and JavaScript fundamentals for SEO
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Analytical thinking
- ▸Adaptability to algorithm changes
- ▸Written communication
- ▸Patience with long-term results
- ▸Collaboration with content and dev teams
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Screaming Frog)
Technical SEO (site speed, schema markup, crawlability)
Keyword research and content strategy
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript fundamentals for SEO
What you'll actually do
- 01Research keywords and optimize content for search engines that change their algorithm just to spite you
- 02Audit websites for technical SEO issues that sound made up — canonical tags, hreflang attributes, crawl budget
- 03Build backlinks through outreach that feels like cold-calling but with more rejection
- 04Monitor ranking changes and explain to clients why they dropped 5 positions overnight
- 05Analyze competitor strategies and figure out what they're doing that you aren't
- 06Stay current on Google algorithm updates that can undo months of optimization in a single day
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