What does a SEO marketer actually do?
To really understand the work of an SEO marketer, it is of course first important to understand what SEO exactly is. This is an abbreviation that plays an essential role in the world of online marketing and is also used all over the place. The chances are that you have heard of it. But do you really know what the abbreviation stands for?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In other words, the techniques used to adapt a website so that it is better found in search engines. With the right SEO techniques, you ensure that a website ends up higher in the search results and is therefore better found.
Search engine optimisation has become increasingly important over the years. Think about how often you use a search engine when you are looking for products, services or simply want to know some facts. Almost 95% of the Dutch population uses a search engine. They often look no further than the first two pages of search results. In fact, they often look no further than the first three or four results. It is therefore important to rank as high as possible in relevant search queries. The goal is to generate more visitors to the website and to realise a good user experience at the same time.
The fact remains that search engines are constantly changing. Therefore, ranking high in the search results is an ongoing process. You need to work on this consistently to achieve the best results.
Adjusting strategy
Getting higher in the search results may sound simple. However, over the years Google has changed a lot in order to deliver the best user experience. For example, there are topics where people are more likely to search for information than associated companies. An SEO marketer must be prepared for this. In this case, it makes more sense to place guides and 'How to' articles. This trend is also evident when you search for "Online Marketing". Google has noticed that people mainly want to see information and adjusts its algorithm accordingly. It is up to companies to respond to this.
A SEO marketer knows better than anyone how a marketing strategy should be adjusted to improve the search engine optimisation of the website. Something that, if you have no experience with it, you might otherwise never consider.
What else does the work of an SEO marketer look like?
It is becoming increasingly difficult to determine which keywords to use and which theme will fit. In addition, the algorithm of Google is being adjusted more and more. The work of an SEO marketer is therefore never finished. There are now more than 500 factors that influence determining the right SEO strategy. The work does not stop with making a few adjustments to a website. It is important not only to keep an eye on the field, but also to keep the knowledge constantly up-to-date. What works well one month, may not work at all the next month.
Optimising a website is therefore very complex. One must have sufficient knowledge and experience to be able to set up an effective marketing campaign. You cannot use trends from a few years ago. As an SEO marketer, you must therefore have very broad skills. The range of tasks will include the following:
- Taking care of the necessary backlinks. Link building is one of the most important SEO techniques today. However, this must be done in the right way. Provided it is done well, it can increase the position within Google very quickly. If it is not done properly, it can have the opposite effect.
- Maintaining social media channels or determining whether social media also has an effect on the overall SEO picture for your company.
- Determining whether the use of AdWords is profitable and how this should be done.
- Keeping your knowledge up-to-date and always being aware of the latest SEO trends.
- Understanding why content marketing is the heart of online marketing.
- Making an SEO planning. What needs to be done and when?
These are just a few of the skills that a SEO marketer must possess. In many cases, more is needed than that. Depending on the size of the project and the corresponding degree of difficulty, a marketer will be busy with much more. Moreover, as a marketer you must always be willing to learn new things. This is necessary in order to expand your skillset and thus also to keep up with the latest trends.
Why invest in SEO?
Hiring an SEO marketer should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment for the company. But why should you invest in SEO and not use your marketing budget for something else? We have listed the most important reasons:
- SEO is an investment for the future. Of course, there are other strategies to generate more visitors. However, these are usually only focused on the short term. If you also want to benefit from more visitors in the long term, it is important that your website can be found well. Not just now, but also in a few months' time. You can make this possible with the right SEO strategy.
- The competition also uses SEO. Although you do not have to do everything the competition does, it is important to occasionally take them into account. You simply cannot stay behind in the current times. When you do not use SEO and your competitors do, it can mean that they attract more visitors and thus know how to steal away potential customers from you. What a shame!
- You are not only investing in the visibility of your website, but also in its quality. By placing relevant content, interesting information and good texts, you can ensure that it attracts more visitors, but also that the website scores better on quality and is regarded more highly by visitors. If you are seen as a valuable source of information, this will have a positive effect on the overall reputation of the company.
- Investing in SEO usually costs less money than many other forms of marketing. Think about placing an advertisement or printing promotional gifts. These are great ways to reach a lot of people in a short space of time, but they also cost a lot of money. SEO can actually be as expensive as you want. A SEO marketer can make a plan of approach based on your marketing budget.