How to Hire an SEO Expert

Search is where many online adventures begin, through sites such as Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art and science of positioning your content so it shows up.

That kind of visibility is easier said than done, however, and businesses are increasingly turning to SEO experts to help move the needle. Here's a look at what SEO professionals do and how you can find the right freelancer for your project.

What does an SEO expert do?

An SEO specialist uses their skills to help improve where your website shows up in natural (aka organic) search results—sites a search engine includes because they're highly relevant. (If you want to drive more traffic to your site through multiple channels, including paid ads, you may be more interested in search engine marketing.)

Rather than a one-shot boost, however, SEO is more of a slow drip. It can take time to see the results you want. An SEO specialist helps keep you on track: They consider your overall business goals, look at ways SEO tactics can support that goal, then provide action steps to help move your web presence in the right direction and keep your efforts focused.

How to figure out the scope of your project

SEO takes a multi-pronged approach to improving your website and web content. It considers

Technical factors, or how your site is built (i.e., the structure of it), to ensure it loads quickly and functions smoothly.

On-page factors—not just keywords but other things such as high-quality content, simple navigation, and an effective layout.

Off-page factors, such as incoming links.

Because optimization takes such an all-encompassing view of your site, you may want to start with an SEO audit, a comprehensive review of your website's performance. Doing so can help you establish priorities and decide on the best place to start your SEO project; it will also help define your longer-term goals, the knowledge and experience needed to proceed, and the budget you have to hire an SEO specialist.

If you already know where you want to focus your efforts, start by identifying the relevant area of expertise. Many SEO-related skills overlap but should be prioritized to fit your project's objectives.

For example:

A technical project may call for expertise in WordPress or Joomla, an understanding of web hosting and the things that can influence site speed, familiarity with of server-side scripting, or programming know-how.

If your focus is on-page optimization, knowledge of keyword research, analytics, local search strategy, or split testing can be helpful.

For off-page SEO, knowing how to build natural backlinks is key. Being able to analyze web traffic as well as your industry and competitors can help refine those efforts.

Learn more about writing an SEO Job Description >>

How to shortlist submissions

How do you narrow the proposals you receive to a manageable list of people to talk to? Here are some ideas to help you screen submissions.

A well-rounded skillset

No aspect of SEO works in isolation; content is ranked by the cumulative impact of numerous details. So, while your project may have a narrow focus, consider looking for an SEO specialist who can understand how different elements work together.

That doesn't mean they shouldn't have a particular area of expertise; people often get into SEO from different backgrounds, such as writing, design, or programming. It does mean they should be able to see the big picture and keep it in mind as your project moves forward.

The right level of experience for what you want to accomplish

As SEO pro Rick DeJarnette explained, having an academic understanding of SEO is one thing; hands-on experience is another. "You never know how important that is until you get it," he noted.

When it comes to SEO, no two websites are the same. The content and site mechanics aren't the only things that can vary; goals, competitors, and location are just a few of the many variables that can influence a strategy. Someone with more experience will have a stronger idea of what to do and how to adjust to get the results you're looking for.

Clear communication skills

An SEO specialist isn't a one-man show: While they may do some of the hands-on work, there are often too many elements for one person to deliver. Instead, they should be able to pass along clear directions to you or someone else on your team.

Interview: Sample questions to ask

Like other aspects of online marketing, the finer points of search engine optimization are pretty fluid. In an interview, underlying qualities can reveal more than specific details. Here are sample SEO interview questions to ask—and what to listen for.

Q: How do you stay up-to-date?

Curiosity drives a lot of SEO professionals: Why does something work? Why has it stopped working? What happens if they do something differently? Pursuing this passion can take a lot of reading and research, swapping information with other SEO experts, learning new skills, and constantly watching for updates.

Q: How do you adapt your approach to different clients or goals?

As noted above, experience matters. How will a freelancer use their previous experience to tackle your project? What you're looking for in a response is knowledge, understanding, and creativity. Have they had a similar project in the past? What challenges did they run into, and how did they adjust their strategy to match? An SEO strategy should be agile: If your efforts suddenly nosedive, which is possible as search algorithms evolve, it can take patience and creativity to figure out why.

Q: How do you measure SEO success?

Here's the reality of search engine rankings: The top search results get the most attention, but after the third result the number of people still paying attention drops off quickly. Here's another hard truth: Not everyone can get into one of those coveted top three spots for every search term.

As marketer Jonathan Long explains, there are other SEO metrics that matter, such as rankings for different keywords, conversions, and revenue: "Top rankings alone will not always result in record breaking profits and ROI." The metrics used should be tailored to measure your progress toward reaching your goals.

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