The Role and Responsibilities of an SEO Strategist

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for businesses looking to improve their organic visibility and attract qualified visitors to their website. A skilled SEO strategist develops and executes customized strategies to boost rankings on search engines like Google.

What Does an SEO Strategist Do?

An SEO strategist is responsible for optimizing websites to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and drive more relevant organic traffic. Their core duties include:

Conducting Keyword Research

Keyword research is a foundational SEO task that involves identifying high-volume, relevant keywords and phrases that align with business goals. The SEO strategist analyzes search volume data to determine keywords with enough search interest to be worth targeting through optimization efforts.

They research keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz Keyword Explorer. The strategist compiles keyword ideas into priority lists based on volume, relevancy, competition levels, and commercial intent.

Performing On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization is the process of optimizing individual web pages to rank for target keywords. The SEO strategist will optimize elements like:

• Page titles - Include the target keyword and make it compelling to gain click-throughs.
• Headings - Use keywords in headings (h1, h2 tags) to indicate page relevance.
• Content - Craft useful content around keywords to satisfy searcher intent.
• Meta descriptions - Write keyword-rich snippets to capture clicks from SERPs.
• Image alt text - Add keywords to image descriptions for better indexing.
• URL structure - Format URLs with keywords for better crawling.

Conducting Technical SEO Audits

Technical SEO involves ensuring a website's infrastructure and codebase meet best practices for search crawler accessibility and indexing. The strategist will audit and fix issues like:

• Broken links and redirects
• Page speed optimizations
• Mobile responsiveness
• Proper sitemap and robots.txt files
• Effective URL structure
• Accurate site indexing

Building Quality Backlinks

Link building helps improve domain authority and search rankings. The SEO strategist will research relevant websites to guest post on, identify link building partnership opportunities, connect with influencers, and find other ways to earn authoritative backlinks.

Analyzing Website Performance

SEO strategists use analytics platforms like Google Analytics, Search Console, and ranking tools to track key metrics. This includes monitoring traffic sources, rankings, top landing pages, popular organic keywords, conversion funnels and more. The data informs optimization decisions.

Staying Updated on Algorithm Changes

Search engines like Google frequently update their algorithms, impacting rankings. The SEO strategist must stay current on the latest algorithm updates and refine their strategy accordingly.

Essential Skills for an SEO Strategist

To be an effective SEO strategist requires a diverse mix of hard and soft skills:

In-Depth SEO Knowledge

Extensive SEO knowledge is a must, including technical on-page and off-page optimization best practices. They should be highly familiar with how search algorithms like Google work.

Data Analysis Abilities

SEO is a data-driven field. Strong analytical skills allow strategists to derive insights from metrics to inform optimization strategies.

Creativity and Out-of-the-Box Thinking

Ranking algorithms are constantly evolving. Creativity helps devise innovative SEO tactics to stay ahead of trends.

Project Management Skills

Juggling multiple SEO initiatives and reporting on progress requires solid organizational abilities.

Communication Skills

SEO strategists must simplify technical concepts when briefing teams, leadership and clients on strategy.

Research Skills

Conducting effective keyword, competitor, and link opportunity research is crucial for SEO success.

Adaptability

Search algorithms change often. Strategists must be agile and willing to test new approaches.

Typical SEO Strategist Responsibilities

SEO strategists handle a wide range of ongoing responsibilities to boost organic performance.

Keyword Research

Brainstorming and prioritizing target keywords is an essential recurring task to optimize content around high-value terms. Performing keyword gap analyses identifies new opportunities.

On-Page Optimization

Continuously optimizing website pages for focus keywords helps improve relevance and satisfaction for searchers. Adding schema markup also enhances on-page SEO.

Local SEO

Local SEO is key to driving nearby search traffic for businesses with a physical location. Strategists optimize Google My Business listings, add schema markup, and build localized links and content.

Content Strategy

Overseeing the content strategy and roadmap ensures content supports SEO objectives. Strategists may write SEO-optimized blogs, guides, and other collateral as well.

Link Building

Seeking relevant link building opportunities via outreach, guest posts, partnerships and more should be ongoing to strengthen domain authority.

Technical SEO

Regular technical SEO audits reveal new issues to fix like site speed, QA testing for functionality bugs, structured data errors.

Reporting & Analysis

Strategists prepare regular reports on SEO KPIs, rankings, and organic traffic to demonstrate ROI of optimization efforts.

Algorithm Monitoring

Closely following updates from Google and Bing on ranking algorithm changes allows for proactive strategy pivots.

Key SEO Strategist Metrics

SEO strategists use a mix of quantitative and qualitative metrics to measure the effectiveness of their optimization efforts:

• Organic traffic - Volume of visits from search engines to the site. Should increase over time.
• Keyword rankings - Tracking top keyword rankings indicates growing search authority.
• Leads/sales attributed to SEO - Helps quantify SEO ROI and revenue impact.
• Goal completions - Signups, purchases, downloads, etc from organic sources.
• Click-through-rate (CTR) - % of searchers clicking from SERPs to site. Higher CTRs signal relevancy.
• Lower bounce rate - More visitors engaging with site indicates positive searcher experience.
• More indexed pages - Shows content being discovered by search engines.
• Faster site speed - Quick load times enhance user experience and SEO.
• Positive feedback - Client and stakeholder sentiments on strategy efficacy.

SEO Strategist Salary & Job Outlook

SEO strategist is a lucrative and growing digital marketing career path:

• According to PayScale, the average SEO strategist salary is $65,426 per year in the U.S. Experienced strategists can earn over $90,000 annually.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment of market research analysts and marketing specialists will grow by 22% between 2020-2030, much faster than average.
• Demand for SEO experts remains strong as more companies recognize the value of organic search for lead generation and revenue.
• Many companies are hiring dedicated in-house SEO strategists rather than outsourcing to agencies.
• Beyond technical SEO knowledge, strategists with analytical abilities and business acumen are highly sought after.

In summary, SEO strategists play an immensely valuable role in driving qualified traffic, leads, and sales through organic search. With the right mix of technical abilities, data-driven mindset, and marketing business skills, SEO strategists can build rewarding careers improving online visibility for brands and businesses.

Core SEO Strategist Skills & Responsibilities

To be a successful SEO strategist requires both a diverse skillset and the ability to handle a wide range of ongoing responsibilities. Here we break down the most important abilities and duties.

Technical SEO Skills

The SEO strategist must have a strong grasp of technical components to conduct effective website audits and optimization.

On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization techniques help maximize the SEO value of individual pages. This includes optimizing:

• Page titles - Primary factor in click-through-rates. Keep under 60 chars and include target keyword.
• Headings (H1, H2) - Heading tags help indicate page topics to search engines. Keyword optimize.
• Content - Useful, keyword-optimized content improves rankings and satisfaction.
• Image optimization - Relevant filenames, alt text improves image SEO.
• Structured data markup - Enhances how content appears in SERPs.
• URL structure - Keyword-rich URLs aid rankings. Avoid overstuffing.
• Site speed - Faster load times enhance user experience and SEO.
• Mobile optimization - A mobile friendly site is critical for all search rankings.

Technical Audits

Technical audits identify issues that impact site crawlability, indexing and performance:

• Broken links - Redirect or fix broken links discovered via 404 checks.
• Site indexing - Ensure site pages are being fully indexed by search engines.
• Page speed - Use tools like PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to improve.
• Site architecture - Optimize IA and URL structure for SEO.
• Schema markup - Fix errors and further optimize rich results potential.
• Sitemap and robots.txt - Must be configured properly for crawling.

Link Building Techniques

Link building improves domain authority and search rankings. Tactics include:

• Guest posting - Publishing content on relevant third-party sites with backlinks.
• Link reclamation - Reach out to sites already linking to you to upgrade to better anchor text links.
• Partnerships - Collaborate on co-marketing campaigns that involve exchanging links.
• Local citations - Build brand consistency by getting listed on directories like Yelp.
• Skyscraper content - Create something more comprehensive than competing content to earn natural links.

Analytical & Research Skills

An SEO strategist needs analytical abilities to identify issues, trends and insights from data. Strong research skills help drive optimization decisions.

Keyword Research

Keyword research reveals the terms and phrases with significant search volume that align with business goals. Research tactics:

• Analyze historical site traffic and search queries in Google Analytics.
• Use tools like Keyword Planner for search volume data on keywords.
• Research head term keywords along with long tail variations.
• Identify low competition keywords to target in content.
• Group keywords by category or topic clusters to guide content strategy.

Performance Analysis

Regularly analyze key SEO metrics to diagnose problems and measure optimization efficacy:

• Ranking changes for target keywords over time.
• Search engine crawl stats and indexing rates.
• Page-level organic traffic numbers and trends.
• Top landing pages and conversion funnels from organic search.
• Source of clicks and click-through-rates for online ads.
• Measure conversions from phone calls, emails, signups, purchases attributed to organic.

Industry Research

Research what top competitors are doing for ideas and identify gaps to capitalize on:

• Study link profiles - what sites are they getting links from?
• Review their content strategy - what topics produce their top content?
• Check their technical optimization - site speed, mobile optimization, etc.
• Monitor their PPC ads strategy - which keywords do they target ads for?
• Sign up for their newsletters and browse their site for UX optimization ideas.
• Check their backlink anchor text distribution.

Strategy & Planning

SEO strategists craft overarching strategies and execution plans for achieving organic visibility goals.

Set Realistic Goals

Work with stakeholders and leadership to set specific, measurable SEO goals tied to business objectives:

• Increase organic traffic by __% month-over-month.
• Improve rankings for target keywords by __ positions.
• Grow social media referral traffic by __% quarter-over-quarter.
• Boost engagement metrics like pages per session, average session duration.

Document the Strategy

Document the optimization roadmap and tactics planned to accomplish goals, like:

• Target keyword list additions
• Blog editorial calendar
• Link building outreach schedule
• Website redesign plans
• Local SEO build-out

Effective Reporting

Report regularly on key metrics and progress to demonstrate the value and ROI of SEO efforts:

• Present month-over-month organic traffic trends.
• Highlight positive ranking increases for priority keywords.
• Show growth in social referrals and links acquired.
• Conversions generated from phone calls, form fills, sales attributed to SEO.

Soft Skills for Success

Certain soft skills help SEO strategists collaborate effectively across teams to execute on strategies:

Communication Skills

SEO strategists must simplify technical concepts when briefing teammates, leadership and clients on strategy. Strong written and verbal communication skills are crucial.

Project Management

Juggling multiple concurrent optimization initiatives requires stellar organizational skills and project management abilities.

Creative Thinking

Search algorithms rapidly evolve. Creativity, outside-the-box thinking and adaption helps devise innovative SEO tactics.

Teaching Ability

Educate others on SEO best practices through training seminars, docs and being an organizational resource.

Teamwork & Collaboration

Work closely cross-functionally with writers, designers, developers, and leadership to maximize SEO impact.

Time Management

Meet deadlines and maintain consistent optimization activity through effective time management and prioritization.

In summary, mastering the right blend of technical SEO skills, analytical thinking, and soft abilities will enable any strategist to progress in their career and make a greater impact for businesses.

Core SEO Strategist Responsibilities

As an SEO strategist, you will be tasked with a variety of ongoing responsibilities vital to the organic growth and success of a website. We explore the main duties involved:

Conduct Keyword Research

• Brainstorm broad seed keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner.
• Expand seed keywords into long tail variations for targeting.
• Use rank tracking software to identify keywords your site already ranks for.
• Research keywords competitors are actively targeting.
• Analyze search trends to identify rising and falling keyword demand.
• Group keywords into topic clusters to shape content strategy.
• Compile master keyword list prioritizing by volume, relevancy and competition.

On-Page Optimization

• Optimize page titles and meta descriptions for target keywords.
• Add related keywords to header tags (H1, H2, H3).
• Ensure content addresses searcher intent for keyword phrases.
• Add image alt text with keyword-rich descriptions.
• Use schema markup to enhance page understanding.
• Improve page load speeds via testing and optimization.
• Update internal linking to pass authority to key pages.

Link Building

• Identify relevant sites to guest post on to gain backlinks.
• Cultivate relationships with influencers to earn high authority links.
• Find broken backlinks on site to conduct link reclamation outreach.
• Monitor competitors' links to uncover new link building opportunities.
• Build localized citations and optimize Google My Business listing for local SEO.

Technical SEO Audits

• Crawl site to uncover broken links, redirects and indexing issues.
• Check site performance on PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix.
• Test site on mobile devices and improve mobile user experience.
• Review sitemap.xml and robots.txt files.
• Audit meta robots tags, canonical tags and URL structure.
• Analyze internal linking and opportunities to fix orphaned pages.

Reporting & Analysis

• Track keyword rankings in Google, Bing, Yahoo.
• Monitor monthly organic traffic in Google Analytics.
• Measure SEO conversions via goals, Ecommerce or call tracking.
• Compare against previous period's performance to identify trends.
• Present findings, metrics tracking and results in internal reports.

Stay Updated on SEO Trends

• Read SEO blogs, forums and attend webinars, conferences to learn.
• Follow Google and Bing webmaster blog for algorithm updates.
• Join SEO communities to connect with industry experts.
• Test new tactics and tools and analyze the results.
• Subscribe to SEO newsletters like Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land.

Handling this wide range of ongoing responsibilities requires technical knowledge, project management abilities and analytical skills. But the impact of excelling in these areas is immense for propelling a website's organic growth and revenues.

Transitioning into a SEO Strategist Role

SEO strategist is an exciting career path with lots of growth potential. Here are some tips on transitioning into the role:

Get SEO Experience

• Start an SEO side hustle or freelance to get hands-on experience.
• Take on SEO projects in your current marketing or content role.
• Volunteer to manage the SEO for a non-profit website.
• Complete SEO or web analyst internships to add to your experience.

Master Technical SEO Skills

• Read respected SEO books and blogs to learn the fundamentals.
• Study Google's SEO Starter Guide and other Google resources.
• Take SEO training courses and earn certifications like Google Analytics IQ.
• Brush up on web development skills like HTML, CSS.
• Learn tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, SEMrush, Screaming Frog.

Build an SEO-Focused Portfolio

• Compile SEO deliverables like keyword research docs, audits, analysis reports.
• Document SEO strategies and optimize websites to demonstrate hands-on skills.
• Gather analytics dashboards showing increases in organic KPIs.
• Have client testimonials speaking to the business impact of your SEO work.

Network and Get Mentorship

• Attend SEO conferences and network with industry leaders.
• Join professional organizations like the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO).
• Find an SEO mentor who can guide your learning and career path.
• Connect with SEOs on forums like Black Hat World and r/bigseo.
• Follow SEO thought leaders on blogs, podcasts, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Q: What is strategic SEO?

A: Strategic SEO is a comprehensive approach that focuses on aligning search engine optimization efforts with the overall business strategy to drive long-term organic growth, improve online visibility, and meet specific goals set by a company.

Q: Who is an SEO strategist?

A: An SEO strategist is a professional responsible for planning, implementing, and managing a company's overall SEO strategy to increase their online presence, achieve higher search engine rankings, and attract target audience traffic.

Q: How do I become an SEO strategist?

A: To become an SEO strategist, develop a strong foundation in SEO principles, create a portfolio through practical experience, stay updated with the latest trends, and consider obtaining certifications and relevant qualifications.

Q: Is SEO a good career?

A: Yes, SEO is a good career path with a growing demand for skilled professionals. It offers the opportunity for creative and analytical work in a field that is critical to the success of modern businesses' online presence.

Q: How to start SEO?

A: Start SEO by learning the basics, such as how search engines operate, understanding keywords, creating content, and basic website optimization. Practice your skills on actual projects, analyze your results, and progressively learn more advanced techniques.

Q: What are the top 5 SEO strategies?

A: The top 5 SEO strategies include:

Comprehensive keyword research and targeting.

Optimizing for user experience and mobile performance.

Creating authoritative, high-quality content.

Building a strong backlink profile.

Focusing on technical SEO to enhance site architecture and performance.

Q: What is SEO skills?

A: SEO skills encompass a range of abilities such as keyword research, content creation and marketing, understanding of SEO tools, technical SEO, analytics, and soft skills like strategic thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication.

Q: Is SEO a full-time job?

A: Yes, SEO can be a full-time job, with various roles available from entry-level positions to specialist and management levels within diverse organizations or as freelance consultants.

Q: What is the difference between an SEO manager and an SEO strategist?

A: An SEO manager generally oversees the overall SEO team and strategy, including budget and resource allocation. An SEO strategist, on the other hand, is typically focused on developing and implementing specific SEO tactics and campaigns.

Q: Does SEO pay well?

A: Generally, SEO professionals are compensated well, especially those with specialized skills, experience, and a track record of increasing organic search performance.

Q: What is the highest-paid SEO specialist?

A: The highest-paid SEO specialists are senior-level professionals with extensive experience and specialized expertise, especially in competitive industries or high-impact roles.

Q: Do I need coding for SEO?

A: Coding is not a prerequisite for SEO, but understanding the basics can be beneficial for executing technical SEO strategies more effectively.

Q: Is SEO a stressful job?

A: SEO can be challenging given its dynamic nature, with the need to continually adapt to search engine algorithm updates. However, it can also be rewarding, with visible results for your efforts.

Q: Will SEO exist in 5 years?

A: SEO will likely evolve but still be relevant in 5 years as search engines remain a primary method for internet users to find information and businesses to reach their audience.

Q: How much does SEO make a month?

A: Monthly income for SEO professionals can vary widely based on experience, location, and the type of employment. Freelancers may have variable incomes while agency or in-house specialists can have more standardized salaries.

Q: Is SEO free or paid?

A: SEO includes both organic methods, which are free though they require time and effort, and paid methods like PPC advertising, which involves direct costs.

Q: Is SEO easy?

A: SEO is not typically easy due to complexity, competition, and constant updates in algorithms. It requires dedication to continuous learning and adaption.

Q: Can I learn SEO for free?

A: Yes, there are many online resources like blogs, forums, and courses where you can learn the basics of SEO for free.

Q: What is paid SEO?

A: Paid SEO refers to tactics requiring payment to search engines or platforms, such as pay-per-click campaigns, to gain quick visibility and traffic.

Q: How to do SEO in 2024?

A: Doing SEO in 2024 would likely involve adapting to new technologies such as AI and voice search, prioritizing mobile optimization, and creating content that aligns closely with user intent.

Q: What type of SEO is best?

A: The best type of SEO is a balanced approach, combining on-page, off-page, and technical SEO tailored to the specific goals, industry, and target audience of each website.