Mastering SEO Job Interviews: Strategies for Success
Are you fascinated by the world of digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO)? Do you dream of working with experts in the field and helping businesses improve their online presence? It can be incredibly fulfilling work, but the truth is that the job market for SEOs has become incredibly competitive thanks to the sheer number of SEO freelancers out there who make excellent candidates for agency work. As an aspiring SEO looking to break into an agency job, it can be tough to break in.
So, we’ve put together this set of quick tips for you that will help you stand above the crowd if you’re applying for your first SEO job.
1. Take the time to understand SEO agency roles.
First, it’s important with any job to understand exactly what SEO job you’re applying for. In a larger agency, there may be people dedicated each of these roles. In a smaller agency, you might be responsible for either managing or also completing much of the work below. Understanding these and asking good questions about them is a great way to show your potential employer that you’re aware of what the job might entail.
The SEO Specialist
SEO specialists are the backbone of SEO agencies. They are responsible for optimizing websites to improve search engine rankings. Their tasks include keyword research, on-page optimization, and analyzing SEO performance metrics.
The Link Builder
Link builders focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks to improve a website’s authority. They engage in outreach, relationship building, and content promotion to secure valuable links from reputable sources.
The Analytics Expert
Analytics experts are data-driven professionals who analyze SEO performance data. They track key metrics, interpret trends, and provide insights to enhance SEO strategies.
2. Build a strong SEO skillset.
From blogs and forums to online courses and video tutorials, there’s no shortage of knowledge waiting to be absorbed. Websites like Tutor Hunt, Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO, SEMrush Academy, and Google’s own Webmaster Academy offer a treasure trove of SEO-related content that will be great to study and use before considering a job at an SEO agency. Take the time to learn how search engines work, what the various tools available do, and then put this knowledge to work as much as you can.
For example, you can:
- Learn the fundamentals of how search engines work
- Get to know current best practices regarding on-page optimization
- Study the most recent Google algorithm changes
- Practice keyword research and matching the right kinds of content for search intent
- Do your own competitor analysis (with or without SEO tools) to learn what the top-ranking pages are doing right
You can certainly spend some money on tools here, but it’s not strictly necessary to be conversational about these topics in an interview.
3. Create an SEO portfolio
A good-looking resume template can help you land an interview, but a well-crafted SEO portfolio will demonstrate your technical prowess and showcase your ability to drive real business outcomes. It’s your opportunity to tell a story of how you’ve solved SEO challenges, optimized websites, and contributed to the success of different projects. Additionally, including professional headshots in your portfolio can add a personal touch and make a memorable impression on potential employers.
Use real data and metrics to illustrate your impact on organic search traffic, conversion rates, and revenue growth. Potential employers will be impressed if you’re able to show concrete evidence of your SEO skills and the value you can bring to their team.
Perhaps most importantly, our SEO portfolio can also reflect your passion for the field. If you create a digital portfolio online on a personal website and want to go the extra mile, include a blog section where you share your insights, thoughts, and analysis of SEO trends and updates. This demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning and staying at the forefront of what’s going on in the SEO community.
4. Build your own website and generate traffic to it.
If you’re aspiring to land a job at an SEO agency, one of the most effective ways to showcase your skills is by creating your own small website. This is a strategic move that can significantly boost your chances of standing out in the competitive job market and gives you demonstrable hands-on experience whose results are attributed to one person only: you!
Some tips to make this really count:
- Choose a good platform for SEO. Either WordPress or Shopify are a great place to start, because many of your future client websites will likely be built on one of them.
- Set up your SEO tools to track from the start. Set up Google Analytics, Search Console, and keyword trackers (if budget allows) from the start so that you can watch your website go from zero to hero in the rankings, gaining traffic and clicks for the queries you’re targeting.
- Analyze and strategize. Effective SEO is all about data-driven decisions, so take the time to record and measure website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. This ability to extract actionable insights from data is highly valued by SEO agencies. It will also give you the chance to show you’ve been able to develop strategies toward specific goals that you’ve chosen.
- Practice presenting the results. Demonstrating results is great, but to really impress, make sure you’re also adept at presenting them. SEO agencies will find this valuable because being able to explain data to clients is a vital part of account management. You should be able to describe why you made all the decisions you made and how this impacted your results.
And remember — not all the results have to be perfect. For example, if you made a big mistake that caused your traffic to drop while you were still learning, you can show that, as well. Explain what happened, how you realized the issue, and how you fixed it. Troubleshooting skills are also important to demonstrate, because they’re a constant part of SEO life. As a bonus, you’ll be presenting the interviewer with problem-solving scenarios, so they won’t have to come up with a random one.
5. Study the current state of the SEO industry and be ready to discuss
Who are some SEO professionals that you follow and read on social media? Do you know who the authoritative voices are in SEO at the moment? (Do you know who John Mueller is?) What happened with the most recent Google algorithm updates?
You’re about to enter a fast-paced field where self-driven learning is a must, so showing that you’ve already invested time in this and can be conversational about it will be tremendously valuable. You’ll want to know who’s who in SEO, the impact of the most recent algorithm updates, and the popular topics of debate in the community. Remember, interviewers not only assess your knowledge but also your passion for SEO and your ability to think critically, so it’s okay to have opinions on these.
Now, go ace that interview!
