The term SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. An SEO expert, or SEO specialist, is someone who optimizes websites to achieve higher rankings in the unpaid results of search engines like Google.
This specialist has an in-depth understanding of how search engines operate.
SEO involves more than just using the right meta tags or stuffing a text with just enough keywords.
No, the expertise goes beyond that.
Experienced SEO experts achieve tangible results and systematically repeat this process.
Time and again.
What Does an SEO Expert Do?
Technology, Content, and Authority
An SEO expert understands the online queries of your customers. By providing the best answers to those questions, visitors are directed to your website.
An SEO specialist optimizes for the three pillars of SEO:
- Technology
- Content
- Authority
Additionally, an SEO specialist is knowledgeable about website analytics and managing a team of online specialists.
1. Technology
If a website isn’t technically sound for SEO, efforts in content and authority won’t be effective.
SEO technology involves optimizing the website and server so that search engines can better crawl and index your website.
A technical SEO expert focuses on improving:
- Indexing and accessibility
- Desktop and mobile display
- Security and anti-spam measures
- Site and URL structure
- Load times via caching, Gzip, and Time to First Byte
- Redirects
- Canonical tags
- Structured data
Technical SEO removes obstacles, ensuring that both visitors and search engines can easily access the content on your website.
2. Content
To be found on a topic, it needs to be on your website.
But that’s not all. You want the most comprehensive, user-friendly, and valuable page on the internet for that topic, one that people want to find.
This is achieved through thorough keyword research, copywriting skills, and optimized images.
Optimizing page titles and meta descriptions is also a critical and specialized task for an SEO expert, making your page more appealing in Google’s search results.
Other content tasks for an SEO specialist include:
- Removing duplicate content
- De-indexing pages with very little text (thin content)
- Preventing keyword cannibalization (where multiple pages compete for the same keywords).
3. Authority
Links from other websites to yours signal to Google that your site is an authority. These links act as recommendations, making them a crucial factor in determining search result rankings.
An SEO specialist assesses the status of links to your site and your competitors’.
Then, they work with you to identify the best link-building opportunities and how to achieve them.
4. Analytics
Without a dashboard, you don’t know how fast your car is going.
The same applies to your website, but in a more detailed way.
An SEO expert is proficient with analysis tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
Third-party software like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz are also nearly indispensable for high-level performance.
Regular analyses provide a wealth of information on which pages contribute to traffic, leads, and revenue via the website.
Like a car mechanic has a toolkit, an SEO expert has a digital toolkit.
This helps identify problems early and discover new opportunities.
5. Teamwork
A successful website rarely results from the efforts of just one person. Your team, whether internal or external, comprises individuals with different specialties.
- Tech-savvy testers
- What-you-see-is-what-you-get web designers
- Creative copywriters
Each has their own specialization.
An SEO expert’s task is to efficiently harness the specific expertise of these team members. The goal is not to win a design contest, but to drive more traffic and revenue via search engines.
For top rankings, collaboration is essential.
You achieve real results when everyone is aligned, bringing the key components of your website to the highest level.
