subject: Prospects of a Career in SEO [print this page] Prospects of a Career in SEO Prospects of a Career in SEO
Studies indicate that approximately 85% of web surfers rely on websites for information about the latest products and services. This explains why it has become vital for websites to be optimized so that they fare well in search engine results. Many leading brands have reported that their sales results online are exceptional, which they owe to good search engine optimization techniques and execution. With an increasing demand for search engine optimization services and the growing number of SEO companies, a career in SEO looks promising.
Why consider a career in SEO
With SEO being widely accepted as an important part of a company's marketing toolkit and the ever increasing demand for expertise, the SEO industry is here to stay. Many businesses, regardless of their size, have begun to utilize SEO services to benefit from an enhanced online presence and give their sales a boost. This is exciting news for SEO professionals.
As an SEO professional, you can expect a good compensation working for SEO companies and even as a freelancer, depending on your experience. You should be competent enough to deliver what the company expects from you, which is better search engine visibility and an increase in web traffic. If you can design an SEO campaign that meets expectations and delivers sustainable results, then you have a promising SEO career ahead.
For success in SEO, you will need good writing, technical and analytic skills. You will also be expected to possess a sound knowledge of advertising and marketing, for SEO is not a purely technical field. Most important of all, you need to show good commitment towards work and be a quick learner. Keeping yourself up-to-date with the latest changes in SEO techniques and search engine behavior is also essential to keep going forward.
Risks involved
In the SEO process, there are some issues that are not within your control. One of these is that search engines tend to change their algorithms, which can come in your way of delivering good results. This, as many experts in the business have admitted, is rather discouraging for many beginners. A change in algorithm can result in a drop in search engine rankings, even when you have devised the best SEO plan. This also means you will have to deal with the clients' outbursts of disappointment.
Another issue in SEO is that a considerable time and labor is involved in sketching out the right plan for a business and sometimes strategies will have to be changed. So, you have to treat stress as an occupational hazard as far as your SEO career is concerned. But clients also have to be considerate and patient towards the SEO professionals.
Another disconcerting issue is that of the Black Hat SEO companies. Such firms indulge in unethical SEO techniques that deliver short-term results. Websites that follow unnatural and unethical optimization techniques face the risk of being banned by top search engines. So, it is important that as an SEO professional, you engage only in legitimate white hat SEO techniques to deliver effective results that are sustainable over the long term.
