How To Choose the Right SEO Specialist for You

In this digital day and age, every business is looking for a way to get an edge on their business online.  Fortunately, SEO specialists and consultants can help you optimize your website and give you tips on how to improve your online presence. Search Engine Optimization is the key to generate more traffic to  your website regardless of your industry or size.

But how do you decide if an SEO specialist is able to meet your needs?  Here are five skills you should look for when you begin to work with someone on your SEO.

1. Communication – Being able to effectively communicate with your specialist is very important.  As marketing professionals, their job is to help you understand key marketing terms and explain certain processes so that you’re always in the know.
2. Technical Expertise – An SEO project requires highly specialized skills to get things going. A good SEO professional has acquired the skills to look beyond the visual aspect of your website and analyze metrics such as page speed, basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, Javascript, and online tools.
3. Link Building – Although not all SEO specialists may agree on what kind of backlinks are valuable for success, backlinks very much affect sites’ rankings and aren’t expected to go anywhere.  Understanding the process of link building that is effective todays remains a key factor in being an experienced SEO consultant. It’s important to consider the types of links Google ranks as being high-quality, know how to audit and disavow low quality links, and strategize for building these links.
4. Understanding Mobile First – Nearly 60 percent of searches come from mobile.  Unsurprisingly, Google adopted a plan to cater to the searchers’ needs. This means Google has placed a major importance on mobile-first optimizations vs desktop.  Consultants and specialists who are able to navigate through the mobile optimization complexities better and faster will always come out ahead.
5. Voice Search – The trend of voice search is coming quick.  The SEO field is ready for specialists that can excel in voice search like never before.  One of the most popular predictions cited in relation to voice search by comScore: “By 2020, 50% of all searches will be carried out via voice.”  Having a specialist that stays ahead of the trend and is experienced in voice search will keep you ahead of the field.

Naturally, this isn’t the full list of skills needed to excel in the SEO field but this should give you a glimpse on how to stay ahead of the industry and make sure your specialist is right for you. The rapid development in the digital space creates an increase in demand for experts that can keep up, adapt, and provide results.  If you see there’s room for improvement in your skill set, don’t wait too long to act on it.

—John Lee, SEO Specialist, Sesame Communicaitons