By | Simon Mikail
SEO might seem easy on the surface but it is one of the toughest branches of digital marketing. The process of SEO is a bit difficult to understand and unique from other aspects of internet marketing. Nowadays, SEO is one of the most used services in every online business and has evolved as an excellent method to promote a website and increase its visibility in search engines.
There have been tremendous career avenues opened in the internet industry, thanks for the growing usage of online applications. One of such trending positions is Search Engine Optimization Professional. Due to the overwhelming demand of SEOs, today we will discuss how to crack an SEO interview to secure the job. Whether you have just finished an SEO training course or you happen to be an experienced candidate, this guide will help you crack an SEO interview in the first attempt. Read on.
- Study Your Future Employer’s Website to Crack SEO Interview
Interviewers might ask you about the company website’s SEO performance and possible modifications it needs.
So, carry out an SEO audit of your future employer’s website. You can also go through other online properties owned or marketed by them.
Based on a website’s external and internal link profiles, keyword rankings, content strategy, domain authority, and other metrics, prepare a list of possible improvements for the company website.
While you are at it, study the competition as well. Competitor analysis will help you collect some interesting ideas.
Create a mind-map of SEO-related modifications you’d recommend for the company website. This way, it will be easier for you to explain the details during an interview.
- Read All SEO Interview Questions
There are thousands of SEO interview questions on the Internet. Go through as many of them as possible – from beginner to advanced level.
Glancing through beginner-level questions might seem counterintuitive for those who’ve some work experience under their belt.
But, it’s important.
You will either learn something new or gain a better understanding of the topics you read about many years ago.
Just make sure you refer to sources that are updated at least once every year.
- Let the Keyword Rankings Prove Your Candidature
This tip for cracking SEO interviews is helpful for experienced candidates.
Interviewers expect experienced SEO professionals to have some “success stories” to talk about. It is one of the common ways they gauge a candidate’s suitability for a digital marketing position.
So, prepare a list of top three keywords that you have ranked.
Choose keywords that still hold the top three results of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
You should also consider the net search volume of a keyword.
Avoid choosing keywords that had low competition and low search volume.
Explain to the interviewer what you did to get a keyword ranked high up in the SERPs.
You can turn your success stories into ‘case studies’ and present them to your interviewer when asked about it. Get color prints of these case studies if you are going to appear for a face-to-face SEO interview. If the interview is happening online, you can always send them a PDF file over the video-conferencing application.
- Take Up an SEO Project
If you have just completed a beginner-level SEO training course, most interviewers will not expect you to have the first-hand experience.
But, what if you demonstrate that you’ve independently worked on a personal SEO project?
Interviewers will be impressed to see that you have the drive to learn by doing.
This way, you can secure an entry-level position in an SEO agency quite easily.
You just need to achieve some noticeable results related to on-page SEO, link building, and keyword ranking.
You can also apply for an internship to gain practical experience. An established SEO agency knows the importance of hiring interns for attracting the right talent early on.
Remember that first-hand experience in an SEO project will be more helpful than half a dozen SEO certifications. Don’t waste your time on the latter.
- Read About SEO Best Practices As Well As SEO Myths
Many SEO techniques that worked well until a few years ago can invite a Google penalty today. Several new ranking factors are now at play.
So, you need to stay abreast of what’s current.
Read about the latest link-building and content marketing strategies. There is no dearth of information on these topics, the latest SEO tools, technical SEO issues, social signals, and strategies for saving time and effort.
You should also be aware of SEO myths that novice professionals still hold on to.
It is also important to have some basic idea about related fields of knowledge such as User Experience (UX), PPC advertising, lead conversion, etc.
- Learn About Important SEO Tools
Learning about Google Analytics and Google Search Console is a must.
Many third-party tools such as Moz, Ahrefs, SEMRush, Screaming Frog, etc., are also popular. Do not try to learn everything about all of these tools.
You just need to get familiar with just one of these tools. Once you have fully understood how to use one tool, the learning curve for using a different tool is very short.
You can practice with the trial version of an SEO tool.
- Recent Updates and Announcements Related to SEO
SEO techniques and strategies continue to evolve with each passing year. Gone are the days when directory submissions, social bookmarking, and other such strategies were relevant.
How you create, disseminate, and interlink content on the Internet for SEO has changed a whole lot over the last few years.
Be sure you are aware of the recent algorithm updates as well as important announcements from Google. You can scan through the Google Webmaster Central Blog to gather the required information.
- Learn About the Hidden Secrets of SEO
Many SEO professionals do not know how to outreach website/blog owners for guest post submissions or how to outrank competitors in a given niche. Try to learn about these hidden secrets from an experienced SEO expert.
You will hardly find this information in a ready-to-consume format on the Internet. It will be available in bits and chunks at best.
Author Bio:
Simon Mikail is one of the founders and head of operations at 405 Ads. Simon serves as an online marketing manager to businesses and agencies worldwide. His overall business and marketing experience has helped hundreds of business owners get their presence done right when it comes to today’s online world. You can follow Simon on Linkedin as well.
