So You Want to Become a Search Engine Marketing Specialist
Lately we have been focussing on a myriad of topics pertaining to SEO. These have included, how to choose an SEO company, how to utilise Facebook and Twitter and SEO mistakes to avoid. So today I thought I should say a few words for those wanting to be on the other side of the fence, those wanting to start a search engine optimisation firm of their own.
Becoming a search engine marketing specialist is no mean feat, there is an ocean of knowledge to attain and the learning curve is endless. But for the purpose of this post let’s just presume you have the credentials in the bag already.
The SEO Expert’s Salary
The pay for providing SEO and SEM services is pretty good, many experts earn up to 60-80k (US
$) per annum. But it goes without saying that long days glued to the screen are a prerequisite of the job, and at times things can get frustrating when clients are demanding impossible guarantees and the search engines just aren’t playing ball.
Dual Skills are a Major Plus
Clients often presume that a web designer will provide SEO with a site build. In fact the average Joe struggles to see that web design doesn’t automatically produce SEO. However, if you are both skilled as a web designer/developer and an SEO guru then your earning potential becomes far greater and your services more attractive to those requiring a dual service.
SEO/SEM – A Recognised Profession
SEO is now a recognised profession with courses available to achieve certification. There are also a number of job adverts for freelancers reaching up to $50 per hour. A safer bet is always to go and work for an established search engine optimisation firm, but then you will earn less and have a boss to deal with.
An Expanding Industry
If you are thinking about setting up a search engine optimisation firm then now is the time to do it. The demand for SEO services is growing rapidly as faster internet connections and the benefits of social media lure more and more businesses online.
The Down Side
SEO and SEM can never be 100% guaranteed to produce the results a client expects. Furthermore, changes in page rankings can happen without warning or reason. Being a search engine marketing specialist takes patience; results can often take months to materialise.
