It's 2023, and no matter how many "SEO is dead" articles are published, SEO isn't going anywhere.
Reports indicate that the global SEO market size will reach $122.11 billion by 2028.
But with such growth, SEO must change, and so must the expertise of SEO professionals.
In this article, I'll introduce seven new skills SEOs need to master in order to secure their place at the big SEO industry table.
Come in.
1. Expression of values
If you work as a freelance SEO, you already have this. However, for many agencies and clients, it's a skill that few understand.
We live with the possibility of a recession and a cost of living crisis. So people and businesses will be careful where their budgets go.
Regardless of the role you currently hold, from executive to strategist, you need to be clear about the values and responsibilities of your role, and learn how to articulate those values.
These are the lines that every SEO should master for every business.
- "I did (insert activity) because (describes the value it provides) ."
Because if you could be replaced by an AI tool, you would.
This brings me to my next skill.
AI tools are exploding, and there are many ways SEOs can figure out how to use machine learning, from keyword and cluster research to meta descriptions and page titles.
SEOs don't have to worry about AI tools. They must learn to use it to their advantage.
Check out the AIPRM Chrome extension for ChatGPT.
With it, you can plan silo structures for websites in any niche with just a few clicks.
And that's not all. You can do keyword research and optimize your business profile on Google in seconds.
AI tools save you the cognitive burden of performing certain SEO tasks by taking the time to review the results the AI produces and allowing you to change, refine and refine what it delivers.
AI tools will never replace SEO . On the contrary, they will help you improve your SEO.
Reducing the amount of time spent on machine-made tasks gives you more time and mental energy to focus on the areas of SEO that AI can't help you with.
But you have to learn to use AI tools in your role.
Earn the trust of daily newsletter marketers.
3. Involvement of management personnel
If you haven't seen it yet, you should watch Tom Critchlow online. In his MBA SEO course and content, Critchlow teaches SEO to be a better executive engagement.
His newsletter was very helpful, and it was there that I first learned the term "presence management," which he defines as:
"Ability to work cross-functionally to communicate ideas to the C-suite, build compelling business cases for multi-million dollar investments, and gain stakeholder buy-in."
I would add that everyone in SEO needs to develop an executive presence to reach the decision makers above them.
- SEO leaders need to learn how to pitch their ideas to account managers.
- The Account Manager must obtain support from Customer Service.
- etc.
I like to call this skill the ability to create change in the workplace, regardless of the scale of the change.
Get comfortable putting your ideas into words and presenting them with that power.
4. Content design
I first learned about content design from the works and books of Sarah Winters.
Unfortunately, AI writing tools have taken some of the value out of content writing and SEO. Design is our benchmark and a difference no tool can make.
But I'm not saying that every SEO should go out and buy a Canva subscription.
Content design is about user/reader experience.
Black text on a white web page can be very effective, and Justin Jackson's This Is A web page is a great example of this.
We know people are looking for information. Research has shown that we crawl to assess the quality of content before devoting the cognitive resources to reading the rest.
Therefore, SEOs should try to use content design to increase the perceived value of their content.
Winning over readers is going to be an uphill battle, especially in the age of AI-powered writing tools where you can create a 2000+ word article in 30 seconds.
SEOs should adopt content design as a tool in their arsenal by 2023.
It's a good question with any content. "How can we make it better?"
5. Modification of Content
Most SEOs hate writing (and some writers do too).
But one thing SEOs hate is reading more content.
I understand. There's no fun in reading a 3,000-word article on a topic you're not interested in, especially when you're paying someone else to write and edit it.
This is an obstacle that you must overcome.
For SEO to be successful in 2023, they need to edit their content.
There's a good reason for that: our friend AI.
It doesn't matter whether you have your own writing team or rely on freelancers (or agencies). You have to keep editing.
Be aware of unclear, unclear content and lack of research and expertise.
AI tools can help writers and hopefully they will use them.
In the meantime, focus on creating lazy content that works at the click of a button.
My best advice is to read your content out loud. If it sounds bad, change it.
6. Marketing theory
Before, all you needed to know was SEO to rank and generate traffic.
People are a bit picky these days.
Top of the funnel, middle of the funnel, buyer's journey, lead product – the list of SEO techniques and jargon seems endless.
What matters to the future of SEO is its position in the marketing chart.
Traditionally focused on wasting marketing budgets, a shift in perspective from attribution modeling will mean that more significant credit will be given to organic content.
This is where AI and machine learning help us the most. By filling in the gaps in the attribution window, we can see a clear picture of how important organic search is to our marketing mix.
But it's pointless to look at your GA4 report and say: "Yes, organic search has worked really well."
Customers have access to all marketing channels.
TikTok fits your budget.
PPC within your budget.
Radio advertising fits your budget.
A TV that fits your budget.
Podcasts to fit your budget.
You need to demonstrate the value of SEO.
Peter Fields and Les Binet advanced the mature marketing discussion with their work on The Long and the Short of It.
Activating a short sale actually promotes sales. But long-term brand marketing makes a more significant difference in sales in the long run.
So where does SEO come in?
This is up for debate. And that's why SEO needs to be able to interact with the marketing world and have mature discussions about the importance of SEO.
And for that you need to learn the language.
Brand Marketing, Direct Advertising, Awareness, Physical Availability, 4 P's, Econometrics, Advanced Mass Marketing, Behavioral Science, Mixed Media, Memory Architecture, etc.
SEO needs to understand all these terms.
Most SEOs still need help explaining how SEO helps a business.
In a world of popular advertising methods, we need to show clients how SEO works and be able to explain the marketing science behind it.
7. Strategy
When I see a new client, I often ask them about the SEO agency's latest work strategy.
The most stupid. Many are never told. Most have nothing to show for it.
We need to improve our SEO strategy document.
Most SEO strategies consist of a series of activities that an SEO agency will implement, such as:
- Meta description:
- Deep link.
- 3 articles of 3000 words each.
- etc.
But a plan is not a strategy, nor is it a list of deliverables.
In 2023, SEO will be challenged by clients as marketing budgets shrink. And they have the right to ask: "Why do we do that?"
Of course, the strategy is tough.
It was an SEO expert who said: "We will do X because it will achieve Y."
You can't guarantee anything.
You won't be sure, and that's why it's hard.
But welcome to the world of strategy.
The trick is to distract yourself. It is a theory, a belief.
The client will ask for evidence to back it up, and that's fine.
This is where your case studies and the research of others in the SEO industry come into play. This is why a good SEO is constantly researching other people's websites.
"It worked for XYZ, so we're sure it will work for you."
Also, SEOs need to be bold and change their tactics. It is important to see where mistakes are made and make changes.
What you shouldn't do is take a counterproductive approach because the ideal of SEO is static.
If that doesn't work, change everything.
Always learning to advance your SEO career
The SEO industry is growing and the SEO skill base must grow with it.
In a world where every SEO skill and task is taught for free on YouTube, we need to step up our game to make sure SEO takes up a bigger share of marketing budgets.
Mastering the seven skills above is a start.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest authors and not necessarily those of Search Engine Place. Staff authors are listed here.
