Carving a Career in SEO — How NOT to Get Taken for a Ride

Starting a career in SEO can be a daunting experience, especially when there is no set career path.

Before embarking on this path, it is crucial to decide on the area in which you want to gain experience and specialize. For example, technical SEO, content writing, on-page SEO, digital PR, local SEO, account management, or data and analytics. You will need to build up your experience so that you can confidently work in your chosen area, show results, and be recognized for this area of expertise.

Whether you work for a brand or agency, it is important to clearly set out your objectives and where you want to go in your career. This may sound obvious, but if you’re working for small companies, there may not always be the resources to develop yourself.

I have a goal plan, and when I was a manager, I created PDPs or personal development plans for my team. It is important that you have time to meet with your boss or manager one-on-one every couple of weeks or months to review your goals and progress. The platform Asana has written detailed posts about PDPs on its site.

I started my first job straight out of college in-house. I worked for an e-commerce site, then moved into finance, and then really started in SEO when I worked at a mobile games company. It was there I began to build websites. After that, I moved to the agency side to gain more experience. If I had known some of the things I know now, I may have had a slightly different career path. I want to share what I learned with the Moz blog readers.

Decide on an industry

It is essential to decide on which industry you want to move into when working in SEO in-house. Once you gain experience in that sector, be aware it could be difficult to move out and into a different area. It is easy to be pigeonholed.

For example, if you work in finance and move into SEO, you can bring your experience of the brand with you to the role. This is especially true if you are a customer of that product or service. There can be a crossover between sales and marketing, and these are transferable skills. Many career paths start in sales before moving into marketing. If there is a new field you feel passionate about, such as sustainable fashion or travel, then research the brand well before you move over. Having this knowledge will help you in the new role.

Choose the company carefully

If you are transitioning into an in-house role or starting in an in-house role fresh from full-time education, you need to choose the company carefully. There may be some organizations where you may be the only SEO at your company. I found this when I worked at a startup. The boss was open to new ideas and new projects, such as SEO. Some organizations, however, are not always like that. You will need to be a good project manager and be able to prioritize well when working in-house.

Working client-side, the career path may be more traditional. For example, you may start off as a marketing assistant, then move into an executive position, and from there to marketing manager and finally senior marketing manager. However, sometimes, client-side marketing and sales blur into one. Therefore, it is important to choose a company with a separate sales team if you want to focus solely on marketing.

Benefits of working client-side

The good thing about working client-side is that the client will not leave you. Working agency side, you are pitching for business and the client may terminate your agreement due to changes in the business or budget.

As you are in-house, you may be reviewing many pitches for agencies wanting your experience. This will give you exposure to how other agencies work and insight into agency life without moving across.

Client-side work allows you to focus on one brand or industry. You can use your time client side to build up your experience and become an expert in that field.

Decide on the type of agency

Before moving to an agency, research it well. Decide whether to work in a small, large, or multinational company. The benefits from the large agency may be that you can work in a different team more easily. For example, if you work in affiliate marketing or PPC and transition into SEO, you may be able to keep working on the same brand but switch verticals.

It can be hard to decide which agency to work with. Here is a list of some SEO agencies in the UK and those which are in the US. There are also agencies that allow you to do remote work, but they are harder to find. The career path in large SEO agencies tends to be more organized and is along the lines below:

SEO assistant or SEO intern > SEO Executive > SEO Manager > Senior SEO Manager > SEO Director > Head of SEO

Benefits of working at an agency

Those at agencies have the opportunity to work on several accounts and gain experience across a range of different industries. This is good for those who are starting out either straight from school or college or those who have transitioned. It tends to be fast-paced and full of activity.

Agency work tends to be longer hours. This is particularly true when working on pitches, as this is often done outside of office hours. However, this can depend on the agency; not all agencies expect their staff to work beyond normal working hours. Working on pitches builds up your own experience, and you also have exposure across different teams; as for some pitches, you may collaborate with paid search, affiliates, or other marketing departments.

Working at agencies can positively help your career as you can learn a great deal from people around you. There are many creative people who you would not usually meet in-house.

Another advantage of working at an agency, particularly a large one, is having an experienced senior team. This gives you the opportunity to learn from your senior leaders and also from your peers. This is something that might not be possible in a client-side role.

A crucial part of carving a career in SEO is learning, and I have found a major source of learning and practical tips can be picked up at conferences and events. At agencies, you are exposed to more of these conferences and may have more of an opportunity to attend them, especially if your agency is one of the organizers.

Join communities

If your experience in-house or in an agency has focused on one area, this is an advantage. It is important to gain as much exposure as possible while working full-time before transitioning to freelance work. For instance, if you’re working in technical SEO or Digital PR, you can build up an independent client base while working full-time at your company (or agency). However, it can be a challenge working for a company and independent clients.

This is when being part of communities and running events can help you to network with others. It can also result in contracts.

Since October 2010, I have run a networking event called Search London, and in June 2023, I set up Search Barcelona. Both have the same objectives: to be a judgment-free and safe space for those to learn about search news, to be a platform for first-time speakers, and to be a place where there is a diverse range of speakers (from different cultures and work backgrounds). Search London and Barcelona have helped me meet others in our industry and secure work, some of which moved me back to a full-time position. I never intended them to help me generate leads.

Through Search London, I discovered Women in Tech SEO, one of the most supportive communities set up by Areej AbuAli in 2019, and a community helping freelancers called the Digital Marketing Union. Through both, I secured some short-term contracts.

Think about your products and services

You can carve a successful and fulfilling career in SEO as a freelancer, but it may require a lot more planning. You need to think about your products and services and where to attract clients. However, there may be times when you need to develop and work on new skills at short notice.

During the pandemic, back in March 2020, I set up a YouTube show called Turn Digi without any prior experience with YouTube. I wanted a platform where international entrepreneurs could connect, as we could not meet in person. I also wanted them to discuss a wide range of topics in our industry. At the first Turn Digi, we had 18 speakers, and 12 of them had their own business, with 14 out of the 18 being women presenters. They were from eight different countries and three different continents. Some of these speakers were not on the regular speaking track and spoke about diversity and disability, topics that are not always addressed at events. At the same time, I also had some well-known presenters on Turn Digi, including some from Google.

Setting up a new show gave me the confidence to then start another YouTube series called Tea Time SEO while I was contracting at Authoritas. This led to further YouTube opportunities, and I now co-host a YouTube show called SEO Office Hours with my friend Mike. He asked me to be a guest in November for the first episode but then invited me to be a co-host, and we have now run 20 shows (as of March 27). Some of our videos have up to 5,500 views, and we have limited paid media.

We all know it is important to create a good work-life balance. One way to do this is to create boundaries. If we do not do this, we are at risk of focusing on other people’s priorities instead of our own. Agency life can be quite demanding, and it is a challenge to maintain this work-life balance.

When I first started working in SEO at an agency, I had a manager who had to review my work and would only do so at 7 or 8 pm. This was not practical, especially as I had an hour's commute home, so I would not be back at my apartment until 10 pm.

Working client-side, you may often find you are the only SEO, so you need to upskill. You may also need to ensure you can get buy-in from the senior management team. At the same time, you may find yourself managing the agency that is doing the SEO.

Whether working agency or client side, it is vital to set mental, physical, and emotional boundaries.

Mental

• Do not have all your work apps, such as Slack, on your phone. Turn them off when you want to do focused work.

• Do not send emails outside of the office hours you want to be working.

• Make sure you take your holidays or your paid time off.

• Do not get involved with work gossip.

Physical

• Have non-work activities you enjoy doing and other life commitments. This will encourage you to finish work at a set time.

• Take your entire lunch break. I remember working through my lunch and eating at my desk many days, meaning I never fully mentally or physically disconnected.

• Do not do regular overtime or work on weekends. Finish at a set time each day; for example, if you are working from 9 to 5 pm, log off at 5 pm.

Emotional

• Stand up to bullying in any form. For example, if a manager is reprimanding you in front of others.

• Stay away from negative people.

• Do not overshare personal information; if you are sharing something personal with others, tell them it is confidential so it is spread around the office.

• Tell your boss how you want to receive feedback.

• Delegate tasks, especially when you have too much to do and complete in the time available.

It is important to communicate your boundaries and push back if they are not respected.

What happens if you work in another field outside of SEO, have many years of experience, and want to transition into SEO? Your previous experience is still valuable. An excellent way to dip your toe into SEO before moving full-time is to start a website or focus on learning some key SEO areas, such as technical SEO. Practice on your own site so that you can fail, succeed, and learn.

Upskilling can be difficult, but it is crucial to allocate at least 15 minutes a day to learn something new. This can be from just talking to others and discussing an issue.

Join communities

Join communities; you can learn a great deal from them. I learned a lot from Women in Tech SEO and am also part of the DMU.

Take courses

There are a variety of courses available, but try to focus on the areas where you want to gain more experience. Moz Academy has many courses. I started off my career in SEO by reading The Beginners Guide to SEO.

I have taken the Page Optimization and Keyword Research course via Moz Academy. The catalog of courses Moz has is quite extensive and includes certifications such as the SEO Essentials Certification and SEO Competitive Analysis certification. These certifications are more comprehensive, including a final exam and a certificate of completion at the end.

I would also like to recommend the SEOMBA course by Tom Critchlow. It is excellent, and it includes assignments and office hours. Having interaction with Tom and having your homework reviewed really helped cement the learning and put it into practice. Tom combines business skills with SEO in this course, allowing you to present your ideas confidently to the C-suite and get buy-in from stakeholders. He calls this ability “executive presence.”

Subscribe to newsletters

It is easy to feel overwhelmed with all the news and how to keep up to date with what is happening in the search industry. A way to stay on top of it all is to subscribe to newsletters. Sign up for Moz’s semi-monthly Top 10 to discover the ten most valuable articles they have found related to SEO and online marketing.

I can also recommend Aleyda Solis’ SEOFOMO newsletter. It covers Google Updates, among other news, and promotes others in the industry as well as events.

Another newsletter you can check out is the Women in Tech SEO (WTS) newsletter, sharing all the latest from women in the industry.

Carving a career in SEO is complex and can be challenging if you “fell” into it like many of us did. For some graduates now, there can be a more structured career path, especially if working at a large agency. However, for those transitioning into SEO from a different field, the career path is not always so well defined. It is, therefore, up to individuals to make their own way and take advantage of courses and conferences that specialize in the different areas of SEO.

Learning about SEO and working in the field is a long-term project. As technology advances at such a fast pace, it is essential to keep abreast of industry changes, too.

It is not for the faint-hearted!