What Skills Do SEO Managers Need?

To be a true SEO professional today it’s become more essential than ever to develop a good range of skills and knowledge across a range of different disciples. The capability to work with different teams and specialists aids SEOs to collaborate efficiently, and help make real progress.

Knowledge yields creativity.

There are not so many SEOs around who, whilst mastering in a single area or discipline (e.g. social media, UX, analytics, paid advertisement), develop an intermediate level of knowledge across a variety of inter-related skills.

Why I am saying this?

Below are the five reasons to consider if you want to do SEO now as effectively as possible:

• Improve organizational integration
• Know your customer
• Mix technical and general marketing skills
• Magnify digital knowledge
• Think and perform like you are in a start-up

SEO can be a fantastic, relatively low-cost way to drive quality visitors who want to do business with you if you do SEO professionally.

What makes you an SEO professional?

SEO is an area of digital marketing that has faced considerable change over the last few years. From the introduction of major Google algorithm updates and the rise of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to the de-prioritizing of keywords, prioritizing “intent-based search” and the impact of mobile. SEOs now need the agility and open-mindedness that many other professionals do now.

The modern SEO approach, therefore, feels like a useful framework for SEO professionals to follow, irrespective of experience level. Today’s SEO managers must have a wide range of skills to ensure they drive rankings and quality organic traffic to the websites through relevance, quality content, and earned backlinks.

Previously in this blog, I have shared some guidance on the roles and responsibilities for webmaster jobs but within this post, we’re going to look more specifically at the skills SEO managers must develop to master their profession.

So here are seven top skills and qualities of a professional search engine optimization (SEO) manager:

1. Set a planned action-plan

The ability to develop a tactical standpoint and align SEO plans to the goals and objectives of the business is indispensable. A strategic perspective enables you to define an action plan and create a path for how you see organic search adding value over time into the business.

Some simple ideas to consider as a starting point include:

• Get to know the business - what are the organization’s priority goals and objectives?
• What are the primary products/services?
• What are the USPs and obstacles that are the business’s highlighted areas?
• Recognize trends - take time to analyze the digital landscape and find the SEO trends that are likely to have the biggest impact on the business. How do these tie into ROI?

Develop a ‘vision’ - establish the role SEO will play in achieving the business’s short, medium, and long-term targets and mix this with other teams and managers to set in.

2. Be a humble follower to become a trendsetter

SEO managers should have a solid and up-to-date knowledge base of the most effective organic search tactics. With search engines becoming ever more sophisticated, it’s not logical to simply follow the tried and trusted tactics from the past to achieve success always. On top of that, reacting hastily to every algorithm change will likely get you in trouble!

3. Leverage the power of content marketing

‘Content is king’ is a well-known industry cliché. There are distinct benefits to integrating SEO and content marketing, comprising:

• Keyword research
• Campaign planning
• Developing quality content
• Content sharing
• ROI analysis

The overarching benefit of taking a more content-centered approach is that it takes SEO to a new height that can add value right across the marketing and advertising mix, particularly concerning the outcome of any campaign in long run.

4. Do data analysis and get real insights

Whilst data analysis the job of a specialist, the ability to analyze data and highlight actionable insights will give SEOs a huge advantage over others. Smart analysis and insight is a key component in driving the business forward and is another factor that will give SEOs both credibility and a strategic edge within the company.

There are two areas where SEO managers can add value:

• A clear view of performance KPIs and success metrics - The more you can measure how you’re performing, the better your strategy back the operational SEO success.
• Study competitions and set the benchmark - Successfully benchmark performance vs. competitors, providing you with an understanding of gaps, opportunities, and areas for development.

5. Online reputation management

SEO is not about building content and optimizing websites in isolation. As discussed earlier regarding a strategic perspective, it’s important to predict the future and this involves developing a strong appreciation and understanding of the brand and how this aligns with business objectives. Such awareness will help to sustain brand value online and comprehend the SEO roadmap.

SEO managers now necessarily need to become branding experts, they should be confident in articulating, influencing, and controlling a brand over the internet and social media about how it affects the customers.

You need to question yourself continuously, why a brand exists, and find what they do, and relate how they do it with your situation.

6. Man management and team building

Many SEO managers work as independent consultants or individual contributors. However many others either have a team or have aspirations to manage others one day.

Man management is a difficult skill to master but one that all managers must possess. As teams become bigger, the SEO manager must develop the ability to utilize resources, motivate the team, and ensure that the strategy is being executed.

This often involves taking a step back and allowing others to execute tasks. This transition can be difficult, especially if you used to do everything alone. But it’s critical to make this change otherwise it could hurt team dynamics.

The following key components are absolutely essential for man-management:

• Selection
• Expectation setting
• Motivation
• Development
• Feedback exchange

7. Stakeholder management

As well as managing your own team, influencing others across the organization is also a key competency to master. It’s not possible to manage SEO in isolation; instead, SEO should be considered from a cohesive viewpoint and therefore dealing with the concerns and interests of multiple stakeholders.

As with people management, stakeholder management is a very important skill, involving a blend of thoughtfulness, astute analysis and empathy are essentials. Some of the key stakeholders I would advise the SEO manager should keep in mind include:

• Senior management
• Brand
• PR
• Agency
• Search engines

How to hire an SEO manager?

Managing SEO today involves more than being a skilled technician and practitioner. The modern SEO manager must possess a wide array of skills and abilities to enable them to effectively manage tactics and set a vision whilst at the same time implement up-to-date strategies that cover on-page, off-page, and technical elements of SEO.

The modern SEO manager must also be a smart leader of people and multiple stakeholders and understand the role of the brand for the growth of a business.

Not how hard, but how smart you are, will direct how effective an SEO manager is and can progress career development. Managers should continue to produce output and generate ROI within the discipline of SEO but also develop broader skills in other technical areas (such as UI analysis, PPC, and web development) and softer skills (people management, communication).

Love to hear your agreement on disagreement on my post in the comments.