Where Are the SEOs?

Question

My company has been looking to hire a lead SEO for MONTHS now but it's been incredibly difficult to even find candidates for the pipeline. I'm close to the point of bringing on a technical recruiter but - for obvious reasons - have kept that option as a last resort. Does anyone have any suggestions that have worked for them in the past to find and hire these folks?

vgeek · Accepted Answer

So many leave for greener pastures. You can do everything right in creating content, getting great links, having solid on page optimization, but no movement for months at a time. When you're solely SEO, you probably report to someone who starts to get antsy after a few months of "not ranking 1st for X term", so you end up switching to paid or something else entirely.I've had most success in hiring copywriters who are eager to learn and then teaching them the fundamentals related to creating content-- keyword research, interlinking and thinking of who/how their content will either further business goals or help with generating backlinks. The technical component is easier- just look for anyone with Screamingfrog on their resume or be willing to teach someone who is semi-technical.

arrakis2021 · Answer

1. They must be hired in-house. agencies are terrible at SEO so don’t settle for one
2. A good SEO will say there is no such thing as a good SEO, so look for humble players
3. If you’re having trouble searching - “SEO” is unlikely to be In their title. Look for “content marketing” as a skill instead
4. As a last resort, Learn some yourself and at least you’ll be able to lay the foundation.

karlhughes · Answer

Narrow down.Don't look for generalist SEO people, but instead content marketers with experience in your industry.I've seen so many of our clients get crappy keyword research because the consultant/SEO person they work with doesn't actually know their audience well.