When I started in the SEO field (circa 2003), the job responsibilities weren't easy, but the list was relatively small. Over the next 5 years, those responsibilities increased, but it was primarily in tactical and knowledge sorts of ways. A 2003 vs. 2008 rundown might look something like:
(Notes on image above: There's some over-simplification in this list, and some items cross the artificial 2003 barrier a bit)
The last 2.5 years, however, have made for some fairly substantive changes. We're facing large-scale, industry-shifting trends that have upset the classic model for search engine optimization, including:
- Google's Vince update and others like it where search engines are biasing toward brands over smaller, lesser-known sites.
- Panda and the focus on user behavior, trust and authority of sites based on their look/feel/content style/etc. has changed what it means to do SEO, just as the Florida update did at the end of 2003.
- The shift in web user behavior toward social media - more than 20% of our time spent online is spent on social.
- Fragmentation of the social media market: LinkedIn just passed MySpace to become the #2 social network in the US, and Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Reddit, StumbleUpon (and soon, Google+, IMO) all have 10million+ active users. FourSquare also just passed that mark.
- The powerful increase in content creation as a marketing tool for businesses. 57% of companies in Hubspot's recent survey run an active blog!
- An overwhelming increase in mobile and, thus, local search/web usage leads to portals like Google Maps, Bing Maps, Yelp, Citysearch, UrbanSpoon, FourSquare, etc. offering massive potential value to local businesses and service providers.
- The recession in 2008 caused a massive change in how businesses think about employment - human resources are nearly the last thing companies will add to their costs, and while that's generating amazing profits, it's having a rough impact on employment. As a part of this trend, SEOs have been asked to shoulder many new and heavy burdens.
Thus, we're faced with a picture where the responsibilities of SEOs looks more like this:
(Note: Some of these are due to changes in SEO itself, and others due to the additional expectations placed on those performing SEO)
If you're in the SEO field, this shift is both a positive and a negative. If you can keep up with the workload, manage all the metrics, reporting, data and platforms AND perform effectively in all of these spheres, you're likely able to charge outsized fees (or earn a much higher salary). If you remain tactical and niche, you're either going to be undervalued or you'll need to find ways to make that specialization and the ROI you can earn visible to your clients/managers.
The job of an "SEO" is so much more than what we think of and talk about as the basics of classic "Search Engine Optimization" that it almost feels as though we deserve a new title... and probably a raise :-)
Funnily enough, I was just thinking that I should change my job title to "Online Strategist" recently precisely for that reason. But "Organic Web Strategist" sounds much more suitable...
Good title... even though "organic" always reminds me of tomatoes, potatoes et al... :D
With these type of funny replies you always got some thumbs up for you :)
Sorry sir, i think guys getting me wrong and give me 7 dislikes , amazing :-/ i was just kidding any ways sorry again if my comment seems wrong
Yep...I did not understand those so many thumbs down too. In fact I thumbed you up,asit was a clearly benevolent comment :)
so there was some agency behing me lOL, anyways thanks for your reply :)
LMAO, for over 8 years whenever I have used the term "organic search results" to strangers or people that don't understand the internal trade terms I feel like someone is going to make a crack like that. Yet to this day, no one has ever made that crack. I still think of tomatoes, potatoes, etc... myself, LOL
But a few organic serp's do make you regular
Haha, my parents are organic farmers who grow tomatoes and beans.. i guess it's meant to be that im in the organic business also... only difference is that i dont get to push animal waste around all day...
cant digest the addition of "organic" to my job title.. lol..
Great article, however, I feel that "Social Media Promotions" is a field in itself now! I dont think we can add it in SEO any longer.. as the responsibilites increase, a lot of other fields will emerge from SEO.
gfiorelli1
Totally unrelated but where did u make your avatar? Love it!
You're right.
I’ve has my job title down for a number of years as “Online Marketing Manager” because the role is comprised of such a wide variety of things. How many people here have not been involved with email marketing, ppc, affiliate marketing etc as well as true SEO?
How about e-marketing specialist. I think that sort of sums it up.
I agree on that Liza. I think I should change my title too. I bet this is more catchy to the eyes of potential clients.
I´m using the Online Maerketing Manager one now.. but. SEO is one of my main functions... so is the classig, if you must be aonline strategiest.. you have to be a seo strategist
I also call myself the 'Omline Marketing Manager' but with a focus on SEO & PPC. Now THAT gets a lot of raised eyebrows from customers!!
We are thinking of changing our titles to Search Experience Enchancers (SEE)o r Search Engine Experience Enhancers (S3E). Trying to get creative and differeniate from the competition. After all, enhancing users' experiences is a essentially what every SEO's goal is!
I think "SEO Strategist" definitely sounds more specific and relevant to what I do, only possible point of uncertainty would be in a technicality - does "SEO Strategist" make one sound like they only deal with preparing the overall strategy/campaign itself, or that they also get into the nitty gritty things like site code, link building, etc? I might just be overthinking it now, but titles are so important that it seems wise to consider things like this... On the other hand (and on second thought, actually), my two main focuses are SEO and web design. "SEO strategist" kind of cuts web design out of the picture. I tend to focus so much on the SEO community that web design seems to almost come secondary sometimes when thinking about things like titles, but it definitely needs to be accounted for. But that's not relevant to this particular discussion about the responsibilities of an SEO specifically.
Hey Liza, I have tried the route of changing my title to "SEO Strategist & SEO Specialist" and I find that companies/recruiters try to low ball you on the salary range because they assume those titles are for JUST specialized SEO tasks ie link building, content development, keyword research. I go with Senior Online Marketing Director SEO/SEM so far I haven’t had any issues. (*knock on wood)
I like that title, Senior Online Marketing Director SEO/SEM. Has more of a marketing sound to it. Liza, I also like SEO Strategist. It's simple and to the point. I think one works better for job hunting and agencies while the other is good for dealing with clients directly.
Especially since the title "SEO" has been tainted in the past few years by black/gray hat email spammers.
A simple name change cannot delete the bad press by itself... more, if you call it "organic" I can imagine the metaphores that could be used...
Still people don't know that what SEO is and what SEO's are and you have given a new name. It's was too much difficult to explain about SEO to my hommies that what am doing :P
I have always liked 'online traffic manager' - it makes you sound like some kind of road side attendant but given that most websites get most of their traffic from search, it "does what it says on the tin".
Interesting post Rand.
Another way of looking at this isn't to say SEOs now have to do a lot more - rather, now they have to play nicely with a lot of other people.
That's a pretty important distinction. There are a lot of facists SEOs out there who believe that because something may impact a web ranking, they need control of it. It's hard working in a Internet business and having your SEO team or advisors claiming they need to run Social Media and PR to get all the "+1's" they can, and they need to boss the product development teams around because no one else "gets" how to make the site indexable, and they need to be in charge of the editorial and content teams so they can optimise keywords ...
What makes these conversations so painful is that the search team and SEO agencies usually have zero perspective on the other priorities of a business.
Maybe rather than redefining the role of the optimiser in an ever larger way what we need to do is acknowledge the impact of lots of different professions, and be a little more humble about the role sought by SEOs
Although I would certainly contest your point about the search team and SEO agencies usually having zero perspective on the other priorities of a business (perhaps this is the case in some agencies, though I would argue this is the exception rather than the rule in any strategic or full scale agency) I do think you raise an interesting argument and that is the need for people to "let go of the wheel" sometimes and give more trust and responsibility to a number of the other viable marketing opportunities and professionals there are out there.
At the end of the day we can't excel at the implementation of all of these things so an awareness is key, though we do need to accept that there will be other experts in other fields that can simply do their job better than we can.
It really does seem to be more of a control issue than anything... though I'd much rather someone with a social media and PR background do their work and just let them know how it could also benefit my work. It's about finding a middle ground... though it's hard with the increasing number of ranking factors not to suggest that being an "expert" requires a load of knowledge from a load of different fields.
I would say any agency involved in Online Marketing has to be aware of all businesses priorities, opportunities and perspectives, that said a good web strategy requires a team of people that are aware of the different online marketing perspectives: SEO, SEM, SM, PR, Email Marketing, etc.
sorry, i strongly disagree. an SEO is not everything. if you do everything, you do nothing. SEO is not social media., social media can have an impact on SEO performance, but that does not mean that SEO is responsible for social media. an SEO is not responsible for the online reputation of the company. a controversial reputation can have a positive impact on SEO - even if the company CEOs/PR/Marketing do not want to have a controversial reputation. community management, yeah, users can be great databases and users can be used for linkbuilding - but it is not the job of the SEO to be the community manager, there are a shitload of other stakeholders into the community, SEO is just a one. social network reach ... yeah, social network outreach can lead to links, tweets, positive usage metrics but then again - but the job of the SEO is not to: "improove the size, depth, reach of your social networks to reach more potential customers and connectors" connectors maybe if we get more links/coverage ... but cusomters? that is marketing.
the S in SEO is shot for "search" - SEO is about search, SEO is the business of getting found. yes, we have a sh*tload more tools, options and possiblities than we had a few years ago, but this does not mean that suddenly everything online is our domain, our responsibility. yes, a lot of the areas above must care about SEO for a bigger SEO impact, that does not mean they are SEO.
once again: if you do everything, you do nothing - and it's very easy to do everything.
As a practising SEO, i stongly agree with you. Many of the SEO responsibilities cited in the blog post are full time jobs in themselves like 'community management'. But i think Rand is talking about strategically managing these activities (& hence the job title 'organic web strategist') and providing consultation to get optimum results for SEO and not actually doing all these tasks yourself.
Thumbed up.
There are many stakeholders involved in just about every aspect of business, and frequently these posts are made all-encompassing when they really only apply to one-man websites.
Thanks for saying this Franz. I feel that I'm stuck somewhere in between you and Rand. Social media is only becoming more crucial to link building and visibility but how am I supposed to manage the online personality of someone elses' brand, let alone 5 brands.
It would be helpful to write a post on the resources actually needed to pull off all of the listed activities. It sure doesn't seem realistic to have one SEO do all of this effectively. I realize it's necessary, but how much are you actually doing? How much is the client doing? How many other folks need to be involved for a successful campaign?
SEO is merging with PR really rapidly and that is a good thing!
I definitely agree. It seems the more and better PR you can do, the better your SEO is going to be, and the easier your marketing and sales efforts will be as well :-)
I have thought that SEO and PR have gone hand in hand for a long time- when you are contacting sites for links you need the same sorts of skills as when you are selling in a story.
PR = create great content, get placed.
SEO = create great content, get placed.
If you're learning one, learn the other. Great SEOs are actually really good PR people and they don't even know it. And sometimes, vice-versa.
I *totally* agree:
The Coming Merger of SEO and Public Relations
https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/seo-and-pr-are-merging.html
I cannot but totally agree with you Rand... and it is since a long time I am convinced that SEO, meant as strictly Search Engine Optimization, is becoming a too narrow definition.
Remember my last year YouMoz "What will the Role Model for the SEO of Tomorrow Be?". For those ones who didn't read it, there I was proposing Leonardo Da Vinci as Role Model and his renaissance and comprehensive way to look at Nature. In the comments (much better than the post itself), what came out was the distinction between the new enlarged SEO figure I was proposing and the specialization of the roles of SEOs.
That is something that emerge here too. If you check the responsabilities list in this post, you see specialized SEO figures: Conversion Rate Optimizers, Content Marketers, Social SEOs, Local SEO experts, (reinforced) Technical SEOs, (Inbound) Link Builders...
But there must be someone who coordinates all those figures, and that one should be the new SEO strategist, a role that we first must promote and show and make understand to the world out there.
In another SEOmoz post few weeks ago the figure of "Web Strategist" came out. It is a good definition, even though is not so clear and so well expressing a role, which is the success of "SEO" as a definition.
That is why, in a aim of maintaining the acronym, from a long ago I started talking of Search Experience Optimization, because - finally - SEOs now as before are still working on the "search field", but with "experience" the focus is definitely put to the users and not to the search engines. It is a copernican new look to our discipline and how we have to focus our strategy: users not search engines are our core business; and users use everything the web offers to search, not just search engines.
Ok... this is getting too long for a comment. Let me finish it this this reviewed three laws of robotics I try to follow when I plan a search experience optimization strategy. Don't take these too seriously though, as they are more a joke than something else:
SEO is not a robot as it shows emotional responses, can get annoyed when repeatedly questioned, has real intelligence (& not artificial) and above all can't be deactivated -Del Spooner ;)
Hehehe... right :).
mine was more a game... but, finally, aren't we always associated to Bots?
I've had a growing disquiet with the trend in the SEO industry where search consultants sell anything but search advice.
Here's a typical agency-meets-client experience in 2011:
Client: "So, SEO guys, what do we have to do to get my business up the rankings and beat GIGANTOCORP?"
SEO agency: "Well, to be #1 you need to have the best content and the best product. Currently you're crap. Spend a zillion dollars making everything awesome and then you'll beat GIGANTO. Oh, and you should so start tweeting for like 50% of your work day."
Client: "Hang on! GIGANTOCORP make $8 billion a year - we can't compete head on! I know this business is a turd but I need you guys to polish it. Don't you do clever link things and stuff?"
SEO agency: "Nah - that's old and unsustainable, and hard work. These days we just come to your offices, rabbit on about social, stand over your sholder and shout "Work harder! Go faster! Be better!"
Client: "I am so rage face right now."
SEO used to be a bridge for small business to compete online with larger businesses that were yet to develop an online strategy. Now the gap is widening and the bridge is crumbling.
Rand, this gradual move towards an overall online strategist has been as rewarding as it has been frustrating. I have been considering the idea of just calling it what it is - inbound marketing. We manage everything from organic SEO to social media and even email campaigns from what used to be a focus on just SEO and web development.
The SEOs that can make the leap to be effective in managing (and staying up to speed with) multiple areas of online expertise will find themselves in higher demand as the market begins to identify the broader needs. Even as new tools and networks emerge like Google+, we have to be on the leading edge because our customers are looking to us for answers on how to effectively utilize them.
The reason our company even got into website development and design was so that we could control more of the SEO process like site architecture, on-site signals, conversion funnels, etc. As more and more factors are weighed into organic results like social media influence, shares, trust, et.al., we have to keep adapting to what moves the dial, and I don't anticipate that getting any easier down the road. You did a great job of visually displaying what a lot of us have been experiencing.
I can really see a day coming when SEO is synonomous with internet marketing. When I started in the biz IM was all about pulling everything together: SEO, PR, PPC, branding, content, inbound, etc.. But all of those things impact SEO in some way now, and SEO impacts all of them. And, with more and more total attribution toolsets, SEO is getting more and more support as 'the' big player in marketing.
Here's hoping!!!
I agree 110%. You must have been writing your comment around the same time I was writing mine! SEO is part of a larger, more dynamic strategy and every can/should work together to provide synergy.
Another Great Post by Sir Rand! I do believe that over the time SEO changed a lot and meet the expectations of the clients, so now SEO is more diversified field and 2nd clients are expecting more and more from SEO…
In a local meet up I attended few month back on Link Building where we were discussing how link building change from simple directory submission, Article submission to new ways of link building that includes… creation of tools, plugins, extensions, direct outreach to webmasters, Press Release and the list goes on… were I proposed that the title of this job should be changed from ‘Link Building’ to ‘Link Engineering’
Similarly, over the time SEO in general changed a lot and 2nd image in the post fairly describe the new duties and responsibilities of an effective SEO of the 21st century!...
Yes In the today’s world SEOs around the world deserves a New Title and a Raise:).
Link building is actually business development and requires same set of skills you can expect from a seo savvy business development executive.
Right and kudos
Hi Rand- totally agree with the sentiment here and glad you've taken the time to dedicate a post specifically and only to this point. I know this is something that you have included in other posts (it's something I have touched on as well and I know loads of others) but I do think that this deserves its own conversation and a single post with a single focus - kudos for that.
Now for a little "ctrl + c, ctrl + v +'send'" magic on the old "The job of an "SEO" is so much more than what we think of and talk about as the basics of classic "Search Engine Optimization" that it almost feels as though we deserve a new title... and probably a raise"
That's a good subtle way to do it, right?
Minor Edit: the sentiment with which I'm saying I agree with is the fact that all of these things impact SEO and therefore we must understand all of them. Whether or not we should as individuals try to do all of them is an entirely different argument.
It's a great post but I think it is missing the growing trend that the best SEO professionals tend to have awesome facial hair...
I think all responsible and dedicated SEO professionals should grow beards, moustaches and to a lesser extent goatees.
I'm surprised there is not more studies into this metric....
I think that would probably preclude some really responsible & dedicated SEO Professionals who happen to lack the right genes for facial hair ;-)
Jen Lopez @ SEOMoz comes to mind right off the bat... Another former Mozzer, Rebecca Kelley as well as Rhea Drysdale definitely make the list o' dedicated SEO Pros who probably shouldn't have beards.
Maybe we need an infographic or something ;-)
Yes, it's a great post. As an SEO Pro sans hairy accent, it may be interesting to investigate another metric for rating those most dedicated and effective with SEO... For some reason, feminine intuition springs to mind... :)
I'm so glad you took the time to write this out and post it. The new responsibilities of "SEO" have been a hot topic at the Thunder office lately as we are all juggling 10+ hats on a daily basis. I think you could add Reporting on all of the above as well. Whether you are in-house or at an agency bosses and clients want reports on how this all effects the bottom line. Internal reporting is maybe even more important as, most SEOs want reports on which link-bait works best or what kind of social media persona gets the most interaction.
Actually, Rand, you are missing something :) In 2011 the SEO has to know at least some basic php, HTML5 - he/she MUST know how the codes behind a web page work!
P.S: Of course I'm gonna hit Tweet, +1, Like! Now if someone says "But your job as SEO is very easy", I'm just gonna send him this link :)
There are some good points being raised here in the comments about a SEO’s broader role in online marketing. However you’ll notice that Rand is not going into conversion rate optimisation or PPC. He’s just stating the increasing number of areas that SEO has to be involved in now to control organic ranking. I’ll add another: citations in printed sources. Your business address and home page URL in a printed source scanned by Google could also influence rankings. The SEO on a project has to be aware of a vast number of elements of the companies on line and off line actions.
Coming back our broader roles: What happens on many small scale projects is that the SEO is frequently the only person with any online marketing experience on the project. The client wants to be #1 in Google but actually needs an overall online marketing strategy including PPC, analytics and conversion rate optimisation. The SEO tends to take on this task although it’s an error to be too concentrated on organic search engine traffic for many clients.
I’ve changed the service I offer to offer a broader web marketing or traffic management role. However you still need a specialised SEO on any project because it is such a complex subject. In the same way that I think you probably need a specialist for PPC, CRO or Community Management. Once you start being a specialist in all these things – you’re no longer a specialist!
- Neil
I always smile when someone asks me "What's your work?" and I answer them "SEO". They are like... "CEO? SEO? What is that?" and I give them, "Ohhh long story".
Search Engine Optimization back then is really different from what we have right now. The emerging demand for socialization is there, Google + will definitely change the way search marketing is. Panda update was an emphasis for creative content and quality link bait. Though some people might argue with you Rand that social media is a different venue and must be assigned to a different personnel. Still SEO is superior with Social Media, Social Media must coordinate with an SEO Strategist to have a well coordinated marketing effort. Much like with PR companies, coordinating with an SEO strategist and making sure that the message is strongly delivered together with on target anchor texts and URLs. There are many small businesses out there looking for an all around guy. So if you are an SEO, you cannot just lock yourself and tell your client that Facebook and Twitter is not your responsibility.
"Organic Web Strategists" should be fine. But Im just worried for those people who are doing PPC, Adwords etc, Inorganic Web Strategists? lol. Now that is fun!
I prefer Awesome Web Strategists as a PPC person, although Super Web Strategists would do...
Totally agree, SEOTEKY! Using Social Media without SEO, would be like a business only telling and expecting a finite number of close Friends to show up at their business or website. Even on LinkedIn, people find you based on your skills or job titles - and more easily if you enter in the top job search terms for your work history (aka the "optimized profile").SEO does work hand-in-hand with information - whether it's a blog, a website or social media profiles.
SEO can be a much more affordable and effective solution than sending out a million emails, direct mailers or newspaper advertisements each day...
SEO is your Top Salesperson, on caffeine, 24X7.SEO is probably the one thing for which we can truthfully say "Build It and They Will Come".
I totally agree with this article, I started SEO 5 years ago just worrying about links and meta data, and now I'm a full-on technical search/social/conversion optimization specialist..you really need to be a all-rounder these days :)
You've made it all sound very intimidating! Bring back the early 2000s! ;-)
It might be a good idea to change the title since a lot of people doesn't know what SEO means.
One time I was opening a bank account at Capital One and the lady who was helping me asked me what was my profession. Then I told her I was a SEO Specialist. She misunderstood me and said: "WOW. You so young and it's already the CEO of the company".
It took me a while to explain it to her that I was a SEO Specialist not a CEO... Imagine the disappointment in her face :(
"Organic web strategist"... another name to further confuse our clients :)
As always, great post Rand. I love the graphics... the second one ends up serving as a handy dandy "SEO Cheatsheet."
Frankly, I think we need to stop thinking of SEO as a seperate Marketing Modality... it's an important tool in any Internet Marketing Campaign, and the Internet is one of the most powerful mediums for Marketing the world has ever seen.
Without a basic grasp of the fundamentals marketing and advertising, an SEO Professional is not going to be as effective as they could be for their clients, and the same is true for Marketing Professionals responsible for other aspects of the marketing campaign.
At the core, we're Relationship Marketers. We need to think of ourselves as Marketers who specialize in building engagement through Organic Search. Haha this is still a simplification of a complex topic, but comment boxes are not the right medium to discuss it in-depth :D.
Nice!One other thing I want to point out here is the evolution of SEOs from consulting agencies to corporate in-house team. On the other hand, treditional web marketers within the team are tasked with an additional responsibility of SEO! So in my opinion, especially in the corporate world, SEO has gone way beyond "core" search engine optimization and tightly integrates with other marketing programs and initiatives.
Also, expectations in the corporate world has changed over the period. When I hire someone for my team or engage an agency, I prefer someone who can help with an end-to-end operations. In otherwords, people prefer someone who can manage the "Ecosystem" than just an SEO. So how about saying:
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The job of "SEO" has evolved from "SEO" to "Web Ecosystem Strategist"!
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Rand, probably a good topic for you to through some light!
Organic Web Strategist. I might have trouble explaining it to my boss, but you're right. Its all about developing and growing. thanks Rand.
However we decided to rebrand ourselves as marketers, the simple truth is that "SEO" as we know it is always changing. As technology changes and the way people use/interact online changes, we have to shift our actions to stay ahead of the curve (or at least with the pack). Could you have imagined back in 2003 what SEO would be like today? Probably not. And who knows how it will have changed by 2020.
2011: SEO = Semantic Engagement Optimization ( Search engine friendly site's social engagement aka Search+Social)
I think Edward Lewis ( pageoneresults on webmasterworld ) or Dana Lookadoo deserves the credit for coining the new term, though I'm not 100% sure exactly who coined it.
Amazing post as usual Rand!
I am currently working as SEO Consultant and my job description do matches the list provided by Rand, only thing is is this really feasible to handle this with the expections are growing in a savage speed from the clients.
This means more work for SEOs. =)
That being said, I guess its time people at SEOmoz people update the Checklist here > https://goo.gl/MgJS
Great post, great timing. I was just having this conversation with a group of SEOs the other day.
One thing I'd say is missing is a little conversion rate optimization. It doesn't even have to be as basic as simple A/B tests (although it couldn't hurt) but when I see pages that aren't converting and they are set up really poorly (from a design, layout, UI perspective), I feel it is my responsibility these days to give them some pointers and be adamant about them fixing it.
What good is highly relevant, ready to convert traffic, if they see some terrible 2,000 word, kw stuffed, dreamweaver hacked landing page?
I'm quite interested in the dip in emphasis on traditionally well-hyped SEO practices - Link Building gets a sidelong mention, Site Accessibility (while still important) is also downplayed...
There's also a lot of apparent focus on not just "content quality" but "ongoing improvement" - keeping up with the trends in web behaviour, rather than simply keeping up with the search engines as previously was the case.
I can't help but think of this as reassuring, as we've been discussing the idea of "Web Presense Optimization" rather than simply search engine optimization itself; especially with Google's recent benchmarking numbers placing average search traffic for surveyed sites at under 30%.
Great stuff, Rand. Always imformative.
I just recently recommended to a client that I do some flash design to improve a banner ad campaign we manage alongside their SEO campaign. They were pleased to learn we could/would do that under the existing scope of our contract. My reply was that if it optimizes your online presence, we are all about it. When it comes down to it, any efforts to effectively optimize the web presence is going to have beneficial effects on the organic search presence as well, be it through first or second order effects.
Is it just me or did content creation not make the list? I mean I can see that it's implied under content syndication, but a quality SEO must know how to create good content first to then syndicate it.
Good list.
Very insightful as usual.
I saw this just as much as an evolution of the role of search marketers as a need for the integration of digital teams to deliver integrated strategies as media channels converge.
Took me a day, but I wrote a response here.
I agree things are evolving and yes Video, Social media and LinkedIn are all within the scope now. You do need people within your organisation or group with skills within each field and its the turn for the Director and chief these days to source the best people for each skill. That is a art in itself.
Team building is key whats that old saying "Jack of all trades master of none"
This is why i like SEO :) something new all the time.
Yeah Online Marketing Manager is probably a good move for SEO's haha..Or Online Strategisit, Inbound Marketing Specialist really you can mix up 100s of titles for yourself.
But yeah it is funny how you still see SEO's who only talk about on page and that is it...still living in 1999 =)
You really need a big skill set to dominate in todays market =) At times you feel like you are doing too much..
I'm going to vote for Inbound Marketer as the replacement title. It's broader, without being too broad "Internet Marketer" sounds (in my humble opinion) a little too suspect.
Aren't you biased Dharmesh ;)... yes, the simpler the better: inbound marketer is actually a definition I use to "explain" what I am.
Yes, I am indeed biased -- and wrote that comment a little too hastily.
My thoughts on why "inbound marketer" makes sense:
1. It encompasses much of what Rand talks about in the article.
2. It's a "natural" step from SEO -- both are about pulling people in organically.
3. The term is already being used a fair amount.
4. There's a book about inbound marketing that lots of "mainstream" people have now read (so if you're selling SEO, er, inbound marketing services, the familiarity helps.
Thanks Dharmesh :).
Just a question, that actually few people asked me. "Is it Inbound Marketing the same of Content Marketing?".
I personally don't think so, as Content Marketing is a big part of the Inbound one, but not all.
An answer from one of the authors of that book would be perfect :)
Great question.
Here's my take: Inbound Marketing is a superset of Content Marketing (i.e. inbound marketing often involves creating content -- but not always).
One example: Lets say you have a phenomenally great product, and people start spreading the word on social media. The visitors/leads/customers you get from this would be (in my mind) inbound marketing. But, technically, you didn't really create content to drive that attention. So, it's not really content marketing.
They're different, absolutely; in the same way that "guest posting" is different than "article marketing."
People that don't understand the difference are the people could either fail their way to learning the difference, or just trust us!
I think that the new title should be "web strategist". Organic isn't enough for the new era.
Rand you missed the mighty 'Analytics'. No wind is favorable if you don't know what port you are sailing to. Analytical skills gives that direction, that valuable insight one need to excel in SEO or any marketing field. All marketing activities from link building, content creation to social network reach are useless if they don't impact the bottomline or can't be measured. Without analytics their is no such thing as 'strategy' or job title like 'organic web strategist'.
I agree our responsibilities have changed but surely the term SEO still an encompassing term? The end result of what SEO'rs do is 'optimisation (whatever that entails) to make them rank higher in search engines' - Search Engine Optimisation
I've been going with "Internet Marketing Strategist" but I like "Organic Web Strategist" too. Maybe it's time for a job title change. :)
I agree with Liza about being an Organic Web Strategist, SEO has become much more complex and strategically more work load as search evolves and improves.
Great Post.
Pretty daunting stuff for someone finding their feet with SEO. I have a lot to learn!!!
Just be sure to exhude confidence so people actually believe you know what you're talking about once you do! :D
Great post.
Yes it's truth that as the saearch egine get more developing more & more SEO's responsibility coming on webmaster to stary updated with the technology & maintaing online presence on Internet.
Great article...totally on-point. But OWS doesn't exactly flow off the tongue like SEO. ;D
How about "multilingual expansion"? Too many people think that English is the only language in the world - and right now it is number THREE (after Chinese and Spanish)!
Over the past year I have found myself doing both in house and for our clients everything on that 2011 list and more... with the more ranging from information architecture to graphic/flash design to CPC/CPM campaigns to web development. In this economy, especially in IT, companies are looking for professionals who are both generalists in a broad array of areas and specialists in critical areas. Which is how my job role over time has evolved to take advantage of my specialties in SEO and web development but also my general competency in social media, content creation, design, info organization (aka my digital librarian skills :-) and more. It's hard to even imagine a job title which would cover my duties (especially when you consider some of the purely development work I've done which had nothing to do with SEO/SEM). I commend you for your effort with "organic web strategist", I like the sound of it. I am presently called a "SEM Analyst" & "Web Developer". It does feel as though I deserve a new title... and probably a raise too :-)
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Great post...Last week i ran a meeting to explain to my SEO team whey they need to improve their marketing skills...Traditional seo is definately dead!
Retweeted this one. Crazy all the changes, but the ever-changing landscape of SEO is what makes it such an exciting job!
Since the responsibilities of SEO have increased so much, I think there has to be a kind of basic industry wide Certification / Degree system. Many people may argue that experince is much more important than certification but how about like any other trade or profession; we have (1) SEO Certification PLUS (2) SEO Experience for the Internet Marketers.
One of the reasons, I get so many calls from people that they claim they are SEO experts and they are trying to sell their services to us, but when you talk with them, you can easily tell that they do not have any knowledge about it. But they sell the service to business owners that do not understand SEO. It is very sad to see small business owners believe those people.. and I understand it is business owners responsibility to check the background & portfolio of SEO agency, but wouldn't it be nice to have another credential that they can ask "are you also certified SEO"?
what do you think about "Certified SEO" or "Certified Internet Marketing Consultant" concept?
Thanks, Lewis
Good point...i think in the future we will see many young men with SEO degree or search degree why not :)
superb information and thanking u for the updates.I will start writing blogs trending for my website
This is the age of branding - if you're not going to BE a brand, you're going to be left behind. People connect with & suggest brands - not generic storefronts. This was always the case, but now you're truly being held accountable for this fact, and perfect SEO isn't going to save you anymore.
I absolutely agree with the need to change name of SEOs, with social networking and all the other changes you pointed out, SEOs certainly need to be all over the web now. organic web strategist seems right.
Great blog post. You summed it up pretty well. Good to see the arial view of the trenches I am in everyday. Thanks again.
PS - image to come. ;)
today seo is changed from previously, it's not only seo, it's all about marketing....
Really useful as I am just putting a spec together for a seo guy but looks like i will now be looking for a " Online Strategist"
Thanks
Yas
Another great post Rand. IMHO SEO has indeed come to be a central part of the marketing function. I am a big beliver in specialization of responsibilities so I agree with those here that distinguish between the scope of SEO and the scope of any one person's responsibilities. Trying to do it all is simply not scalable or effective. It's no longer a one-person job. It takes a team to pull this off well. That team is the new marketing team or whatever you want to call them.
-Jim
Social media outreach is according to me one of the biggest features since the 90s. It's changed the way we all optimize. In social media, I also include blogs which I count as a social media.
Beautiful :)
If you want be a full service agency and handle large corporate clients in New York then you need be well versed in all these things. As to the argument that some of these things are a separate job on their own like community management, that could be true. but nothing stays constant.
This is really useful to see how it has changed over time. I have the current version printed on my desk for reference.
As mentioned by others, our clients don't understand when we slip in the "organic" adjective. If used in conversations, titles, proposals,... they either get a glazed look or ask what we mean. For job title, I've used Web Marketing/SEO Strategist". If I feel it's needed, I'll add Sr. or Director to it - but it's already freaky long. Rand, you've clearly mapped out all the extenuating hats that we are often called on to wear or support, as well as those tasks more recently added. With a long list of clients, it would be insane to claim that I could do it all. But, I can support and educate others with my initial and ongoing research and findings. Just giving them the "dashboard summary" generally will help guide any competent content developer, social media conversationalist, site map designers, PPC campaigners, etc.To be successful (and satisfy our clients' customers' needs), it's highly beneficial to help educate our team on SEO (including basics, updates and things acquired through personal experience). Best advice: Share the love (insights); Keep an eye on trends (in consumer activity and technology); and Be flexible (cause it'll all change).
This post is 100% accurate. SEO's who were once all technical are having a difficult time actually wearing a marketing hat. Search has evolved into something much much different from what it was a decade ago.
Great article and great comments. I really liked it.
thanks randfish sir, we got more resposibilities in perspectives of SEO , where we do SEO in terms of getting better reults in these competition days .
Some sugggested title for roles:
web strategy consultant, web marketing strategist, internet marketing consultant, web content strategist, internet marketing specialist, web marketing expert, social media strategist, digital marketing specialist, web administrator
a.k.a., Virtual Marketing Virtuoso, Mega Media Marketer, and my favorite "Omnipotent Online Orchestrator".
Try to run that one my your boss and peers!
Organic .... interesting article
I think we are missing the non-organic part of this big role. I do understand organic and paid search are completely different but as SEO experts we need to understand the positive synergy between organic and paid search and to find the best way to integrate them. Therefore, in my opinion the organic term does not describe what we really do. SEO expert are essentially webmaster or SEM specialist.
Pierre Uribe
This article makes me feel like singing "I'm every woman... anything you want done baby, I do it naturally" - Chaka Khan
Ok, I am singing it ;-)
Nice article, I also have this printed
Great post as always and the responsibilities of SEO has been upgraded likwise you had also mentioned it in Google Panda Update WhiteBoard friday that the job of SEO as been changed to SEO Strategist.
This rings very true to my current position as SEO at a law firm. I think about 20% of my day is dedicated to getting their sites results and the rest of the time I've become a general web expert. That being said, I enjoy the variety a hell of a lot more than I would if I stuck to my job description.
They should pay more, yes, I like that last sentence
I couldn't agree more!
Here is why Rand is correct: Every aspect he mentions influences search engine rankings. Whether it's a one-man job or not is another story...but the definition of SEO has changed dramatically since search engine ranking ingredients have changed dramatically.
hey its much not great for begner level seo persones can any buddy tell me how optimize maps/places in google.com
Thank you for an informative post, Rand...interesting to read the viewppoints of multiple people here. We have (internally) started to use the term WPS (Web Presence Strategist) given that there is a lot more involved.
I think I'll just change the name of my company to OMG HELP ME SEO!
that's why positions like Search Manager, Search Strategist, Online Strategist etc are becoming more and more popular! we should find a title/name for someone working on social & seo..
Hi Rand, great post, so true. I've written on this matter on several occasions myself but from a somewhat different perspective.
SEO is a key tool in helping businesses 'get found' by their target audience and that's important. It also touches on all the other elements you've discussed and pointed to here, but it is only one element albeit, an important one. Too often I find companies putting all their eggs into the SEO basket, neglecting content, social media promotion, landing page creation for lead capture, development of CTA's, lead nurturing, analytics...and the list goes on. All of this to say? Those within the industry that still see SEO as the exclusive panacea for all web activity are misinformed, asleep at the wheel, have their heads buried in the sand, however you want to describe it, they will soon be irrelevant I think. Todays increasingly complex internet communications, to be successful, require SEO and a whole lot more, implemented in a planned and thoughtful way if you want to see the kind of sustained business growth that's now possible and being achieved by so many companies.
Again, really like this post!
web strategist seems a great fit -it includes ppc and other online tactics that many seo's now perform or manage as well.
Hold on to your hats our jobs are evolving quick
I hope they are white hats!
If only those who did the hiring knew these types of things. There are only a handful of people in most organizations that know what SEO actually entails. Most think it's just "naming URLs" or "picking good keywords" unfortunately.
I agree with you Rand. SEO is changing rapidly and is becoming a field where one person can only do so much. In my case where I'm an in-house SEO, I find myself wondering how I am going to keep up with it all on a daily basis yet still stay focused on growing my skills. I hope people will listen when I tell them we need more resources.
Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But for most of us that have been far too long in this industry these changes are not something we need to take in all at once, so we got used to them and incorporated them into our strategies. All in all, for some clients a basic approach and a few tweaks can do wonder, while for others we need to put on a red carpet and have a dedicated cell phone that is available 24/7 so they can cry on our shoulders because their traffic went 1% down for their favorite search term.
Great topic... Very informative and a very good source of information... Thanks for sharing...
Hi Rand,
If I simply look at the defintion on wikipedia of what SEO is: the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results.
All of the titles of the responsibilites you list, effect the way a website ranks.
Good way to sum it up.
i prefer "website optimization/optimizer". am i the only one?
Another Great post by Rand. But I'm agree with SEO Himashu, Web Analytics will play major role in SEO being with time. Also i think SEO will be more than keywords ranking and it will be not necessary to send keywords ranking report to clintes.
I love the last line of post which are "The job of an "SEO" is so much more than what we think of and talk about as the basics of classic "Search Engine Optimization" that it almost feels as though we deserve a new title... and probably a raise :-)".
Google has knocked out a lot of thin content sites, so the long-tail is more accessible to legitimate SEOs. Which is necessary since high traffic terms are now dominated by brands. So smart keyword research is where it's at ...
I think your list of responsibilities changes according to the size of the business you are helping. You've got to pick and choose.
This is really an amazing article because for 1 time it shows off that we SEOs do not only linkexchanges but even more y are internet marketers.
Thanks for putting it all into a neat little graphic, I may use it presentations (with credit of course). Can you update it weekly to keep up with the rapidly changing face of organic web strategies?
I love it! Agree with a lot of the people above the job title "SEO Specialist" has perhaps had its day. This is probably a good thing as many outside the industry see SEO as a black art. The new position Rand talks about might give us new credibility over time.
Nice post but do all this things need to be done by a single man. For example in software development the tasks are shared among different specialist - front-end developer, back-end developers, DB specialists etc. Having a global vision on all aspects of the developmet process or SEO optimisation is good but we all are trying to specialise in a specifin niche.
I think that focusing on a few niches from the global picture, for example accessibility and content creation and giving hard effor only this area will make you better and improve your speed. And use othher specialist for link building and social media.
I think it is better to be good in few things instead mediocre in many. Do you agree with me?
A spot-on analysis by Rand.
I recently changed my job title from "Head of SEO" to "Head of Search & Social Strategy" as it is all about strategy now, encompassing many additional areas & responsibilities instead of traditionally just SEO. SEO is still a vital role, just now a part of a bigger strategic role.
So can completely relate to this article :-)
Couldn't agree more. Does this mean I can ask my boss for more money?
Just spoken out of our souls!! Too often you have to deal with clients which are not aware of all that effort and think they get all of that for just a small budget.
Now this job for me is full time enjoyable becuase i am always searching for something new in web , want to engae customers to my client sites :) BTW wait for google new update.
I think you highlighted the massive overlap SEO has with other industries - PR for example. We have in-house PRs but work closely with them to ensure they think about getting links with the connections they make.
In Dec. 2010 on one of our blog posts
https://blog.webpro.in/2010/12/seo-and-online-presence-in-2011.html about SEO 2011 we wrote:
_________________________________For SEO 2011
The overall aura generated from all these efforts put together will create your online brand and identity which in turn will reflect on your current and potential online business. The search engine bots will measure all these signals according to the algorithms which the programmers have worked on, the online visitors will make judgments on the basis of what they read on the various platforms about your business and your ROI and social media mentions and comments will give you the answer to where you are heading to on the web world .
All put together SEO is going to emerge as Web Optimzation rather than Search Engine Optimization maybe we need to have a new term for SEO as in order to reach the search engines and SERPs, first you need to have an over all presence on the web.
________________________________________
Yes Rand,
I like the term - "Organic Web Strategist" as all this is possible now with due co-operation from the website owner and his team as specializing in all the above mentioned aspects may not be possible for an individual SEO or a SEO company but surely he/she can work out the best possible strategy as per the web and search engine norms but to execute each and every aspect of the strategy effeciently the SEO needs the support of the web development team, the sales and marketing team, the right attitude from the top management and infact SEO touches nearly every department in the organization in some way or the other for its overall successful execution.
Hence, improving the SEO awareness among the client and making them have realistic expectations from the online presence is an additional duty of the SEO which not only helps him to understand the pros and cons about his business' online presence but also makes him a more savvy user .
Moreover the term "Organic" reminds me of something deep rooted in the earth which gives the balanced nutrition (free from fertilizers and pesticides like spammy links and content) , and that is what optimization does helps you create quality foot prints which creates a deep rooted presence on the web helping you future proof your search engine and web presence and insures immunity against the algoquakes which take place especially on Google in the form of the Panda Updates and the like.
Excellent post, however as mentioned above, analytics analysis + reporting of visits, enquiries + conversions is ultimately what it is all about. A very important responsibility for an online marketing strategist!
Would also encourage clients to also use PPC ads as well, aware this is pushing money elsewhere however also having a presence on newspaper sites or Facebook for example can also send great visits.
As if explaining SEO and what an SEO Specialist does to client's wasn't difficult already:)
Thank you for the post, it is nice to see some acknowledgement toward the large amount of work a good SEO company or strategist must do and know to keep up in the industry.
Am a SEO trainee.This post is very helpfull for knowing more about Internet Marketing strategies.I think now a days more important for link building is based up on Social media sites.These sites are showing very fast and accuracy result in popularity and visits.
" The job of an "SEO" is so much more than what we think of and talk about as the basics of classic "Search Engine Optimization" that it almost feels as though we deserve a new title... and probably a raise :-) "
Great Article Rand! I need to frame this one :)
Rand, I am soooo with you on this. I have been telling my boss for quite a while to change my title from SEO manager to Search Strategies Manager. I am afraid the world SEO itself is kinda dying.I am going to write a post about this on my SEO blog and link to thie article because this artilce is worth linking to.
I totally agree with you rand. Becasue with the advancement of technology in the SEO, this field becomes more vast and vast. New new things and techniques are inventing and now an SEO is not just an SEO. So we should think something more than a simple SEO. The name which you suggest is also very suitable regarding this field.
At the end of day, it has boiled down to large companies doing more of inhouse marketing than outsourcing and small companies are realizing that they have to do it but can't do it all.
They are looking for a person who can take care of all their marketing woes whether it's SEO/PPC or Social Media campaigns.
To make the job difficult, there is too much noise in the market! However, that's true with any upcoming industry. I do think that marketers need to charge more appropriately for their services given the increased load
Thx
Rajat
SocialAppsHQ
"Organic Web Strategist" this sounds really good. Got more responsibilities now
People says that we should thanks Google but we should thanks these techies who analysis that how Google changes they are the real people who deserves to cheer.
Thanks Rand
but i would thanks both, and prior with SEOmoz . .yes
I completely agree with your comment of "if" you can keep up with everything. It is a difficult task to stay up to speed with so many things and not dilute your effectiveness, especially in a one man/woman shop. Things have gotten to the point where clients will call about anything for your input. I guess that's good in that they trust you but can blur the line on what is work versus friendly advice. Thanks for the post.
Here Here!
I'll take a raise please :)
As a seo consultant we must be ready all the time for change. Change is essentially taking something that would otherwise remain the same and turning it into an dissimilar form. That is what exactly happening in SEO.
As humans we are naturally resistant to change, because with change arises new challenges. Many of us don't realize that they can make the choice to change small things in their lives daily that may amount to bigger changes for the better in their future.
New oppurtinities, new title and rise comes with more responsibilties.
"If you are not ready to roll with this dynamic field, SEO is not for you!"
Rand - great post, as always. The information you've supplied is right on. I think the world of organic search, digital and social are becoming more and more blended and it's a very cool (and fast) evolution. It's here. Thanks for posting this.
As someone who's still fairly new to SEO (2-3 years) but has become fanatically involved and obsessed with it in that time, it's weird to hear about the 'old days' of SEO compared to how things are today. From my viewpoint, it's always been about having a lot of skills in a lot of areas, and yet still struggling to effectively balance all the plates.
I suppose while Pay Per Click and Social Media have different platforms to deal with, SEO has its own dedicated areas - I started off only dealing with link building, which is bad from an all-round point of view but great from being specialist and dedicated.
I think it may be an obvious point to make, but if SEO continues the way it is, there'll be an even greater need to have specialist divisions of people working on SEO. Instead of an SEO doing a bit of everything, there'll be a link builder, a copywriter, an on-site technical person, etc. I know it's the case now, but things will steer more that way than ever before, I predict.
I worked in a job where it was assumed because I knew link building, I knew absolutely all areas of SEO, which at the time wasn't the case. So I think there'll be a greater need for people to be aware and realise that someone who does SEO may not actually know or specialise in every single area ever of SEO. This might also mean that a company/department with one SEO person might need to bring in more people to cope with the changes and demands, or rope in an SEO agency, where they might not have done previously.
P.S. £5 says someone is already optimising their agency/freelance site for "organic web strategist" off the back of this post, hehe...
I'm looking forward to seeing how SEO will develop even further in the future. It's already grown so much and so rapidly. When I first started everyone asked "what do you do again?", but more and more often I get people that actually know or at least have an idea of what SEO is.
That rapid growth alone makes me excited to be in the SEO industry!
Great post and comments as usual!
I have always used Digital Marketing Strategist/Specialist and I have always doen SEO and Social Media, and thank goodness for that because now they are so intertwined!
Hey maybe Flash is comming back into play when Design starts to matter. Anyway - I think SEO and web design is merging and we all should be good web designers at the end. And the new titel would be "Online Advertiser" or "Online Advertising Agency". I don't think that the term "Organic" makes sence to an outsider.
I think I'll take this post to the powers at be at my company and ask for a big fat raise! I am an internet marketing dept of "1" and am expected to do all organic SEO mentioned plus manage PPC (for clients), manage almost all content for our own website, monthly newsletters, monthly reports and reviews with retainer clients and then finally upfront IA and content strategy for new client projects.
I am glad I am in good company here at SEOmoz!
It's been less than a year since I landed my dream job as an inhouse SEO specialist, and since then I have been met with new challanges that push the boundries of my title. SEOs will have to continue to improve their skillset and expand their knowledge on this industry and those closely related.
SEO is ever-expanding and I love that feature. It will never get dull, and there will always be a good challange ahead of me.
Thanks for highlighting these significant changes for us Rand. I suspect "organic web strategist" will become a slightly more competative term in the following months and years :)
Hey maybe Flash is comming back into play when Design starts to matter. Anyway - I think SEO and web design is merging and we all should be good web designers at the end. And the new titel would be "Online Advertiser" or "Online Advertising Agency". I don't think that the term "Organic" makes sence to an outsider.
I can't be the only one to notice the "site accessibility" error... :-)
https://www.bulksmsservicesprovider.co.in
Dear Fellows All of you were rite but how come the world is not accepting the newly advancemnt of SEO all clients want is Cheap SEO personal who can Do all the work from them to me its kind of Demotivation anywayz I like sir Rand suggestion as well as Sir Moosa, Keep it up Fellows I am Following you.
Regards,
AaDi Adnan
Dear Prince... You describe surely something that exists,but - let metell it - if it exists is because we let it exists. If we want to be taken seriously as professionals (and if we can demonstrate our professionalism), then we have not to sell cheap our expertise and "wear off our pants" just to have a contract. Because if we do that, we are doomed and will live that over stressing situation again and again for ever and ever.
Sorry to spoil the party, but I would argue that exactly because SEO has now morphed into these other disciplines it has become redundant. The pure SEO skills of old have now lack impact, and the new ones eg social belong in a completely different department.
See my provocative piece 'Why SEO is a defunct industry and deserves to die'
https://www.mallard-digital.com/blog
Mark
Ok... my wait is ended. I was wondering when the first "SEO is dead" comment would have appeared...
P.S.: I've read your post, and it is totally wrong as it talks of an SEO industry that died in 2003 with the Florida update. And to say that PPC is "more honest" than SEO, it's a phrase that shows at least some ingenuity.
I think you are all over it in your article.
I'd phrase it slightly differently - because the big G are so annoyingly smart, white hat SEO advice is now just really about being an advocate for quality (in product, in quality, in community management, ...)
Hi Rand,
I have realized that SEO is one thing appreciated outside India only. In India company's doesn't take SEO much seriously, we are not given much work, not being highly paid as software developers, though we make sites worth by optimizing them, ranking them, making them error free.
I am happy with what i am doing and getting what i always wanted, but thr are still a lot of people in this market trying to carve a niche and still struggling because of the company they are working in.