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Entry level in the world of SEO can mean many things.
It may mean that candidates have little or no experience.
Or it may require a handful of years of SEO work under your belt.
Most SEO jobs (64%) do not require a college degree, according to Backlinko. SEO Jobs Report. But most require two to five years of experience.
Many SEO agencies rely heavily on beginner or novice SEOs. This is because it is more profitable.
This business model can work, but it will usually require intensive training.
You must always protect the quality of your work and keep customers happy.
You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your junior SEO is providing guidance that isn’t on par with the SEO expertise of your client base.
Assuming you’ve already qualified your hires through some critical SEO interview questions (modified for an entry-level candidate), and assuming your candidates have the soft skills needed to succeed in SEO, here you have a few ways to get your new SEO hires up to date and contributing.
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Ensure new SEO hires are up to date with industry best practices
Right off the bat, you want to make sure they understand SEO best practices and concepts. If they have little experience with SEO, this means coaching them in key areas.
Different types of SEO learning resources accomplish different things. For example:
SEO training courses can provide a broad overview of SEO as a whole or key areas of SEO (eg technical SEO, on-page optimization, content writing for SEO, etc.). While a general introductory video is a good place to start, your students will benefit from a structured course. When it comes from a trusted resource, this is a great way to get entry-level people up to speed on important concepts.In-depth articles and eBooks can give a unique perspective on an SEO topic or topic in no time. There is no shortage of SEO experts providing thought leadership to either their own websites or third-party industry sites.SEO industry news sites they are essential daily reading for anyone working in our industry, regardless of your level. They can help your entry-level SEOs familiarize themselves with what’s happening now with Google and search marketing in general. SEO is a fast-moving industry with many changes, so it’s critical to encourage your staff to spend time reading these websites as part of their ongoing training.SEO Events can provide a deep dive into SEO. These multi-day events (either online or in person) contribute to the education of any SEO, especially if they are a novice.
Be careful about sending your newly hired junior SEO out into the wild to find their own educational resources. Provide a list of trusted sources they can learn from. But encourage them to come to you with opportunities that interest them.
Most importantly, give them a training budget. Investing in them is an investment in your SEO agency.
Make sure new SEO hires are trained in your SEO methodology
Some new SEO hires can bring unique skills to the table, and you don’t want to stop them from doing so.
But make sure they have a framework to work with. Being armed with industry best practices starts your new SEO hire off on the right foot.
Beyond that, most agencies have a way of doing things. Training on your agency’s procedures and preferences is a matter of making sure you have these practices documented so your new hires can get up to speed right away.
This also includes the ways in which your agency manages projects (this is almost as important as the work itself).
Create a system of checks and balances
Failure to monitor the work of any new hire can spell trouble for your brand’s reputation and your company’s bottom line.
To protect your customers and your brand, ensure that senior staff are included in any projects the new hire is working on for a period of time. A senior SEO working alongside entry-level SEO can ensure that the work is solid.
This also allows senior staff to mentor new hires as they collaborate on a project.
There is no better SEO education than hands-on experience, and this mentorship will provide education on both how to do SEO and how to handle clients.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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About the author
Bruce Clay is the founder and president of Bruce Clay Inc., a global digital marketing optimization company offering search engine optimization, PPC management, paid social media marketing, SEO-friendly site architecture, content development and SEO tools and education. Clay authored the book “Search Engine Optimization All-In-One For Dummies,” now in its fourth edition, and “Content Marketing Strategies for Professionals.” He wrote the first web page analysis tool, created the Search Engine Relationship Chart®, and is credited with being the first to use the term search engine optimization. Bruce Clay’s renowned SEO training course is available online at SEOtraining.com.
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