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Master the Role of an SEO Strategist Today

Ginny Dwyer November 21, 2024 6 min read Share

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In today’s digital landscape, mastering the role of an SEO strategist has become essential for a business looking to drive online visibility and growth. Search engine optimization (SEO) is more than just ranking on search engines; it’s about connecting with your audience, understanding their needs, and delivering relevant content that resonates with them.

Today, marketing professionals wear many hats, including boosting organic traffic, increasing a website’s domain authority, and aligning content to meet business goals. In this dynamic environment, an SEO strategist is a key collaborator. Depending on the organization’s size, they work closely with the marketing, SEO, web developers, and sales team. Together, they are responsible for planning, implementing and managing the company’s overall strategy, making each an integral part of the team.

We will walk you through the skills, strategies, and tools needed to excel in SEO and stay ahead of your competitors. Understanding the importance of search engine optimization and everything it encompasses will heighten your brand’s online presence and attract more qualified leads, strengthening your business growth.

What Does an SEO Strategist Do?

An SEO strategist develops and implements strategies to improve a website’s visibility in the search engines leading to more organic traffic and conversions.

Let’s look at their key responsibilities, skills required, and types of SEO:

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct keyword research: Identifying keywords that target audiences use to search for products, services, or information is a core task. SEO strategists use tools like Ahrefs and Semrush to find high-value keywords that align with user intent and business goals.
• Develop content strategies based on research: Strategists work with content teams to produce content that will resonate with their audience and perform well on search engines.
• Link-building strategies: The strategies should include internal and external link building. Internal links connect related content within the same website, improving user experience and helping boost SEO as search engines can understand the content and context of your pages better. External links or backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. The links increase site authority and search engine rankings.

Skills Required:

• Analytical thinking: turning data into actionable insights to improve website performance.
• Familiarity with SEO tools: Using tools including Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and others will help gain insights and draw conclusions about what’s working or not working to make better-informed decision-making.
• Content marketing knowledge: SEO and content marketing go together; one involves creating content, the other involves optimizing that content.

Types of SEO:

On-page SEO: On-page SEO optimizes the content you’ve created for specific keywords and user intent. A website with well-maintained on-page SEO has a better chance of ranking on the search engines.

Off-page SEO: Building links takes effort and time. Organic links are what you should strive for—meaning people link to your relevant content for a reason. One reason is that the content helps educate their audience and is considered a link that you earned.

Other links can be obtained by writing guest posts on relevant sites or using a third party to purchase links. (We do not recommend purchasing links unless they are a high-quality provider that has built a reputation for link building campaigns and is known for their outreach strategies.)

Technical SEO: Technical is unlike on-page and off-page SEO which focuses on content and external links. Technical deals with improvements that help website performance such as page load speed and core web vitals. It helps Google bots crawl and index your site’s pages.

Local SEO: Local SEO improves your ranking in local search results. Because Google and Google Maps are the top places people search for local businesses and “near-me” solutions, local SEO efforts are heavily skewed towards optimizing Google Business Profile (GBP).

Steps to Master the SEO Strategist Role

You need to build a solid foundation in various aspects of SEO, stay current with industry trends and develop hands-on experience.

Because SEO is constantly changing, educate yourself, keep track of your content results, use tools to help you get the answers you need and stay updated on algorithms and industry changes.

Step 1: Educate Yourself

There are online courses from established sources like Semrush Academy, HubSpot certifications, and SEO blogs to follow that will provide a lot of information and education. But the best education is hands-on, roll up your sleeves and learn by doing.

Step 2: Implement Real Projects and Study Results:

Keep track of your SEO results, and you’ll soon see trends and learn different tactics and techniques that work. And SEO strategists know, results take time.

Step 3: Leverage SEO Tools:

Get comfortable with industry-standard tools (Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz).

Step 4: Stay Updated:

Stay informed on algorithm updates, industry changes, and SEO trends.

SEO Trends to Watch

SEO is constantly evolving, with search engines updating algorithms to improve user experience and deliver more relevant results. Staying current with SEO trends can help you adapt your strategy and stay competitive.

Here are the top SEO trends to watch:

1. AI and SEO:

AI is a growing influence in search engines and content generation. Focus on natural, conversational language and comprehensive content that answers a wide range of user questions within a topic to align with how AI interprets queries.

Google announced new updates and any business that is using search or PPC needs to understand.

2. Voice Search Optimization:

As more users rely on virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, voice search continues to rise. Voice searches are typically longer and more conversational. Optimize for long-tail keywords and question phrases (“who,” “what,” “where,” “how”) to capture voice search traffic. Structuring content with FAQ sections can also help voice search SEO.

3. User Experience (UX) and SEO:

Prioritize site speed, mobile compatibility, and overall user experience. Regularly check Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console and use tools like PageSpeed Insights to optimize your pages.

4. People Also Ask Boxes:

Include questions and answers within your content that are likely to appear in People Also Ask boxes. Tools like AnswerThePublic and Google’s own PAA boxes can help identify popular questions to address.

5. Featured Snippets and Zero-Click Searches:

Featured snippets and zero-click searches (where users get their answers directly on the search results page without clicking) are rising. Google prioritizes these snippets to provide quick answers, especially for question-based searches. Structure your content to answer questions clearly and concisely. Use bullet points, numbered lists, and headings to increase your chances of being featured as a snippet.

Challenges for SEO Strategists and How to Overcome them

Frequent Algorithm Updates

Challenge: Google and other search engines frequently update their algorithms, affecting rankings and SEO strategies. Significant changes can sometimes undermine previously successful tactics.

Solution: Stay informed by following industry updates from sources like Google’s Search Central Blog, Moz, and Search Engine Journal. Test changes on smaller pages first and track the impact of algorithm shifts on site performance. Adopt a long-term approach, focusing on high-quality content and user experience rather than temporary tactics.

Competing for Keywords

Challenge: As more businesses invest in SEO, the competition to rank for high-value keywords becomes fiercer, making it harder to achieve top rankings.

Solution: Identify niche keywords or “low-hanging fruit” that competitors may overlook. Focus on long-tail keywords, which are often less competitive and have higher intent. Additionally, develop a unique content strategy to differentiate your brand, including multimedia like videos, infographics, and interactive elements.

Client Expectations

Challenge: SEO’s impact is often long-term and indirect, making it difficult to measure and communicate its ROI to stakeholders who expect quick results. Set realistic SEO goals and timelines to avoid frustration and confusion over expected results.

Solution: Track specific KPIs like organic traffic, conversions, keyword rankings, and bounce rates to quantify SEO’s value. Use tools like Google Analytics to create visual reports, showing how SEO efforts contribute to lead generation, sales, or brand visibility over time.

Limited Resources and Budget Constraints

Challenge: Many SEO initiatives require a significant investment in tools, content creation, resources (people) and technical optimization. Budget constraints can limit the scope of SEO work, especially for smaller businesses.

Solution: Prioritize SEO tasks that will yield the most significant impact with minimal investment. Free or affordable SEO tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Ubersuggest can help with keyword research and performance tracking.

Consider hiring an agency with all the skills and tools needed to do the job.

Final Thoughts on SEO Strategist Today

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential in today’s digital world because it helps businesses and content creators enhance their online visibility, attract more qualified traffic, and improve their credibility with search engines and users alike.

Consider why SEO matters . . .

• Organic traffic often has a high conversion rate because users have a clear intent, meaning they’re more likely to become customers or engaged readers.
• A website consistently appearing near the top of search results builds user trust, which can translate into customer loyalty and brand credibility.
• Enhanced user experience leads to better engagement, lower bounce rates, and increased time on site—all of which help with SEO rankings and ultimately, customer satisfaction.
• An effective content strategy built on SEO principles ensures your website not only attracts visitors but also provides information that answers their questions and meets their needs.
• By staying competitive in search results, businesses can level the playing field, attract their target audience, and gain market share without needing the same budget as larger competitors.

Now consider using a growth-driven agency to achieve all the benefits SEO offers and sustainable growth for your business.

Responsify helps B2B organizations grow by creating educational and engaging content for their audience to drive traffic, generate leads faster, and rank higher. With Responsify, you’ll immediately have an entire team of dependable and cost-effective talent at your fingertips. We’d love to understand your challenges and help you explore new opportunities. Get an assessment now.