Written by Izabela Wisniewska
To answer this question we first need to define success in the context of SEO, because ‘success’ can often be a rather ambiguous word.
For the purpose of this post let’s agree that to be a successful as an SEO or digital marketing expert, one must be able to accomplish a client’s goals, have good client retention and be satisfied personally with the job itself.
So how do you do this, you may ask. For the most part, it’s a combination of good knowledge and decent experience in your field of work, as well as possessing a good understanding of what it takes to run a business.
As you probably already know, both in Search Engine Optimisation and business, some things will be outside your control. So no matter how good you are, you will also need a bit of good luck from time to time.
Never stop learning
My number one tip would be to never stop learning; never assume you know it all. From the changes to the search algorithm to emerging features and cleverways of using Google Analytics, the search landscape is changing very fast and the only way to keep up is to keep learning. We are quite lucky in our industry, as there are plenty of free educational resources and great blogs available that can help keep you abreast of it all. All you have to do is to put some time and effort into studying them.
Keep testing
As I have just mentioned above, there are plenty of learning resources on the web. However, there will come a time when you will need more than what’s available on other people’s blogs. The best way to discover and learn more is to do your own testing; by running your own test projects you will find answers to the questions that haven’t been answered before. Testing can be time consuming and expensive but if done correctly you can learn a lot and then implement your findings.
Learn to make good choices
This one is very important. I’m talking about good choices when it comes to picking your clients as well as which of the marketing strategies and channels you should use. If you make the wrong choices you will only set yourself up for failure. Always try to pick clients whom you feel comfortable working with and where you think you can add value to their business.
Take time to understand your client’s needs
Make sure you know what your client’s goals are. Never assume anything; just because you think certain KPIs are important, your client won’t necessarily view those KPI’s in the same way. In fact, they may have completely different priorities. Take time to understand and meet their needs, because it will help you keep clients on board in the long run.
Pick the right tools for the job
Our industry is a awash with tools – there are literally hundreds of SEO tools and apps available online. Make sure you always have the right set of tools to hand for your projects, and always try new tools. Most of them will have free trails (and if they don’t, go ahead and ask them for one anyway). We often get lazy and keep using a tool just because we get used to it. What I suggest is that you should always be on the lookout for new and better tools that will make your job easier.
Productivity plays a big role
Productivity can make a massive difference to your success as an SEO expert and business in general. A lot of the work involved in digital marketing can be very complex and time consuming with lots of constituent elements. Having the right productivity habits, processes and tools will make a big difference to your efficiency. These can be simple steps like making sure you have a ‘to do’ list and keep track of the time you spend on each project. If you have a team, make sure they have the best tools to communicate with each other and manage each project effectively. One of the tools I could recommend for project management is Trello.
Learn how to manage client’s expectations
No matter how good you are at Search Engine Optimisation, if you fail to manage your client’s expectations you will quickly find yourself in trouble.
Clients will often have very unrealistic expectations, especially when it comes to SEO. This could be anything from increasing conversion rates from 0.25% to 20% on their overpriced product to achieving page one ranking for a super-competitive keyword. Of course, sometimes they will also expect you to do this on a shoestring budget. This is not unusual and I don’t blame clients for this either – they are not digital marketing expert so having unrealistic expectations is an easy trap to fall into. Your job as the expert is to educate your clients. Once they know the mechanics of SEO and search in general, their expectations will become more realistic.
Summary
So there you have it, my tips for becoming a successful SEO expert. If you’ve got some tips of your own, I’d love to hear more – please leave them in the comments section below.
