What Does An SEO Specialist From First Page Do

If you want your website to stand out in today’s crowded online space, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is something you should consider. And when it comes to optimising your site for search engines, an SEO specialist can help in finding out and resolving issues within websites to direct more website traffic to it. So, what exactly is an SEO specialist, and what do they do?

To better understand the day-to-day tasks of an SEO specialist, we asked some experts from our team to share more about what they do. Keep reading, especially if you’re wondering how an SEO specialist can help your local business.

What Is An SEO Specialist

Before we get to know what an SEO specialist is and what they do, let’s start with the basics – what exactly is SEO?

According to SEO specialist Nigel Seah, it’s all about getting your webpage to rank on the first page of the search engine results pages (SERPs). And to make that happen, the 28-year-old further adds that you need the expertise of an SEO specialist who understands the three pillars of SEO – on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.

SEO Team Lead Shahnawaz Chougle agrees that an SEO specialist’s primary goal is to improve the visibility of a website on the SERP and drive organic traffic to it. In other words, they help businesses like yours optimise their website so they can rank higher on Google’s search results page.

The goal of SEO specialists, to put it simply, is to help optimise clients’ websites to improve their search engine rankings on Google, as SEO Associate Emily Gouw put it.

To do what an SEO specialist does, Shahnawaz mentions that SEO specialists must have a strong understanding of the following:

• Search engine algorithms;
• Performing technical SEO audits, keyword research, on-page optimisation, and link building;
• Using analytics tools such as Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, SEMRush, Ahrefs, etc.

The Job Description For SEO Specialists

Now that we know what an SEO specialist is and what it does, let’s get to know the specifics–what are the responsibilities of SEO specialists?

Whether you’re someone considering hiring an SEO specialist or starting out as a SEO specialist and wondering what your job entails, our SEO specialists share the responsibilities included in their role. The three specialists enumerate the following tasks that SEO specialists may perform:

1. On-page SEO

One of the critical tasks of SEO specialists is on-page SEO which involves optimising a website to ensure its content is user-friendly and provides value to visitors at the same time. Their end goal is to ensure that your website is easy to navigate and contains valuable content for site visitors to send positive signals to search engines and improve your ranking on SERPs. To be specific, SEO specialists may perform the following for on-page SEO:

• • Conduct keyword research. SEO specialists analyse search data to identify relevant keywords and search terms that people are using to find products or services similar to those offered by their website. Simply put, it involves looking for keywords that will reach the intended audience, as shared by Emily.
  • Optimise website content. SEO specialists must create and optimise website content, including meta tags, descriptions, headers, and other elements, to make them more search engine friendly.
  • Conduct competitor research. SEO specialists do this to identify the types of information, headers, and subheaders that should go into each page to maximise the chance of ranking for the target keywords.
  • Collaborate with other marketing professionals. SEO specialists also work closely with other marketing professionals, including content creators, paid media managers, and marketing professionals, to create and execute comprehensive marketing campaigns that integrate SEO strategies.
  • Ensure that there are specific internal links placed on the web pages. SEO specialists do this to help users navigate the site and to help Google understand the relationship between pages.

2. Technical SEO

Aside from on-page SEO, SEO specialists also need to do technical SEO, which ensures your website is easy to crawl for search engines and navigate for site visitors. To do this, SEO specialists need to:

• Perform technical audits. SEO specialists perform a comprehensive review of a website’s technical aspects that can impact its search engine rankings. Their goal is to identify and address any technical issues (which involve crawling, indexing, and ranking web pages) that may affect a website’s visibility. Emily adds that they also provide clients with recommendations on addressing technical issues.
• Optimise site speed. SEO specialists also need to do site speed optimisation, which involves addressing specific CSS and Javascript issues and auditing a website indexation using Google Search Console’s error reports. They also need to optimise robotx.txt files and perform XML sitemap audits.

3. Off-page SEO

Aside from on-page SEO, there’s also off-page SEO which involves optimising ones that happen outside of your website. Off-page SEO requires gaining links from other websites, sharing on social media platforms, and having mentions of your website all over the internet. To be specific, SEO specialists need to:

• Audit the site’s existing backlink profile. SEO specialists do this to identify spammy links to disavow them.
• Build high-quality backlinks. SEO specialists create and execute a link-building strategy to increase the number of high-quality backlinks to the website, which can improve its search engine ranking.
• Monitor website traffic and search engine rankings. SEO specialists also use analytics tools to monitor website traffic and user behaviour and track search engine rankings to measure the effectiveness of SEO efforts.

How Can SEO Specialists Help Your Business

With such a long list of responsibilities that SEO specialists help with, how do they exactly help your business?

SEO specialists can help your business in multiple ways, as Shahnawaz answers. SEO specialists like him can help improve your website’s visibility and drive traffic, increasing your online presence. This, in turn, can help your business reach your desired target audience. Emily adds that you’ll also gain greater brand awareness and leads.

To enumerate, here are five ways SEO specialists can help your business:

1. Increase website traffic
2. Improve online visibility
3. Create a local presence
4. Improve the functioning of your website
5. Build your site’s authority

Benefits Of Working With An SEO Specialist

To put in simpler terms, working with an SEO specialist can benefit you in several ways:

1. Save time and resources

Instead of learning SEO on their own or delegating it to in-house marketers, Nigel and Emily agree that SEO specialists can help business owners free up their time to focus on other areas of the business where they have more expertise. Nigel also adds that in-house marketers would need much time to learn SEO from scratch, including reading and testing.

2. SEO specialists have experience

Besides saving time, you’ll benefit from the experience of SEO specialists from agencies, which means fewer worries about encountering mistakes as you can rely on the expertise of experienced SEO specialists. SEO specialists from SEO agencies like First Page have much experience working with clients of various sizes (SMEs to MNCs) and industries.

“Chances are, they probably would have already worked with clients in the same industry as you and would’ve already learnt the best practices related to your field.” Nigel shares.

An example is First Page’s success story on how we helped a florist increase their ecommerce business revenue, a local automotive business improve their ranking, and a local bakery grow their website traffic–all through SEO marketing.

3. Get answers & SEO solutions tailored to your brand

Aside from saving time, you also get answers to your SEO concerns when you work with an SEO specialist. Emily explains that SEO specialists can answer any SEO concerns you have for your brand. They also craft a tailored SEO strategy specific to your website’s situation.

4. Increase your website traffic and boost your online visibility

Aside from the experience of SEO specialists, you can also rely on them to get the work done. When you work with an SEO specialist, Shahnawaz explains that someone experienced can do the heavy lifting of optimising your website for search engines. In doing this, they can increase the number of visitors to your website, resulting in more leads, sales, and revenue. They can also increase your brand’s online presence, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

5. Provide insights and analytics

Aside from getting the SEO work done, Shahnawaz shares that SEO specialists also provide SEO insights and analytics. He adds that they use various analytics tools to track website traffic, user behaviour, and other metrics, which helps them provide valuable insights. This can help businesses make the necessary adjustments in marketing strategies and business decisions.

6. Maximise Return On Investment (ROI)

SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy that can generate long-term results, making it an excellent investment for businesses looking to maximise their return on investment. But, SEO marketing strategies can only be effective when done right. So, it’s only essential to work with an SEO specialist to do the SEO strategies to maximise your SEO investment.

Should You Work With An SEO Specialist

Our short answer? YES!

Hiring an SEO specialist is a smart move for businesses looking to improve their online presence and attract more customers. With a LOT of tasks involved in optimising a website, it can be overwhelming to handle it all on your own.

When you partner with a top SEO agency in Singapore like First Page, you can save time and resources while ensuring that your website ranks higher on the SERPs. Plus, when you work with us, you get access to a full suite of digital marketing services to help you achieve your business goals. Contact us to learn more and start crafting a tailored SEO strategy for your e-commerce website.