Hirebook Blog

How to Find a Remote SEO Job that Suits Your Goals

Written by Alina Tytarenko | Mar 17, 2023 2:26:57 PM

All of us are different: we have our commitments, needs, and certain environments that best suit us. A remote job can help cover all important aspects of our lives, keeping them balanced. At the same time, you get a stable job where you can constantly develop. Check what niche is best for you and how you can get the most out of remote SEO jobs in this article.

Should you go after an SEO remote job? 

Remote work can open a world of opportunities for you with a flexible schedule. At the same time, you need to learn how to set boundaries and manage your time wisely to get both results at work and keep balance in your life.

Main points to consider when choosing to work remotely

Remote SEO jobs come with both benefits and challenges. If you manage your time and create a strategy, you can set up your most comfortable work environment.

  • Maintain a results-oriented and self-motivated environment. Working remotely means taking responsibility for your daily routine and adapting the job accordingly. Most companies do not worry when you do your tasks as long as you complete them effectively and on time. There is usually a time period when you need to stay in touch, but other than that, you are free to work in places and at times where you feel the most comfortable and motivated. 
  • Fewer distractions. The office environment can be overwhelming. Working from home or coworking, you get a chance to minimize distractions, doing your job quicker and more effectively. Fewer distractions can ultimately lead to better results. 
  • Flexible schedule. When you have a fixed schedule in the office, life has to revolve around work. With a remote job, it's the other way around. With a flexible schedule, you can choose your working hours and adapt them to your commitments.
  • Boundaries between work and personal life. A flexible schedule means having more time for your personal life and the opportunity to create the life you want. Even though it requires more time management from you, it is still a great chance to fit sports, meetings with friends or family, and other activities into your day.

Market opportunities for remote SEO jobs

An SEO professional can perform a wide range of tasks, so you should choose the niche in which you want to specialize. Technology and digital communication lie at the heart of any professional SEO specialist

SEO/Traffic analyst

Overview: The job of the SEO analyst is to research the market, collect best practices for the industry, and find ways to improve website performance, driving more organic traffic with the help of the content.

Key responsibilities: Analyzing site content, researching and comparing keywords of competitors, monitoring website traffic and performance of other sites, and looking after the content. 

Average wage: $71,701/year

SEM Specialist/Strategist

Overview: Search Engine Marketing specialist helps to achieve great ROI results for ad campaigns by collecting and analyzing data from search campaigns. Such specialists collect trends and insights from Google, maintain budgets and create tests for marketing campaigns. 

Key responsibilities: Analyze keywords, collaborate with other teams to create digital marketing campaigns, create regular reports, and perform competitor analysis.

Average wage: $50,738/year

SEO Account Manager

Overview: An account manager in SEO is responsible for the growth of each team he/she manages. Such specialists plan strategic initiatives, lead collaborations and make sure that all such activities are implemented. 

Key responsibilities: Manage the team of specialists, build growth strategies, closely communicate with clients and develop relationships, perform keyword research, and manage content on the website.

Average wage: $68,097/year

SEO Consultant

Overview: SEO consultants perform a wide range of tasks that help in the implementation of SEO strategies. The job of such specialists is to plan, implement and manage a  full-scale search engine optimization strategy. 

Key responsibilities: Perform keyword research, identify key KPIs, resolve issues, and suggest improvements for process optimization. 

Average wage: $58,799/year

Link Builder

Overview: Link building pursues the goal of increasing a search engine ranking. As links define how relevant the page is for Google, this niche plays an essential role in SEO. Relevant and reliable referrals influence the ranking of the page and improve the overall website quality. 

Key responsibilities: Perform the research of donor sites, target keywords, develop an SEO strategy, build backlinks, and find new opportunities for the niche.  

Average wage: $45,926/year

SEO Copywriter, Content Editor

Overview: SEO Copywriters create high-quality, engaging content that covers all SEO goals. Such content is developed to rank well in search engines, which is key to driving organic traffic to the website. 

Key responsibilities: Create high-quality content pieces that correlate with the SEO strategy, including blog posts, landing page content, and articles; identify search trends and study targeted audience.

Average wage: $60,727/year

7 Qualification needed for remote SEO Specialist 

  1. Proven SEO experience. Any employer would like to see the cases and results you have already brought to the projects you’ve worked on. You can present it as a portfolio with self-directed projects. Focus on the value you’ve brought by giving reports, showing how website performance has changed, and other relevant content.
  2. Advanced SEO knowledge. To effectively perform your job, you need to have a solid understanding of digital marketing, specific terms related to search engine optimization, and customer acquisition processes. Hands-on experience with websites and analytics tools is also important. 
  3. Usage of basic SEO tools. SEO experts need to have experience in working with basic SEO tools that help them effectively check performance, analyze website data, and make informed decisions. Those tools are:
    1. Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics for the website analytics, tracking customer journeys and insights to improve marketing ROI
    2. SE Ranking SEO Checker  for complete website SEO check (website position tracking, health check, on-page SEO, backlink profile analysis, competitive research)
    3. Screaming Frog for advanced website crawling

Extra tip: You’ll need additional remote work tools to stay productive and deliver great performance results no matter what remote job you’re about to get as an SEO professional.

  1. Basic knowledge of programming languages. An SEO expert must have at least basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills. You do not need to learn how to code, but understanding how programming works will help you look after the web page's performance. 
  2. Understanding of ranking factors and search engine algorithms. There are numerous ranking factors that Google uses to determine whether the web page is trustworthy enough. SEO specialists need to know what they are, the most critical factors, and how search engines define which content to show first.  
  3. Follow the latest trends. An SEO niche is extremely dynamic and needs quick adaptation from a specialist. You need to constantly track news in the niche, see the latest content and trends, and keep up with the best practices in both SEO and SEM. 
  4. Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a quantitative, test-driven field. Higher education is usually a basic requirement for any position in the SEO niche. Having a degree in marketing, information technology, business, or communication will set you aside from other candidates.

Soft and hard skills for remote SEO Specialist 

Search engine work implies having a diverse set of skills — both practical knowledge of tools and soft- to cover clients' needs effectively.

  • Critical Thinking. Critical thinking implies analyzing and differentiating causation — where one thing causes another and correlation — where two actions relate to one another.
  • Technical Skills. While you do not need coding knowledge, understanding the basic programming language will be helpful. SEO professionals should know page speed, rendering, lazy loading, server-side redirects, microdata tagging, and basic HTML tags.
  • Analytical processing. Such expertise includes proficiency in problem analysis, the ability to develop solutions to implement SEO strategies, and analytical and research skills. Analyzing high volumes of data will be a part of your daily job.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Despite the niche, communication is a vital part of your expertise. You will need to present strategies to the client, generate reports, and negotiate in written and verbal formats.
  • Client management. Managing your clients will require project management knowledge from you, including setting priorities and managing your time to make sure clients get results when you promise to deliver.
 

6 Steps to finding a remote SEO job

Following these steps, you have a high chance of standing out from other candidates and finding the perfect match in terms of the role and the company. 

1. Build your online brand

Your personal brand is how others present you. What would people say about you if you were out of the room? That’s how a personal brand works — it sells your services while you do your job and minds your business. Just one small detail: building your personal brand is a long process that requires dedication. 

In a nutshell, you have a few options here: 

  • Build your presence on social media (LinkedIn or Facebook) 
  • Create a personal site that reveals both your professionalism and personality 

Ideally, use both of these options. As the world crisis is coming, it is time to spend more effort on standing out and making clients and employers remember you. 

Extra tip: A well-optimized website that ranks high on search results can be one of your cases and sell you to an employer. 

2. Choose an SEO job that suits you via remote job platforms 

Before applying for the job, do some well-thought-out research and think about the job you want to land. What’s the culture? Which tasks do you want to perform? What’s critical in the decision-making process? How flexible do you want your schedule to be? Once you have a direction, start picking the companies and roles that fit your needs and desires — it will simplify the research process. 

3. Customize your resume to the selected role

Mass mailing has been considered ineffective for a long time now. We are talking not only about the cover letter but also about the CV and portfolio. Think about adapting them for each job: you can move critical skills for a  certain job up, showcase projects that will be more valuable to an employer, etc. It takes more time, but it makes you stand out from other specialists, ultimately saving you time in getting the job. 

4. Nail the interview for the remote SEO job

An interview is your best chance to showcase your personality, knowledge, and experience. During the interview, hiring managers try to determine whether you are a good fit for the role and the team — help them with that.

  • Come prepared for an interview, do the research and come up with a few questions about the role. It will show that you take the job seriously from the very beginning. 
  • Learn the company’s culture — it will help you adapt to the tone and personality of the brand and find out whether it will be a good fit for you.
  • Go over common interview questions and make sure you have answers in mind.

5. Ask for compensation based on your strengths and experience

Never underestimate your experience just to get the job. Hiring managers may have concerns if you ask for less money than expected for the position. At the same time, adapt the prices to the market. The best way is to research the average salary while choosing the niche and look at what other specialists get for similar opportunities. 

6. Follow-up on job applications

Communication is key not only during the project work but also during the hiring process. Even if you get a rejection, take your time to reply to the message. Even if you’re not a good fit for each other now, it does not mean you will not meet later in life. Create connections whenever possible — networking is an extremely valuable asset. 

Final Thoughts

While a remote job can be similar to one in the office, it gives you much more space for your personal and professional development. Having fewer distractions and managing your schedule can become a game changer.

If you are thinking about landing a remote job, take your time to perform research, pick a niche you want to develop, and ensure you have all the necessary expertise required for the job. Once you decide to land the job, go the extra mile: create a web page with cases that rank high on Google, build an effective personal brand, and adapt your CV page for each position.