9 SEO Jobs to Explore: Salaries, Responsibilities, and Skills

Key takeaways

• Working in SEO marketing can take different forms. While some SEO jobs require more technical knowledge to improve a website's organic search rankings, others require more creative experience to develop content.

• Being successful in an SEO job typically requires an understanding of marketing, strong strategic and analytical skills, and a curious mindset.

• The landscape of SEO is evolving with the rise of genAI and other advancements, making it a lucrative opportunity for those committed to evolving with the field.

Learn about some of the job titles to consider if you're interested in working in SEO. Afterward, develop job-ready SEO and content marketing skills with IBM's Digital Marketing and Growth Hacking Professional Certificate.

9 popular SEO jobs

Search engine optimization (SEO) professionals play a crucial role in improving a website's visibility in search engine results, driving organic traffic, and enhancing online presence.

The SEO landscape is diverse, offering specialized roles that cater to different aspects of optimization. Whether you work in a more technical SEO job or a more creative SEO job, professionals in this field must stay committed to ongoing learning to keep up with evolving algorithms and remain effective.

All salary data is from Glassdoor as of October 2025.

1. Technical SEO specialist 

A technical SEO specialist optimizes the behind-the-scenes aspects of a website to enhance its search engine visibility and performance. Their core responsibilities include ensuring proper website structure and navigation, optimizing site speed and performance, and implementing correct URL structures and redirects. They also work on fixing crawl errors, improving crawlability, and optimizing XML sitemaps and robots.txt files.

Median US total pay: $86,000

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field

Technical SEO interview questions:

• What do you consider most important for ranking on Google? Why?

• What tools do you use for evaluating website performance? 

• Tell me about an indexing issue you resolved.

• What is your process for increasing website backlinks?

2. Local SEO specialist

A local SEO specialist focuses on optimizing a company's online presence to attract local customers through search engines. They ensure that a business appears in local search results, Google Maps, and other location-based services. This includes managing and optimizing Google My Business listings, creating location-specific content, and building local citations. While a bachelor's degree in marketing or a related field can be helpful, many employers prioritize practical experience and a proven track record in local SEO.

Median US total pay: $86,000

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field

Local SEO Specialist interview questions:

1. How would you optimize a Google My Business listing for better local search visibility?

2. What are some effective strategies for building local citations?

3. How do you approach keyword research for local SEO campaigns?

4. Can you explain the importance of NAP consistency in local SEO?

3. SEO strategist 

An SEO strategist (sometimes called an SEO manager) is responsible for developing and implementing a company's overall SEO strategy. This position typically requires a combination of technical SEO and content marketing experience to effectively execute a well-rounded SEO approach. They'll also be responsible for analyzing performance metrics and reporting results to stakeholders.

Median US total pay: $94,000

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field and SEO experience

SEO strategist interview questions:

• How do you prioritize SEO tasks when working with limited resources?

• Can you describe your process for developing an SEO strategy for a new client or project?

• How do you stay updated with the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes?

• What metrics do you use to measure the success of an SEO campaign?

4. SEO content writer 

SEO content writers create engaging, high-quality content that is optimized for search engines while also appealing to human readers. They combine creative writing skills with SEO best practices to produce articles, blog posts, product descriptions, and other web content that rank well in search results and drive organic traffic.

Median US total pay: $73,000

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in English, marketing, communications, or a related field

SEO content writer interview questions:

• What is your research process, and how do you evaluate sources? 

• How do you get to know an audience?

• What CMS have you worked with?

• What topics do you specialize in? Why? 

5. SEO consultant

An SEO consultant often works independently, helping clients analyze, strategize, and implement best SEO practices. As a consultant, you may work on a long-term basis with multiple clients, or you might provide services for a shorter period or a specific objective. Although some employers may prefer a bachelor’s degree or other formal education, proven experience with SEO may be a more critical skill when working in a consultant role.

Median US total pay: $92,000

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field and SEO experience

SEO consultant interview questions:

• Describe a time when you overcame a challenge in a previous role. 

• What are the tools you rely on when evaluating SEO performance? 

• What steps would you suggest taking to increase page rank?

• How do you measure success? 

6. SEO analyst 

SEO analysts evaluate how websites perform on search engine results and recommend improvements to increase traffic, visibility, or page interactions, depending on the organization’s goals.

Median US total pay: $85,000

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree and prior SEO experience

SEO analyst interview questions:

• What does your process for keyword research look like?

• Keeping up with trends is essential; how do you approach that?

• What resources do you use to analyze SEO?

• Which Google Analytics metrics are most important and why?

7. E-commerce SEO specialist

An e-commerce SEO specialist focuses on optimizing online stores to improve their visibility in search engine results and drive more organic traffic to product pages. They work on various aspects of e-commerce websites, including product descriptions, category pages, and overall site structure, to enhance search performance and user experience.

Median US total pay: $86,000

Education requirements: Bachelor's degree

E-commerce SEO specialist interview questions:

• How do you approach optimizing product pages for both search engines and user experience?

• What strategies do you use to handle duplicate content issues in e-commerce sites?

• Can you explain how you would implement and optimize schema markup for product pages?

• How do you measure the success of your e-commerce SEO efforts?

8. Web analytics specialist

A web analytics specialist collects, analyzes, and interprets data from websites and digital marketing campaigns to inform SEO and overall digital strategy. They use tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior, identify trends, and provide actionable insights to improve website performance and search engine rankings. A bachelor's degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, or a related field is often required, along with proficiency in analytics tools and data visualization.

Median US total pay: $112,000

Education requirements: Bachelor's degree and prior SEO experience

Web analytics specialist interview questions:

1. What analytics tools are you most familiar with, and how do you use them to inform SEO strategy?

2. How would you set up tracking for a multi-step conversion process?

3. Can you explain the difference between sessions, users, and pageviews in Google Analytics?

4. How would you use analytics data to identify and address issues with website usability or content performance?

9. Director of SEO

A director of SEO, sometimes called an SEO manager, oversees all of a company’s search engine optimization work, including keyword research, analyzing SEO performance, and managing projects and content. A director of SEO may manage a team of SEO professionals, such as content writers and technical SEO specialists.

Median US total pay: $170,000

Education requirements: Bachelor's degree (or master's degree in some cases) and several years of SEO experience

Director of SEO interview questions:

• How would you develop and implement a comprehensive SEO strategy across multiple channels and markets?

• Can you describe your experience in managing and mentoring SEO teams?

• How do you stay informed about the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates, and how do you incorporate this knowledge into your strategies?

• How would you approach aligning SEO goals with overall business objectives?

Skills to succeed in an SEO job

Working in SEO requires a strong skill set. Let's review some of the key abilities you'll want to develop and feature on your resume.

Technical SEO skills

• HTML and CSS: Understanding these basic web languages is essential for optimizing on-page elements and making necessary adjustments to website structure.

• Analytics tools: Mastery of web analytics tools for tracking performance and gathering valuable insights.

• Keyword research: The ability to utilize keyword research tools and interpret data to identify valuable search terms and trends is fundamental to an effective SEO strategy.

• Technical SEO audit: Knowing how to conduct comprehensive site audits to identify and address issues related to site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing, and crawlability.

• Content Management Systems (CMS): Familiarity with popular CMS platforms is important for implementing SEO changes efficiently.

• Schema markup implementation: Understanding how to apply structured data markup to help search engines better understand and display website content in search results.

Additional SEO skills

There are also valuable SEO skills worth developing as you gain experience in this field and seek to advance your career.

• Data analysis: SEO professionals need strong analytical skills to interpret complex data from various sources, identify trends, and draw actionable insights. This includes the ability to analyze search rankings, traffic patterns, user behavior, and conversion rates to inform strategy and measure success.

• Adaptability and continuous learning: The SEO landscape is constantly evolving with frequent algorithm updates and emerging technologies. Successful SEO professionals must be adaptable, eager to learn, and able to quickly adjust strategies based on new information or industry changes.

• Creative problem-solving: SEO often requires innovative thinking to overcome challenges. This may involve developing unique content strategies to stand out in competitive markets, finding creative ways to build high-quality backlinks, or devising innovative approaches to technical SEO issues. The ability to think creatively and devise innovative solutions is crucial in this field.

Learn more: SEO Certification: What It Is and How It's Beneficial

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