What does an SEO specialist really do?

I am interested in learning about the daily tasks of an SEO specialist. I have heard people mention that you need to have web development skills. Can you please explain what your daily tasks as an SEO specialist entail?

An SEO specialist’s daily tasks are multifaceted and involve a blend of technical, analytical, and creative skills. While web development skills can be beneficial, they are not essential for all SEO roles. Here’s a breakdown of common tasks:

  • Keyword Research and Analysis: Understanding the language your target audience uses to search for information is crucial. This involves identifying relevant keywords, analyzing their search volume and competition, and prioritizing them for optimization.

  • On-Page Optimization: This involves optimizing website content, including titles, headings, meta descriptions, and image alt text, to make it relevant and appealing to search engines. It also involves ensuring the website is technically sound, with fast loading times and mobile-friendliness.

  • Off-Page Optimization: This focuses on building authority and trust for your website through strategies like link building, social media engagement, and guest blogging. It involves reaching out to other websites to secure backlinks to your site, which are considered votes of confidence by search engines.

  • Content Creation and Strategy: SEO specialists often work with content creators to develop engaging and informative content that aligns with keyword research and target audience interests. This can involve writing blog posts, articles, infographics, and videos.

  • Technical SEO: This involves addressing technical aspects of a website that can affect its ranking, such as sitemaps, robots.txt files, and structured data. It ensures the search engines can crawl and index the website efficiently.

  • Analytics and Reporting: Tracking website performance, analyzing user behavior, and reporting on SEO progress is essential to measure the effectiveness of strategies and identify areas for improvement.

While web development skills can be advantageous for SEO specialists, particularly for those working on technical SEO tasks, they are not always required. The focus is on optimizing websites for search engines and driving organic traffic, which involves understanding search engine algorithms, analyzing data, and crafting compelling content.