What skills or qualifications do you need for freelance SEO?
There are no specific qualifications or exams which are required before you can become an SEO consultant. Although an increasing number of courses and even Masters Degrees which may be relevant, none are strictly necessary.
A number of general freelance skills will help you become successful, including being organised and being able to effectively manage a growing number of clients and projects. Good communication is also extremely important, whether it’s writing reports, creating presentations, or holding client meetings. Especially when you need to explain technical concepts, without jargon and buzzwords.
You should also be interested or passionate enough to develop a good working knowledge of SEO and general digital marketing. You may often be required to work alongside specialists in content, social media or paid advertising, so it’s very useful to understand how each discipline can help each other.
Some freelancers will focus on moving towards an agency business as early as possible, which means focusing more on management skills than hands-on SEO. But assuming you’re going to be working directly with at least a few clients, there are some core abilities you’ll need:
Keyword research – identifying relevant search terms and phrases which ideally have high volumes and relatively low competition
Basic HTML – an increasing number of SEO consultants are very proficient programmers, but the very least you’ll need is an understanding of HTML to make simple changes where required.
Intermediate content writing and SEO knowledge – it’s important to understand how content on a web page impacts relevancy. And it’s also helpful if you can write and edit content effectively to make the required changes.
An understanding of technical SEO requirements, and their impact – you might never need to actually code technical changes. But you should be able to explain what’s needed, and the benefits it will produce.
Good knowledge of current SEO trends and changes – It can take time for improvements to be implemented and show results. Which means it’s vital to know what search engines might be changing in the near future, and how the latest Google algorithm updates might impact your clients.
Knowledge of Analytics and Data Consoles – As a freelance SEO consultant, you’ll need to justify your rates by demonstrating the positive impacts of your work. And that’s difficult if you don’t know how to use the most common analytics software (Google Analytics), and identify the benefits of SEO. And you should also understand how to use Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and any other data provided by each search engine.
How to find better freelance SEO jobs and clients?
The short, but challenging, answer to finding better freelance SEO projects is to simply do great work, build a good reputation, and get high quality referrals.
Some very successful SEO consultants have built their entire careers around simply delivering above and beyond what’s expected of them. And over time, that’s delivered enough projects to ensure they’re never short of work.
Others have built on this by publicly sharing their knowledge, either via blogs, third party websites, or social media. If you enjoy writing or chatting online, then this can be a great way to demonstrate your skills and results. And you don’t have to wait until you’re an SEO expert to begin sharing your journey, as many consultants have documented their learning progress from the early stages of their careers.
This can drive huge interest, particularly if you’re sharing useful snippets of code, time saving spreadsheet formulas, or workarounds for particular SEO problems that you’ve found useful. If you’ve encountered an SEO issue and can’t find a solution quickly online, the chances are that you’re not alone.
Online networking is incredibly useful, and there are various lists of SEO professionals to follow on social media, or chats to take part in. Building good relationships is key, as this may help you get access to more selective and private groups. Don’t spam or annoy people, but wait for the right opportunity to ask a relevant question or offer something genuinely helpful.
And meeting people in the real world is still extremely helpful. Probably the biggest events in UK SEO each year are the twice annual BrightonSEO conferences. But smaller local meetups can also be a great way to build new contacts, or present your own knowledge. Attending more general events can also be a great way to find clients, as you may be the only SEO specialist in the room able to explain why businesses are struggling.
If you’re looking for inspiration, why not check out our interview with freelance SEO consultant Steve Morgan.
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