1 | Critical Thinking
No two SEO strategies are completely identical. Each website comes with unique challenges and opportunities. For this reason, SEO experts need the ability to think creatively and critically to achieve the best outcomes for each new project.
A seasoned Seo professional will quickly grasp the specific issues facing a given website. This assessment could involve a comprehensive review of website analytics to understand user behavior and site performance, research into competitors’ strategies to identify what’s working well for them, or a detailed backlink audit to evaluate the quality and impact of external links.
2 | Project Management
SEO isn’t just about building links, increasing a website’s loading speed, or finding the right keyword phrase. It’s also about effectively planning, executing, and managing projects so you can achieve your objectives within the stipulated time frame.
Even if you work on your own, you need a well-oiled system for planning your tasks and measuring progress. Here’s where project management comes into play.
3 | Data Management
Effective data analysis is impossible without equally effective data management. While most analytics tools do a good job of condensing and presenting data in a digestible format, SEO experts will often need to combine and customize their datasets from various sources to uncover deeper insights. All good SEO pros should be comfortable using spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel.
4 | Decision Making
The ability to make quick, informed decisions is crucial to keep SEO campaigns moving in the right direction.
Since resources are always limited and there’s no failsafe method for SEO success, experts must rely on their own independent judgment, balancing data-driven insights with practical experience. Experimentation and testing are an inherent part of the SEO process. It’s not always clear whether option A or option B is the right choice. Often, the best approach in these situations is to test the most promising option and adapt your strategy in light of the results. The quicker you test, the quicker you can learn and course-correct if needed.
5 | Content Writing
Strong writing skills are a must for anyone managing an SEO campaign. Improving search engine rankings requires the development of relevant and valuable content. But good SEO writing is a subtle art.
For example, it’s essential to seamlessly incorporate keywords into your content. Nothing ruins the reading experience more than a blog saturated with unnaturally-placed keywords. And needless to say, spammy content won’t win you any favors with search engine.