Freelance SEO Specialist

 

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is part of a larger digital marketing strategy and refers to optimizing content published on the internet so that users can easily find that content when they use a search engine.

You’re likely no stranger to using search engines, such as Google or Bing. People use them all the time to look up information. The search engine uses complex algorithms to make its best guess as to which webpages contain the content you’re looking for and displays them in order of relevance.

If you write an article or otherwise create content to be published on the internet, you ideally want it to generate high rankings so that internet users can find it easily—ultimately improving your organic traffic results. The problem is that there’s a lot of content on the internet already, and there may be quite a bit of it that’s similar to what you published. SEO is how you can make it so that your article or webpage is what users find.

The algorithms that determine what content to return when a user performs a search are complex and continually evolving. Because of this, a successful SEO campaign requires a certain amount of skill and expertise. This is why businesses are willing to pay freelancers who know how to navigate this terrain and craft content that will improve their search engine rankings.

What are the tasks of an SEO freelancer?

An SEO freelancer creates and optimizes content on the web. In particular, they employ various strategies when creating that content so that it’s more likely to show up as a top search result. Their ultimate goal is to get people to the webpage in question.

Some key strategies employed by SEO freelancers include:

• Keyword research: In its simplest form, keyword research is the process of identifying the queries that will lead searchers back to your site. Once you determine which words or phrases people are using, you can include those specific words and phrases in your content title, headings, and body. The goal is to use these keywords strategically in your content to get it rank higher in Google.
• Competitor analysis: Competitor analysis involves comparing your content to content created by competitors who rank highly. Through a technical SEO audit, you can identify what you’re already ranking for and identify any gaps with your competitors’ rankings to help you prioritize specific keywords in your SEO strategy.
• On-page SEO services: On-page SEO refers to the SEO strategies that can be deployed on the website or webpage where you’re posting content. These page optimization strategies include but are not limited to detailed meta tags, including structured data within your content, adding relevant internal links, etc.
• Media outreach and link building: Link building is the art of getting other sites to link to your content (these links are often referred to as backlinks). Search engines view links as votes of confidence, and with enough external sources pointing at your site, it will likely rank higher as a result. There are multiple ways to generate backlinks, including promoting your content to publishers in hopes of getting a story that will link to your site or seeking out guest posting opportunities.
  

The SEO skill set is highly sought after by businesses or individuals who rely on internet traffic. For some businesses, particularly e-commerce, funneling traffic toward their webpages is how they gain customers or make people aware of their products or services.