Search engines make it easy for people to find what they are searching for. So what is search engine optimization and how can you become a freelance search engine optimization specialist SEO specialist or SEO expert? This article is an introduction to Search Engine Optimization starting with what is SEO? Have you ever wondered what happens when you search for a product or a service or a question on search engines? Do you often see a result displaying different websites (in order of their relevance to what was searched) after initiating a search? The results you see are websites that contain keywords or key phrases of what you have searched for. WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)? Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO, involves different steps that can help a website to achieve a higher ranking on search engines. It is the process of increasing the visibility of website pages or content on search engines. SEO is a popular term among webmasters, retailers, and marketers who need higher rankings and free/organic traffic. It is one of the most important considerations for any website owner. The term "Search Engine Optimization" is derived from “Search Engine”. Google, Yahoo, Bing, and DuckDuckGo are the most popular search engines today, arranged in the order of the most prominent to the least prominent. Over half of the world internet users use Google to search for whatever they need. How search engines work Whenever a user initiates a search on search engines, search engine spiders (a sophisticated technology) will crawl millions of web pages and fish out the ones that contain what the user input on the search box. For instance, if you search for “LED lights manufacturers”, the first set of results after the “Ad” results would be websites: that talks about LED lights (probably a blog or something) that sells LED lights (probably an eCommerce store or an affiliate site) the manufacturers or suppliers of LED lights Any website that caters to any of the aforementioned would most likely be fished out by search engines. However, a websites’ position on SERP (Search Engine Result Page) will be determined by the quality of the SEO invested. WHO IS A SEO EXPERT OR SEO SPECIALIST? An SEO specialist or expert is someone who optimizes websites to achieve higher search engine rankings. The SEO expert is abreast with the skills, knowledge, and technical know-how on getting more traffic to a website from search engines. An SEO expert or specialist plans, outlines, and implement SEO strategies that will provide relevant answers to what people are searching about in industry through search engines. The SEO specialist starts by researching popular keywords that are relevant to the industry before finding out ways the audience will search for things pertaining to that industry. SEO experts can work as a freelancer or can be employed in an SEO firm. ELEMENTS OF SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Keywords Meta tags Title & descriptions Image descriptions IMPORTANCE OF SEO TO WEBSITE OWNERS SEO is important for businesses and brands. Below, we will highlight five benefits of SEO for individuals and companies. Basically, the main benefit of SEO is to increase a website’s ranking and visibility on search engines. If done right, SEO can also increase the relevance and reputation of a company/brand/business. SEO is the fastest way to drive quality traffic to a website. SEO improves the usability and the overall user experience of a website. It is only natural for visitors to trust websites that appear on the first three SERPs than others. SEO OPPORTUNITIES FOR FREELANCERS Every business relies on targeted traffic to succeed. Without the right traffic, you are already out of business. If you own an online store, you need traffic to sell your physical products. If you sell digital products or software, you need traffic. As a freelancer, you need traffic (clients to earn more). Are you a manufacturer or supplier, you need traffic to distribute your goods. Whatever you find yourself doing, you need traffic. Basically, there are two types of traffic; they are: Paid traffic: I mentioned “Ad” at the beginning of this guide; that is an example of paid traffic. In this case, companies pay search engines to advertise their brand. Because of the complexity of advertising, companies hire the service of an SEO expert. If you are an SEO expert, you can get paid for helping companies, brands, and businesses rank higher on search engines. The process is quite easy though. You can read our guide on how to advertise on Google. Organic traffic: Organic traffic is the natural process of driving visitors to a website using search engines. Organic traffic takes time but it is more reliable than paid traffic. An SEO specialist has honed the art of driving organic traffic to a website and gets paid as a result. In eCommerce and marketing, having a stunning website with a fast page load sped is good; however, ensuring that the site ranks on Google and other search engines is far more important. Retailers and companies will do all they can, including hiring an SEO expert, to attract a targeted audience or potential customers to their websites. This is where the opportunity lies. If you can research and implement SEO strategies, you can add value to any business and turn it into a profitable venture. WRAPPING UP If you have the passion and skills, then you can become an SEO specialist. Should you decide to major in SEO, there are tons of tools, tutorials, and software available at your disposal – most of which are free. Check out the blog section, you will find out how to become an SEO specialist. I hope you find this article helpful. You may also click here to see other amazing tips on how to succeed as a freelancer.