Choosing SEO as a Career Path – What You Need to Know

SEO is not an easy career. It is not a quick way to make money and it is not something you can master overnight. It is a constantly changing field that requires problem-solving, technical knowledge, and strong communication skills. But if you are willing to put in the work, it can be a rewarding career.

Over the years, I have seen people enter the industry from all kinds of backgrounds. Some started in digital marketing and gradually specialised in SEO, others were developers who realised they had a knack for search optimisation, and some just became obsessed with understanding how search engines work.

There is no single path into SEO, but if you are thinking about making it your career, here is what you need to know.

What You Need to Learn

SEO is a mix of technical expertise, content strategy, and user experience. To be good at it, you need to understand how search engines crawl and index websites, how to structure content for both users and search engines, and how to spot issues that might be holding a site back.

If you are starting from scratch, focus on these areas

• Technical SEO. Learn how websites are built, how search engines crawl them, and what affects indexation. You will need to understand HTML, CSS, and JavaScript at a basic level, and eventually structured data, sitemaps, and server log analysis
• On-page SEO. This includes optimising content, internal linking, metadata, and improving user experience
• Off-page SEO. Learn about backlinks, digital PR, and how authority is built. You do not need to become a full-time link builder, but you should understand how search engines measure trust and reputation
• Analytics and reporting. Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and other data tools are essential. If you cannot track and measure results, you will struggle to improve performance
• SEO tools. Get familiar with tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Sitebulb. These will help you diagnose SEO issues, track rankings, and analyse competitors

Follow Industry Experts and Stay Updated

SEO is constantly evolving. What worked five years ago does not work now, and Google updates its algorithm all the time. The best way to stay ahead is to follow people who are active in the industry and share real-world insights.

Some of the best places to learn include

• Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, and Moz Blog for industry updates and foundational SEO knowledge
• Twitter and LinkedIn where many SEO professionals share insights and case studies. Follow people who post useful content, not just the ones who chase engagement
• Local SEO meetups. There are plenty of SEO and digital marketing meetups in Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield. Getting to know people in the industry can open doors and teach you things you will not find in blog posts
• BrightonSEO. If you are serious about SEO, attending BrightonSEO at least once is a must. It is the biggest SEO conference in the UK and a great place to network

Should You Start Your Own Website?

If you are trying to get a job in SEO without professional experience, the best thing you can do is build and rank your own website. Pick a topic you are passionate about and try to get traffic from search. It does not have to make money, it just has to show that you understand the basics of ranking a website.

This does two things

1. It helps you learn by doing. Reading SEO guides is useful, but nothing beats practical experience. When you have to optimise pages, fix technical issues, and figure out why your site is not ranking, you learn far more than just reading theory
2. It helps you stand out to employers. If you can show an agency that you have built a site, optimised it, and ranked it for keywords, you are already ahead of most entry-level applicants

Agency vs In-House – Where Should You Start?

Most SEO jobs fall into two categories, agency roles and in-house roles

• Agency SEO. If you work at an SEO agency, you will get exposure to multiple clients across different industries. You will learn fast, work alongside experienced SEO professionals, and gain a broad skill set. Agencies in cities like Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield are always looking for talent
• In-house SEO. If you work in-house, you will focus on a single business or brand. This can be great for gaining deep knowledge of an industry, but you will not get as much variety. In smaller companies, in-house SEO roles often involve more general digital marketing work rather than pure SEO

If you are just starting out, an agency is usually the better option because you will gain more experience in a shorter time.

How Much Do SEO Professionals Earn?

SEO is not the highest-paying career in digital marketing, but salaries can grow quickly as you gain experience

• Entry-level SEO roles start around £22,000 to £27,000 per year in the UK, depending on location and company size
• Mid-level SEO professionals with a few years of experience can earn between £30,000 and £45,000 per year
• Senior SEO consultants and specialists range from £50,000 to £70,000, sometimes higher in top agencies or for highly technical roles
• Freelance SEO consultants have widely varying rates. Some charge £40–£60 per hour, while highly experienced consultants charge £100 or more per hour

Final Advice – SEO Takes Work, But It Is Worth It

SEO is not an easy career. It requires constant learning, adaptability, and patience. You will spend weeks and months testing changes, waiting for results, and sometimes watching rankings drop for no obvious reason. But if you enjoy problem-solving, data analysis, and digital marketing, it can be a great career.

If you are thinking about SEO as a career, start learning now. Follow industry experts, build your own site, experiment, and most importantly, get involved in the SEO community. The more you learn and the more people you connect with, the faster you will grow.