SEO Jobs: Types, Salary, and How to Get Started

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a term describing the set of best practices to help websites be located easily by relevant users. When a user types a query into a search bar, the search engine uses a process to determine which websites to return to the user, and in what order they appear. Search engine optimisation practices increase traffic to websites by helping them appear in search results, making it more likely that search engine users will click on their website.

If you’re considering a career in SEO, you have options for which part of the process you’d like to be a part of. You can choose a versatile career like SEO strategist, where you may perform a variety of tasks, or you might have a more specialised job like SEO content writer focusing on one aspect of SEO. Read on to find a description of seven careers within search engine optimisation.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimisation, and it refers to all the steps you can take to increase visibility and traffic to your website. SEO helps increase the level of quality content on a website while making it more accessible for search engine users and website visitors to find answers to their pressing questions. SEO work includes researching keywords, creating optimised content, and helping to establish the website as an authority and trusted resource with optimised technical aspects to keep it running smoothly. 

Skills and education for SEO jobs

Although SEO is a specialised field, the industry isn’t governed by specific UK regulation. Instead, it's shaped by best practices, such as those outlined by GOV.UK's SEO guide for publishers. This guidance exists within a broader framework that includes regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), search engine policies, and advertising standards [1].

For many SEO jobs, employers may look for candidates with a university degree in a subject relevant to the role. For example, a director of SEO may need a business-related degree, while a technical SEO specialist may benefit from a degree in computer science. A marketing degree may also be helpful for general SEO roles.

SEO jobs

Within the field, you’ll find many types of SEO jobs. Search engine optimisation jobs typically involve a team, with various aspects of the SEO activities handled by different professionals. For example, an analyst or strategist directs SEO activities, a technical specialist builds optimised web pages, and a content writer creates web page content. Below, you'll find some of the common SEO jobs available, plus the average annual salary and education requirements.

Director of SEO

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £51,987 [2]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree is not essential but could be useful.

A director of SEO, sometimes called an SEO manager, oversees all of a company’s search engine optimisation work, including keyword research, analysing SEO performance, and managing projects and content. A director of SEO may manage a team of SEO professionals, such as content writers and technical SEO specialists. 

Director of SEO interview questions:

• If members of your team were in a conflict, how would you handle it?

• What's your process for keyword research, and what tools do you use?

• What does your process for evaluating SEO performance look like? 

• Do you have experience managing ad campaigns?

SEO consultant

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £32,505 [3] 

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree is not essential but might be useful.

An SEO consultant helps clients analyse, strategise, and deploy SEO best practices. As a consultant, you may work on a long-term basis with clients, or you might provide services for a shorter period or a specific objective. Although some employers may prefer a bachelor’s degree or other formal education, proven experience with SEO may be a more critical skill when working in a consultant role. 

SEO consultant interview questions:

• Describe a time when you overcame a challenge in a previous role. 

• What are the tools you rely on when evaluating SEO performance? 

• What steps would you suggest taking to increase page rank?

• How do you measure success? 

SEO analyst 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £30,018 [4]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree is not essential but may be beneficial.

SEO analysts evaluate websites' performance on search engine results and recommend improvements to increase traffic, visibility, or page interactions, depending on the organisation’s goals. A bachelor’s degree in a related field can be beneficial; however, prior SEO experience may be of greater value to some employers. 

SEO analyst interview questions:

• What does your process for keyword research look like?

• Keeping up with trends is essential, how do you approach that?

• What resources do you use to analyse SEO?

• Which Google Analytics metrics are most important and why?

SEO strategist 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £36,137 [5] 

Education requirements: A bachelor's degree may be required. 

An SEO strategist is responsible for the overall SEO strategy that a company employs. This position could include researching keywords, optimising content, or aspects of technical SEO. An SEO strategist is a catch-all title that often includes many different types of optimisation.

SEO strategist interview questions:

• Describe an SEO success in a previous role.

• What CMS have you worked with in the past?

• How do you approach keyword research?

• What are your favourite tools for evaluating website SEO performance? 

SEO sales agent

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £30,028 [6] 

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in common but not required.

SEO sales representatives work with SEO or marketing agencies to sell search engine optimisation services to other businesses and organisations. An SEO sales rep will be responsible for finding and following up on leads and otherwise walking customers through every stage of the sales cycle. A bachelor's degree in business or marketing may be beneficial, but it's also common for employers to not require any formal education.

SEO sales interview questions:

• How does this position fit into your greater career goals? 

• What personal qualities make you a good fit for a sales career? 

• Describe a time when you made a difficult or tricky sale. 

• How do you approach research target audiences? 

Technical SEO specialist 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £34,118 [7] 

Education requirements: A bachelor's degree is common but not required.

A technical SEO specialist optimises a website for search engines, which means making it as functional as possible. For example, a tech specialist will make sure that all website links are working, the website is secure and optimised for speed, and the XML sitemap is functioning. While a bachelor's degree may be preferred, many potential employers want to see demonstrated SEO skills rather than a formal degree. 

Technical SEO interview questions:

• What do you consider important for ranking on Google? Why?

• What tools do you use for evaluating website performance? 

• Can you explain how SEO and SEM differ?

• What is your process for increasing website backlinks?

SEO content writer 

Median annual UK salary (Glassdoor): £24,738 [8] 

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree is common but not required. 

SEO content writers create optimised content for websites. Optimised content includes carefully selected keywords used naturally in well-written articles, along with best practises for formatting and outlining the content. A bachelor’s degree in journalism, creative writing, or communications can be an advantage, but it’s not always required. 

SEO content writer interview questions:

• What does your research process look like, and how do you evaluate sources? 

• Please provide links to previously published work. 

• What CMS have you worked with?

• What topics do you specialise in? Why? 

Where to find SEO jobs

Finding a job in SEO starts by deciding what kind of role you want. Many of the careers you learnt about in this article can be performed by working directly for a company, working for an agency that provides SEO services, or working as an independent professional. 

You can find SEO jobs on traditional job board websites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter. Alternatively, you can check with professional organisations like SALT for job listings specific to the digital industry. Job board sites like Upwork or Fiverr also offer SEO job listings with a bend towards short-term and contract work, although you can find many different types of work available.

Learn more about SEO on Coursera

SEO professionals focus on tasks like keyword research, content creation, and website optimisation, with roles and salaries varying across the job market. If you’re ready to take the next step and gain SEO skills on Coursera, it might be worth taking a closer look at Google’s Project Management Professional Certificate. This six-month course helps you hone your digital marketing skills and knowledge. This track takes about six months to complete and helps you get career-ready.

Additionally, Meta offers a Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate on Coursera that you can complete in approximately five months or less. After completing the programme, you receive a shareable certificate and additional details to add to your CV.