Top Skills Every SEO Professional Should Master in 2024

2024 is right around the corner which means our friends at Google and other search engines will likely have some new tricks up their sleeves to analyse websites. As people in SEO jobs, we got to keep evolving our skills to make sure our clients stay ahead of the algorithm changes. It's also crazy how many more options there are now for remote gigs, since so many companies have embraced the flexibility of working from anywhere. If you're looking to take your SEO career to the next level next year, we definitely recommend checking out RemoteHub. They've got tons of listings for positions all over the map where you can help businesses supercharge their online presence. Brush up on the top skills covered in this article and you'll be set to take advantage of the opportunities on RemoteHub.

Core Web Vitals

Google has been heavily focusing on site speed and Core Web Vitals in their algorithm updates. Core Web Vitals measure how quickly a page loads, how responsive it feels, and how visually stable it remains during user interactions. In 2024,SEO jobs need to learn how to accurately measure Core Web Vitals using tools like Google Page Speed Insights and Lighthouse. They must know how to optimize pages to achieve good scores for Largest Content full Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift. Taking care of Core Web Vitals will become even more important for ranking well in search results.

Voice Search Optimization

As voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa continue growing in popularity, SEO strategies need a voice search focus. Professionals must learn how to optimize content, titles, meta descriptions and headings for voice queries. This involves using more natural language and focusing on questions, commands and conversational keywords rather than typical search terms. They should structure content to sound good when read out aloud. It's also important to claim/verify business profiles across voice apps and ensure key information like business names, addresses and phone numbers are consistent.

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Local SEO Tactics

Local SEO plays a huge role in the customer journey. Many searchers are looking for products or services near them. People in SEO jobs should expand their skills in local optimization tactics like citing reliable sources for business addresses, getting high quality local citations and maintaining accurate business profiles across Google, Apple, Bing and Facebook. They need expertise in local ranking factors like proximity to location queries, business hour listings and reviews from customers. Advanced local knowledge graph skills will give them an advantage.

Technical SEO Compliance

Google likes websites that follow technical web standards and are accessible to all. SEO professionals must have a deep understanding of technical compliance best practices. This includes aspects like mobile-friendly webpage design, structured data markup, multilingual support, HTTPS implementation, privacy policy compliance, accessibility standards like WCAG guidelines and avoiding technical issues flagged by search console errors. Taking care of these helps sites rank better plus provides a better experience for users.

Content Marketing Strategies

While on-page optimization remains important, content should be the core focus for driving organic traffic. Professionals need skills in content planning, mapping topics to audience needs and developing comprehensive content strategies. They should learn content formats like long-form articles, videos, infographics and podcasts. It’s also essential to distribute content effectively using social platforms, email campaigns and content syndication networks for maximum exposure and backlinks. Creating engaging material that answers user questions is key.

Link Building Techniques

Earning natural backlinks from authoritative sources continues providing ranking benefits. SEO experts should research evolving link opportunities and pursue only white-hat methods. Some new strategies include developing guest blogging programs, engaging website owners in outreach, producing evergreen curated content hubs and leveraging link opportunities within publisher platforms. They need to carefully monitor links, disavow toxic or unnecessary backlinks and understand how to handle common issues like private blog networks and unnatural links better spotted by algorithms.

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Analytics and Reporting

Demonstrating the ROI and business impact of SEO efforts is crucial for justifying budgets. Professionals must get well-versed in tracking and analyzing both online and offline metrics. This involves skills in setting up Google Analytics and Search Console properly to glean insights. They need to interpret data around organic sessions, goal completions, average position changes and keyword rankings overtime. Advanced analytics help determine the success of campaigns. Creating compelling visual reports with recommendations helps non-technical stakeholders understand SEO performance effectively.

SEM/PPC Concepts

While SEO jobs remote remains along-term strategy, paid search provides instant traffic. Integrating SEO with search marketing (SEM/PPC) tactics leads to greater results. Experts need to understand paid advertising platforms, bid management, negative keywords, ad extensions and landing page optimizations that help conversions. Testing complementary SEM/SEO strategies like search term match types, custom audiences, location targeting or limited budget periods helps searchers find business websites faster with less effort. Combining paid and organic help samplify messages.

Social Media Management

Major search engines also source content and backlinks from social profiles now. Having a presence on networks like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and LinkedIn allow part time SEO jobs pros to extend website authority and influence. They need skills like content repurposing across social formats, engaging communities, mentions/shares tracking and basic ads knowledge. Advanced social optimization includes using features like hashtags, mentions, specific posting schedules, message-testing and follower analytics specific to each social platform to build organic reach.

Keyword Research Evolution

Keyword research is no longer just about volume and difficulty metrics. SEO pros should become adept at finding related long-tail keywords, contextually relevant intent-based queries and using tools’ API access for custom analyses. Advanced querying skills like Boolean operators aids exploratory findings. They must research trending keywords as search habits evolve and invest time in automated keyword tracking efforts for proactive monitoring. UI/UX keyword insertions within headings, buttons and other on-page elements also deserve attention based on search patterns.

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Working With Agencies and Clients

Many SEO jobs remote work at agencies managing client websites. Dealing with customer communication, expectations and contractual responsibilities demands refined soft skills. Experts must learn project management, estimation, resource allocation know-how and technical writing for non-technical clients. It involves explaining complex topics simply to build trust and knowledge transfer. Staying aware of industry developments helps provide valuable strategic guidance. Mastering proposals and pitching skills to acquire new business is equally essential for agencies.

Industry Certifications

Continuous learning coupled with industry certifications gives more credibility to SEO professionals. Exams like Google Digital Garage, SEMrush Certification, Google Analytics Individual Qualification or BrightEdge SEO Fundamentals proveex pertise to clients. Certifications require keeping up with curriculum changes. They also necessitate hands-on practice through case studies and demonstrations. Pursuing Google Partners or Bing Accredited programs can open up management consultancy opportunities. SEO pros should strategically choose certifications relevant to their experience and specialization to enhance their resumes and command higher pay grades.

Role of Machine Learning

Search is moving towards personalized, AI-powered results. Pros in best SEO jobs need to grasp concepts like machine learning, deep learning, bots, personalization, sentiment analysis and neural net works and how they impact discovery. They must brainstorm ML-friendly content development strategies, structured data enhancements, semantic scenarios and site speed optimization. It's also important to monitor how ML powers features like knowledge panels, related questions and enhances core signals like user behavior data signals that go beyond typical keyword data. Grasping ML role gives them a future-ready edge.

Emerging Channel Optimization

Search is no longer limited to desktop. Voice assistants, AR/VR platforms and connected devices present new discovery surfaces. SEO professionals should closely track nascent channels like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant and study unique optimizations. It may require developing entirely different content formats, fresh metadata and specialized promotional tactics. They should explore ranking factors across new ecosystems and see what search habits emerge. Being aware about protocols like spoken web and handling privacy/data permissions gives them a head start on upcoming changes in search landscape.

Staying Updated

SEO industry's dynamic and Google rolls out hundreds of algorithm updates annually. It's impossible to commit everything to memory. Experts must develop self-learning habits through blog/content consumption, webinars, conferences attendance, peer discussions and case studies. They should follow major thought-leaders, search announcements channels, industry communities, analyst reports and search engine representatives for regular updates. Revisiting basics and challenging existing assumptions with new information helps leave room for growth. Signing up for newsletters/alerts and enabling notifications for ranking/technical change skeep s optimized skills top of mind.

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Creativity and Problem-Solving

Standing out requires an innovative mindset. SEO professionals must apply creative design thinking to challenges. It involves experimenting with new strategies, brainstorming solutions from different angles, being receptive to ideas, taking calculated risks, learning from failures and continuously evolving methodologies. They need strong troubleshooting skills to fix website issues, discern algorithm updates’ impact, analyze keywords losing/gaining rankings and determine root causes speedily. Developing the ability to think outside the boxsets experienced SEOs apart from others.

Conclusion

Search is always evolving so we've got to stay on top of optimizations if we want to keep helping our clients succeed. But as important as tactics are, don't forget that people skills are huge too. Being able to explain technical SEO strategies simply, manage projects smoothly, and work as part of a team will take you far. And in this remote world, networking is key - that's where RemoteHub comes in so handy. Not only will you find to ns of listings for remote SEO jobs there, but you can also connect with other professionals just like us. Swap experiences and best practices in the community to boost your knowledge even more. So make sure to perfect the skills in this article, but also use RemoteHub to nurture your career for the long haul. See you all out there crushing it in the new year!