SEO specialists: the invisible force behind digital marketing

What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘digital marketing’? Probably flashy ads, slick social media posts or viral videos. Yet the real magic in this field often happens behind the scenes. Even as AI keeps growing, SEO is and remains an important part of digital marketing. Being easy to find online and coming across as trustworthy should be a priority for your organisation too. That’s why this is an ode to the SEO specialist: the expert in organic online marketing who can help your business grow strategically. But what exactly do these people do, and what’s the smartest way to recruit an SEO specialist when recruiting in marketing? We tell you all about it in this blog.

More than just keyword research

So what exactly does an SEO specialist do? Because they mostly work ‘behind the scenes’, their work and its impact aren’t always obvious. A shame, because in reality that impact is often immense. In many cases a strong SEO strategy even brings more visitors to your website than ads do. With SEO you make sure not only that your website is technically sound, but also that it comes across as trustworthy to Google and to human visitors.

How does an SEO specialist pull all that off? With a rock-solid strategy and a good plan for technical, on-page and off-page SEO. Think link building, authority and online reputation, but also keyword research, relevant copy, and the mobile-friendliness and speed of your website. Add to that a bit of data analysis and optimisation: this expert keeps track of every development on your website and responds to it cleverly. So the effort and impact of a good SEO specialist should not be underestimated.

Invisible and indispensable

So an SEO specialist has their hands full with your website. Fortunately the effect is easy to see (although patience is a virtue here). Investing in SEO means investing in long-term success. Where paid ads can give you a temporary boost, a strong SEO strategy delivers a steady stream of quality visitors. That’s partly thanks to the increased trust and authority this specialist builds with your target group. What does it cost you? Apart from the SEO specialist’s salary, nothing at all. Once you rank high, organic traffic is free. Another advantage, then!

SEO specialists often have knowledge of many different areas of marketing. Think of UX, for example: the user experience of website visitors. If you have someone on your team who can also contribute ideas on this, you’re more likely not only to attract more visitors, but to keep them on your website for longer too. On top of that, these specialists often have excellent analytical skills. And those always come in handy.

The SEO specialist as a crucial addition to your team

Specialists like the SEO specialist can often work well independently. Still, you can also deploy them very effectively as an active part of your online marketing team; that’s when their added value really shines. The knowledge this person has about your website (and about what the competition is doing) can come in handy, for example, when your organisation runs paid ads. Even if you outsource that part to an external party, it’s smart to have the SEO specialist join any meetings. SEO often works especially well when combined with certain promotions. Bear in mind, too, that an SEO specialist can benefit from insights from other angles. SEO specialists also tend to get on well with (UX) developers. However you look at it, involving your SEO colleague in other online marketing work really only has advantages.

Interim or hiring in-house?

This can be a tough choice. Both options have advantages. Need SEO support in the short term? Then an interim SEO specialist can certainly offer you some smart insights. Unfortunately, SEO is generally a long-term process. That’s why it helps to bring in someone who knows what your company wants to focus on, what its goals are and what it wants to project to the outside world. The (digital) world changes, so your organisation’s SEO needs and work don’t stand still either. This simply isn’t a project with a beginning and an end. Recruiting an SEO specialist yourself is therefore the smartest option. You can also outsource this to a third party, for example through RPO (recruitment process outsourcing).

Invest in expertise, then

Although an SEO specialist isn’t always very visible, the effect he or she has on the growth of your organisation certainly is. So it’s definitely worth expanding your team with someone who has knowledge in this field. Investing in expertise is always a good plan!