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Among the jobs showing growth as the unemployment rate hits 7.2%: search engine optimizers. The demand for SEO skills reflects the intense competition for eyeballs on the Internet at a time when advertisers' budgets are tight.
While the numbers may seem large as being reported by Indeed, I can probably give a good overview of what those numbers consist of after 5+ years of dabbling in this space.
Job Boards have become a link building strategy for some. They've also become a hunting grounds for offshore providers. I know, we've run some tests in this area. You can expect to be contacted by an offshore firm once your posting is live and goes through the feeds. ;)
Many of the jobs have requirements that read as if they were hiring a Chief Operating Officer requiring college degrees, years of experience, etc. You read through all of the details on the job only to find that they are offering $45k to start. While that may be a reasonable starting salary for some, the company cannot expect to be getting a COO qualification in the process. I'd have to say out of all the job postings I've reviewed over the years, the starting salaries were not in line with what I would expect a "successful" online business to be paying a "professional" to manage their Internet marketing campaigns.
Salaries range from $30,000 to well into six figures, depending on the particular job.
$30k? I guess a SAHM or SAHD could work with that. The "well into six figures" is not something you will see too frequently. And when you do see those types of numbers, there is a consultant behind the hiring process who knows what they are looking for. The higher numbers definitely attract the creme of the crop.
Many of those job postings will go unfilled due to unrealistic expectations and insufficient compensation. Many will also fail because they feel they need someone "in-house" when this is usually a remote position that can be easily filled from anywhere in the world.
I can tell the employers right now that you cannot expect someone to uproot themselves, their families, etc. to take on a position that is highly volatile. No, that probably isn't going to happen with many of the more talented providers in this area. Sure, there will be a few who will fill those in-house roles just fine. The keyword there is "few".
The demand for SEO skills reflects the intense competition for eyeballs on the Internet at a time when advertisers' budgets are tight.
And since the pool of qualified SEO skills is very fragmented and filled by many individuals with varying talents, finding one person to fill the in-house role is probably a 1 in 50 proposition.
A smart employer will take this opportunity to make the concessions and allow part of their workforce to perform remotely. SEO is a prime candidate for that change. Don't expect to fill your job positions quickly if you are looking for someone who can "really" take charge of your campaign and make things happen. Not if you are offering less than 6 digits yearly, not here in the United States anyway. That takes me back to the offshore providers and their close eye on the SEO Job Boards. ;)
