Most employers want to see that their candidates understand SEO because it’s useful for nearly every industry and having more people who know how to do it only benefits, everyone.

If beefing up your resume is on your to-do list, learning SEO is a great skill to add.

Why every employee should learn about SEO

SEO, or “search engine optimization,” is a complex process that includes researching keywords, using those keywords strategically, analyzing data, creating links both on and off-website pages, and more.

Some companies have made SEO a full-time job because it is now essential for maintaining their presence online. Most larger organizations have an SEO department that falls under the marketing branch. This department oversees tasks such as content management and social media outreach.

Here Are a Few Reasons Why Companies Who Hire Graduates Prefer Those With a Basic Understanding of SEO:

  • Departments need to be connected in order for a business to run smoothly. The SEO department, for example, needs help from the IT department when it comes to optimizing product pages and understanding Google’s algorithms. If employees don’t have a basic understanding of how SEO works, then they will struggle with connecting the dots between departments.
  • The importance of social media cannot be understated. If you know how to use social media platforms to share content, you can help your company grow and gain visibility. For example, Google+ is becoming increasingly important when it comes to search results. Tech-savvy new employees who understand this aspect of social media will be able to contribute significantly.
  • It’s important to understand the big picture of SEO in a company. So that you can see how many leads it generates. However, many recent graduates enter businesses without this knowledge, which causes frustration and confusion.

In order to be successful, it is important for companies to have good visibility online. The more people that are working with basic SEO principles, the higher the company’s visibility will be.

SEO Basics for Business-Position Hopefuls:

Although SEO might appear difficult to understand, its concepts are actually quite easy to grasp. For example, you should be aware of the following basics:

  • Linking. There are two types of links: internal and external. Internal links take users from one page on your website to another, and they’re important for navigation. External links point from other websites back to yours, and they show Google that your site is high quality and trustworthy.
  • Algorithms. There are hundreds of algorithms that Google uses to rank sites on search engine results pages (SERPs). These algorithms take many different factors into account, and SEO professionals work to improve these factors in order to achieve a higher ranking. Google bots will crawl a site and rank it according to an algorithm. The algorithms change quite frequently and are often named Panda and Penguin.
  • Google+. When it comes to search results, this social network is increasingly becoming important. Not only is it a place where you can share information with your connections; but if something catches your interest, you can also give it a +1. In addition, connecting with people that you trust could potentially change the search results pages that both you and your connections see. (Not to mention the importance of authorship.)
  • Keywords. There’s a lot that goes into keyword research, but for our purposes, all you need to know is that Google bots use keywords to determine what a webpage is about. This means that if you want your website to rank well for certain keywords, those keywords should be used in the content and in the back end of your website.
  • PageRank. Because employers want to see that job applicants know how to research, having knowledge of PageRank is key. It shows that you are using reputable information sources. You can download the plugin here. Just remember: the higher the number, the better.

How To Learn the SEO Basics:

The best method to learn SEO and demonstrate it to future employers is by developing your own website. By reading various SEO blogs, you can research how to make a successful website. This will also be a good opportunity for you to test different keywords and receive backlinks through guest posting.

If you don’t want to put in the extra effort, try guest posting on some sites related to your field of study and linking back to your school website. Alternatively, read articles like this one so that you can learn and retain the information.

If you have a handle on the basics of SEO, it’s time to put “SEO” as one of your skills on your resume. Even though there are more complex SEO strategies out there, any employer would view that optimistically. And if you want to get specific, specify that you have beginner’s knowledge in SEO—this will show them that you’re always looking to improve your skills.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below if an employer has ever asked you about your SEO background, or if you’re an employer who likes to see applicants with basic knowledge of SEO.

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