Proper search engine optimization (SEO) is a necessity for businesses to gain greater visibility with search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. An SEO expert has the skill to help clients vault their way up the search engines, all the while focusing on things like customer engagement and conversion rates. Additionally, an SEO expert is a lifelong student of their craft since the rules and requirements are in a state of constant evolution. COMMON SKILLS OF AN SEO EXPERT It’s important to note that SEO experts have a variety of backgrounds and skill sets. For example, some may have programming backgrounds and focus more on technical optimization, while others may have extensive experience in the design, writing, or advertising fields. Regardless of their particular focus, they’ll know the ins and outs of how search engines work. Most SEO experts will specialize in several of the areas mentioned below: In-depth keyword research Studying traffic and analytics Split-testing similar pages Building natural backlinks Analyzing the client’s competitors Maximizing local search exposure Developing strong calls to action Working with writers and designers Programming in HTML, PHP, etc. Expertise with WordPress or Joomla Creating effective ranking strategies Researching the latest SEO practices Since hundreds of aspects can affect a website’s overall desirability to search engines, an SEO expert also has to be well-versed in numerous evaluation tools like Google Analytics and Moz’s Open Site Explorer in order to create a thorough action plan. Likewise, they also have to continually research the latest search engine updates of core ranking algorithms, plus understand how those changes will impact their clients.