HOW TO START YOUR SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION DIGITAL MARKETING
WELCOME If you re underemployed (maybe that barista job is wearing thin?), or you never quite found your post-college dream job, it s time for a change. Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most sought-after skills in today s marketplace. New jobs are becoming available every day in locations around the country (and they pay really well, by the way). A career in SEO is a solid choice, as you ll see in the following pages. Here s what you ll learn: exactly why a career in SEO is a good choice; the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in SEO; and why UC Davis Extension s SEO Specialized Study Program is the place to get those skills. Good luck on your career journey! James Garvin Director, Business Programs DIGITAL MARKETING
WHY A CAREER IN SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM) was the 5th most popular skill that got people hired in 2014, according to LinkedIn.
DEMAND FOR SEO PROFESSIONALS IS STRONG AND GROWING. http://www.conductor.com/blog/2012/07/demand-for-seo-professionals-has-never-been-greater-study
SEO SKILLS ARE IN DEMAND AROUND THE COUNTRY. NEW YORK, NY: 599 CHICAGO, IL: 256 SAN FRANCISCO, CA: 185 LOS ANGELES, CA: 173 JOBS AVAILABLE 1,779... And that s the short list! SEATTLE, WA: 115 TAMPA, FL: 94 PORTLAND, OR: 92 DALLAS, TX: 91 AUSTIN, TX: 88 SAN DIEGO, CA: 86
AND THE PAY IS GREAT FOR BOTH ENTRY-LEVEL AND SENIOR EMPLOYEES. SALARY RANGES CONTENT/KEYWORD STRATEGIST SEO MANAGER New York, NY $84K-121K $76K-112K Los Angeles, CA $69K-101K $63K-93K San Francisco, CA $82K-119K $75K-110K Chicago, IL $70K-102K $64K-94K Boston, MA $77K-111K $70K-102K Baltimore, MD $67K-97K $61K-89K Washington, DC $76K-111K $70K-102K Philadelphia, PA $62K-89K $56K-82K Seattle, WA $60K-87K $55K-80K Atlanta, GA $71K-103K $65K-93K *Data provided by Onward Search
YOUR CAREER PATHWAY TO SEO 1KNOWLEDGE 2SKILLS 3PRACTICE 4PORTFOLIO 5JOB Learn the Learn technical Implement your Build a project Leverage your fundamentals of skills required to knowledge and portfolio on your portfolio to SEO and how it optimize websites skills on real own or with clients demonstrate your works. for searching. websites. (free and paid). SEO skills and knowledge to clients and/or employers.
YOU HAVE THREE TRADITIONAL CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN-HOUSE CORPORATE Work with an in-house team to optimize SEO. Large companies typically have in-house SEO teams that work crossfunctionally with other digital marketing departments Typical entry-level SEO job titles include: SEO Analyst SEO Copywriter SEO Specialist SEO Manager AGENCY TEAM Work as part of a team partnering with clients to recommend SEO strategies. Agencies work with small, mid, and large sized companies and can often offer a suite of digital marketing services, including SEO, Content, Social, etc. Typical SEO job titles include: Account Managers SEO Analyst SEO Copywriter SEO Specialist SEO Manager CONSULTANT/FREELANCER Work independently or with a small team offering businesses your SEO services. Consultants/ freelancers typically work with small to medium sized businesses who don t have an in-house SEO team and/or don t have the budget to hire a full agency. Typical SEO job titles include: CEO Founder SEO Ninja or whatever you want to call yourself because you re your own boss!
SEO SKILLS AND JOB REQUIREMENTS
KEY SEO SKILLS AND JOB REQUIREMENTS Develop site architecture strategy. Specify, build, test, Monitor and report Manage content Conduct keyword and launch new on rankings, creation and research SEO products, tools, trends, syndication. and develop features, and and development comprehensive experiments. progress. plans for targeting Work on link key terms building strategies such as assessment, acquisition and maintenance.
VALUABLE SEO RESOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED GOOGLE GOOGLE MOZ SEOBOOK THE ART OF SEO Search Engine Free Introductory Moz.com SEO A comprehensive The Art of SEO Optimization course by Google industry survey SEO textbook (Theory in Starter Guide on website (2014) developed by Practice) book optimization Aaron Wall
UC DAVIS EXTENSION SIX-MONTH SEO SPECIALIZED STUDY PROGRAM DIGITAL MARKETING
ARE YOU WONDERING IF THE SEO SPECIALIZED STUDY PROGRAM IS RIGHT FOR YOU? ASK YOURSELF: ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR CURRENT FIELD? IS YOUR CAREER GOING THE WAY YOU D HOPED? UC Davis Extension s SEO Specialized Study Program is designed for anyone who s not in love with their current career, who is unemployed or underemployed, or who is looking for a career change. THE BEST PART: You don t need to go back to school for a master s degree because our program will have you SEO career-ready in six months. No prior SEO training is necessary. All you need is a passion for working with the web and a desire to help companies succeed online. READY TO DIVE IN?
EARN YOUR SEO SPECIALIZATION IN SIX MONTHS ONLINE. 1THE ART OF SEO You will learn: History and future of SEO How search engines work How SEO works Strategies of organic SEO Data analysis and measurement 2 ON-PAGE SEO You will learn: How to audit a website Ranking factors On-page factors (e.g., meta data, architecture) Technical SEO and understanding basic website code How to optimize page types Analytical tools Opportunity assessment 3 OFF-PAGE SEO You will learn: External factors that affect SEO Social, PR, content, etc. Owned vs. paid vs. earned media Analyzing SEO data (SERPs and traffic) How to influence external factors Advanced tactics COMPLETE ALL THREE COURSES IN SIX MONTHS AND EARN YOUR SPECIALIZATION
BUILD A CAREER-READY PROJECT PORTFOLIO THROUGHOUT THE SIX-MONTH PROGRAM, YOU WILL DEVELOP AN EMPLOYER/CLIENT-READY SEO PORTFOLIO THAT DEMONSTRATES YOUR COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS IN SEO UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM.
DESIGNED BY TOP SEO PROFESSIONALS ERIC ENGE Author of The Art of SEO, and founder/ceo of Stone Temple Consulting JORDAN KOENE Chief Evangelist, Searchmetrics and former head of SEO and Content Development at Ebay SCOTT LAUGHLIN SEO Manager, Walmart.com DAVE LLOYD Sr. Manager, Global Search Marketing, Adobe Systems REBEKAH MAY SEO Manager, LeadQual KENT YUNK Co-founder and VP of SEO at RoaringPajamas and previous senior director of SEO at GoDaddy DIGITAL MARKETING
QUESTIONS? We re here to help turn your interest in SEO into a career. Let us know how we can help! For more information on our six-month Specialized Study Program, visit our website or contact Elizabeth Price at (530) 757-8895 or emprice@ucdavis.edu. https://extension.ucdavis.edu/subject-areas/internet-marketing? DIGITAL MARKETING 153 150