SEO: Understanding the role of this digital marketing expert

Through our SEO Agency Optimize 360

What is an SEO?

Le SEO referreralso known as a natural referencing consultant or expert, is a digital marketing professional whose mission is to improve the visibility and authority of a website on search engines such as Google.

In this article, we take a look at this fast-growing profession and how these specialists manage to optimise search results for their customers.

What is an SEO?

A SEO referrer is a professional whose mission is to improve the visibility and audience of a website by optimising its positioning on search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo.

It is responsible for analysing and implementing various techniques to enable the content of a site to be better understood and indexed by search engines. This includes working on keywords, content quality, technical optimisation and the creation of inbound links.

The main tasks of an SEO

Site analysis and audit

One of the first tasks of an SEO is to carry out a complete diagnosis of the website to be optimised, in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses that could impact its performance on search engines. This involves examining the site's structure, content and internal and external links.

Definition of keywords

The selection of relevant keywords is a crucial stage in any SEO strategy. The SEO will therefore carry out in-depth research to identify the key expressions on which the site should be positioned, depending on its sector of activity, the target audience and the competition.

Technical optimisation

To improve the visibility of a website on search engines, it is essential to work on the technical aspects of natural referencing. The SEO specialist must ensure that the title tagtags (description, robots, etc.), URL rewriting, 404 error management, page load speed, mobile compatibility and robots.txt and sitemap.xml.

Content optimisation

The content of a site is an essential element for its natural referencing. It must be attractive, relevant and well structured so that search engines can understand what it's about and determine its level of quality. SEOs work in close collaboration with web copywriters to strengthen content with the right keywords, improve semantic coherence and ensure that headings and subheadings are well organised.

Internal and external networking

Le internal networking refers to all the hypertext links connecting the various pages of a site together, while external linking refers to the way in which other websites point to the site in question. A good SEO must be able to create and optimise these two types of links to promote the indexing of pages and improve their ranking in search results.

Monitoring and analysing results

Finally, an SEO cannot simply implement actions without checking their effectiveness. They must therefore regularly measure and analyse the results obtained, using tools such as Google AnalyticsGoogle Search Console or specific software for monitoring natural referencing, such as Semrush or Ahrefs. This data will enable it to refine its strategy and propose new avenues for improvement.

1 The skills required to do the job

Technical knowledge of SEO : A SEO must master the technical aspects of natural referencing to optimise the structure and performance of a website.
Understanding search engine algorithms : Search engines are constantly evolving and it is essential for an SEO to keep up with their updates and understand their ranking criteria.
Writing skills : A good SEO specialist must be able to advise and support web copywriters in creating content that is optimised for SEO.
Analysis and summary : SEOs need to be able to analyse large volumes of data, draw relevant conclusions and propose concrete, effective actions to improve a site's visibility.
Thoroughness and organisation : Managing an SEO project requires rigour and a methodical approach in order to monitor results and ensure that the various actions and strategies deployed are properly implemented.

2. Knowledge of search algorithms

SEOs need to master the mechanisms that govern the search algorithms. It involves understanding how the different criteria used by search engines work to rank pages according to their relevance and to respond to Internet users' queries. SEO practitioners need to keep a close eye on developments in the sector, bearing in mind that algorithms can change on a regular basis.

3. Market and keyword analysis

As part of their work, web SEOs must analyse the market and the competition to identify the most appropriate keywords around which to optimise a site or page. These keywords help to increase the site's visibility on search engines in response to user queries. It is important to choose these terms carefully to match the expectations of the target audience and improve the quality of the traffic generated.

4. Technical optimisation of the site

One of the most important aspects of the work of an SEO is thetechnical optimisation of the website. This includes page loading speed, mobile compatibility, tag structuring, etc. HTML and accessibility of content by indexing robots. A technically well-designed and optimised site is more likely to be correctly analysed and interpreted by search engines, making it easier to rank in the search results.

5. Writing and optimising content

Content is at the heart of the SEO strategy. The web referencing specialist must work in collaboration with copywriters to create quality contentrelevant and optimised according to key words identified. This often involves improving headings, structuring paragraphs and creating internal links between the different pages of a site. The aim is to offer content that is both interesting to the user and easily understood by search engines.

6. Netlinking

The SEO must also work to obtain external links pointing to the site it is optimising. These links, also known as backlinks, are essential for increasing a site's reputation and credibility with search engines. This netlinking strategy involves various methods, such as setting up partnerships, writing guest articles or submitting press releases.

7. Traffic monitoring and analysis

To measure the effectiveness of the actions taken and adapt their strategy as necessary, web SEOs must constantly analyse the statistics and the results of their work. traffic generated by the website. Tools such as Google Analytics, Search Console or specialist software can be used to track visitor behaviour, identify opportunities or detect potential problems.

8. Knowledge of digital marketing and web marketing

A good SEO specialist must also have a solid knowledge of digital marketing and Webmarketing. In implementing their strategy, they need to take into account not only the requirements of search engines, but also the expectations and needs of users. A global vision of digital marketing enables SEO objectives to be aligned with the customer acquisition and sales development strategy.

9. Competitive and technical intelligence

To remain competitive in a constantly evolving sector, the web referencing specialist must carry out an in-depth analysis of the market. competitive intelligence and constant technical monitoring. This approach enables us to keep abreast of industry trends, new algorithm developments and the best practices to adopt to optimise a site's visibility on search engines.

10. Continuing education and specialisation

Finally, an SEO specialist needs to be aware that his or her field is constantly changing, and requires a high level of expertise. continuing education. Some also choose to specialise in a specific sector to gain expertise. Online training courses and certifications are offered by a number of well-known players on the Internet.

Becoming a good SEO means mastering various technical, editorial and marketing aspects. Through their work, SEOs play an active role in the success of a web project by improving its visibility, audience and credibility with Internet users.