{"id":2400,"date":"2023-11-30T11:17:03","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T11:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/how-to-become-an-seo-expert-in-4-steps\/"},"modified":"2023-11-30T11:17:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T11:17:03","slug":"how-to-become-an-seo-expert-in-4-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/how-to-become-an-seo-expert-in-4-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Become an SEO Expert in 4 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>With 74.1% of SEOs charging clients upwards of $500 per month for their services, there\u2019s a clear financial incentive to get good at SEO. But with no colleges offering degrees in the topic, it\u2019s down to you to carve your own path in the industry.<\/p>\n<p>There are many ways to do this; some take longer than others.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, I\u2019ll share how I\u2019d go from zero to SEO pro if I had to do it all over\u00a0again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Take a beginner SEO course<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Understanding what search engine optimization really is and how it works is the first state of affairs. While you <em>can<\/em> do this by reading endless blog posts or watching YouTube videos, I wouldn\u2019t recommend that approach for a few reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s hard to know where to\u00a0start<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s hard to join the\u00a0dots<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s hard to know who to\u00a0trust<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can solve all of these problems by taking a structured course like <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/academy\/seo-training-course\">our SEO course for beginners.<\/a> It\u2019s completely free (no signup required), consists of 14 short video lessons (2 hours total length), and covers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What SEO is and why it\u2019s important<\/li>\n<li>How to do keyword research<\/li>\n<li>How to optimize pages for keywords<\/li>\n<li>How to build links (and why you need\u00a0them)<\/li>\n<li>Technical SEO best practices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/app.ahrefs.com\/academy\/seo-training-course\/lesson-0-1\">the first lesson<\/a> to get you started:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1095\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ahrefs-seo-course-lesson.png\" alt=\"The first lesson in our SEO course for beginners\" class=\"wp-image-169504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ahrefs-seo-course-lesson.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ahrefs-seo-course-lesson-680x372.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ahrefs-seo-course-lesson-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ahrefs-seo-course-lesson-1536x841.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lesson 1: SEO Basics: What is SEO and Why is it Important? <a href=\"https:\/\/app.ahrefs.com\/academy\/seo-training-course\/lesson-0-1\">Watch now<\/a>.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Make a website and try to rank\u00a0it<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter how many books you read about golf, you\u2019re never going to win a tournament without picking up a set of clubs and practicing. It\u2019s the same with SEO. The theory is important, but there\u2019s no substitute for getting your hands dirty and trying to rank a\u00a0site.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have a site already, you can get up and running fairly quickly with any major website platform. Some will set you back a few bucks, but they handle SEO basics out of the box. This saves you time sweating the small\u00a0stuff.<\/p>\n<p>As for what kind of site you should create, I recommend a simple hobby\u00a0blog.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a simple food blog I set up in &lt;10 minutes:\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1655\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup.jpg\" alt=\"A blog that I set up in just a few minutes. It's nothing special, but it does the job\" class=\"wp-image-169506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup-513x425.jpg 513w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup-768x636.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup-1536x1272.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1655\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup.jpg\" alt=\"A blog that I set up in just a few minutes. It's nothing special, but it does the job\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup-513x425.jpg 513w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup-768x636.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/blog-setup-1536x1272.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Once you\u2019re set-up, you\u2019re ready to start practicing and honing your SEO skills. Specifically, doing keyword research to find topics, writing and optimizing content about them, and (possibly) building a few backlinks.<\/p>\n<p>For example, according to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>, the keyword \u201cneopolitan pizza dough recipe\u201d has a monthly traffic potential of 4.4K as well as a relatively low Keyword Difficulty (KD)\u00a0score:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1686\" height=\"978\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics.png\" alt=\"Keyword metrics for &quot;neopolitan pizza dough&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-169507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics.png 1686w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics-680x394.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics-768x445.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics-1536x891.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1686px) 100vw, 1686px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1686\" height=\"978\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics.png\" alt=\"Keyword metrics for &quot;neopolitan pizza dough&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics.png 1686w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics-680x394.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics-768x445.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/keyword-metrics-1536x891.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1686px) 100vw, 1686px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Even better, there\u2019s a weak website (DR 16) in the top three positions\u2014so this should definitely be quite an easy topic to rank\u00a0for.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1410\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site.png\" alt=\"Page from a low-DR website ranking in the top 3. This indicates an easy-to-rank-for keyword\" class=\"wp-image-169508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site.png 1410w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site-680x309.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site-768x349.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1410px) 100vw, 1410px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1410\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site.png\" alt=\"Page from a low-DR website ranking in the top 3. This indicates an easy-to-rank-for keyword\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site.png 1410w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site-680x309.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/domain-rating-top-ranking-site-768x349.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1410px) 100vw, 1410px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Given that most of the top-ranking posts have at least a few backlinks, a page about this topic would also likely need at least a few backlinks to compete. Check out the resources below to learn how to build\u00a0these.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Get an entry-level job<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s unlikely that your hobby blog is going to pay the bills, so it\u2019s time to use the work you\u2019ve done so far to get a job in SEO. Here are a few benefits of doing\u00a0this:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Get paid to learn. <\/strong>This isn\u2019t the case when you\u2019re home alone reading blog posts and watching videos or working on your own\u00a0site.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get deeper hands-on experience. <\/strong>Agencies work with all kinds of businesses, which means you\u2019ll get to build experience with all kinds of sites, from blogs to ecommerce.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build your reputation. <\/strong>Future clients or employers are more likely to take you seriously if you\u2019ve worked for a reputable SEO agency.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To find job opportunities, start by signing up for SEO newsletters like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seojobs.com\/\">SEO Jobs<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/seofomo.co\/\">SEOFOMO<\/a>. Both of these send weekly emails and feature remote job opportunities:\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1672\" height=\"1038\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs.png\" alt=\"SEO jobs in SEOFOMO newsletter\" class=\"wp-image-169510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs.png 1672w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs-680x422.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs-768x477.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs-1536x954.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1672px) 100vw, 1672px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1672\" height=\"1038\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs.png\" alt=\"SEO jobs in SEOFOMO newsletter\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs.png 1672w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs-680x422.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs-768x477.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seo-fomo-newsletter-jobs-1536x954.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1672px) 100vw, 1672px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You can also go the traditional route and search job sites for entry-level positions. The kinds of jobs you\u2019re looking for will usually have \u201cJunior\u201d in their titles or at least mention that it\u2019s a junior position in their description.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1188\" height=\"1218\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job.png\" alt=\"Junior SEO job listing example\" class=\"wp-image-169511\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9753694581280788;width:521px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job.png 1188w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job-415x425.png 415w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job-768x787.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1188px) 100vw, 1188px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1188\" height=\"1218\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job.png\" alt=\"Junior SEO job listing example\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169511\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9753694581280788;width:521px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job.png 1188w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job-415x425.png 415w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/junior-seo-job-768x787.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1188px) 100vw, 1188px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Beyond that, you can search for SEO agencies in your local area and check their careers pages.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even if there are no entry-level positions listed here, it\u2019s still worth emailing and asking if there are any upcoming openings. Make sure to mention any SEO success you\u2019ve had with your website and where you\u2019re at in your journey so\u00a0far.<\/p>\n<p>This might seem pushy, but many agencies actually encourage this\u2014such as <em>Rise at Seven<\/em>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1418\" height=\"1116\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call.png\" alt=\"Call for alternative roles from Rise at Seven\" class=\"wp-image-169512\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.2706093189964158;width:551px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call.png 1418w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call-540x425.png 540w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call-768x604.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1418px) 100vw, 1418px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1418\" height=\"1116\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call.png\" alt=\"Call for alternative roles from Rise at Seven\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169512\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.2706093189964158;width:551px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call.png 1418w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call-540x425.png 540w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/job-call-768x604.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1418px) 100vw, 1418px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick email template to get you started:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><strong>Subject:<\/strong> Junior SEO position?<\/p>\n<p>Hey folks,<\/p>\n<p>Do you have any upcoming openings for junior SEOs?<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been learning SEO for <strong>[number]<\/strong> months, but I\u2019m looking to take my knowledge to the next level. So far, I\u2019ve taken Ahrefs\u2019 Beginner SEO course and started my own blog about <strong>[topic]<\/strong>\u2014which I\u2019ve had some success with. It\u2019s only <strong>[number]<\/strong> months old but already ranks for <strong>[number] <\/strong>keywords and gets an estimated <strong>[number]<\/strong> monthly search visits according to Ahrefs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[Ahrefs screenshot]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I checked your careers page and didn\u2019t see any junior positions there, but I was hoping you might consider me for any upcoming positions? I\u2019m super enthusiastic, hard-working, and eager to\u00a0learn.<\/p>\n<p>Let me\u00a0know.<\/p>\n<p> [Name]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>You can pull all the numbers and screenshots you need by creating a free <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools<\/a> account and verifying your website.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Specialize and hone your skills<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>SEO is a broad industry. It\u2019s impossible to be an expert at every aspect of it, so you should niche down and hone your skills in the area that interests you the most. You should have a reasonable idea of what this is from working on your own site and in an agency.<\/p>\n<p>For example, link building was the area that interested me the most, so that\u2019s where I focused on deepening my knowledge. As a result, I became what\u2019s known as a \u201ct-shaped SEO\u201d\u2014someone with broad skills across all things SEO but deep knowledge in one\u00a0area.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo.png\" alt=\"T-shaped SEO\" class=\"wp-image-169514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo-425x425.png 425w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo-1536x1536.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo.png\" alt=\"T-shaped SEO\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo-425x425.png 425w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/t-shaped-seo-1536x1536.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">What a t-shaped SEO looks\u00a0like<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Marie Haynes is another great example of a t-shaped SEO. She specializes in Google penalty recovery. She doesn\u2019t build links or do on-page SEO. She audits websites with traffic drops and helps their owners recover.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of how to build your knowledge in your chosen area, here are a few\u00a0ideas:<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few SEOs I\u2019d recommend following and their (rough) specialties:<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>K Anders Ericsson famously theorized that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a new skill. Can it take less? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3027564\/scientists-debunk-the-myth-that-10000-hours-of-practice-makes-you-an-expert\">Possibly<\/a>. But the point is this: becoming an SEO expert is not an overnight process.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d even argue that it\u2019s a somewhat unattainable goal because no matter how much you know, there\u2019s always more to learn. That\u2019s part of the fun, though. SEO is a fast-moving industry that keeps you on your toes, but it\u2019s a very rewarding one,\u00a0too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few stats to prove\u00a0it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>74.1% of SEOs charge clients upwards of $500 per month for their services (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-pricing\/\">source<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>$49,211 median annual salary (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-salary\/\">source<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>~$74k average salary for self-employed SEOs (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-salary\/\">source<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Got questions? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joshuachardwick?lang=en\">Ping me on <s>Twitter<\/s> X<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-expert\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With 74.1% of SEOs charging clients upwards of $500 per month for their services, there\u2019s a clear financial incentive to get good at SEO. But with no colleges offering degrees in the topic, it\u2019s down to you to carve your own path in the industry. There are many ways to do this; some take longer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}