{"id":2714,"date":"2024-09-29T08:37:16","date_gmt":"2024-09-29T08:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/8-seo-hiring-managers-share-their-1-interview-question\/"},"modified":"2024-09-29T08:37:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T08:37:16","slug":"8-seo-hiring-managers-share-their-1-interview-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/8-seo-hiring-managers-share-their-1-interview-question\/","title":{"rendered":"8 SEO Hiring Managers Share Their #1 Interview Question"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">\n<p>Are you frantically Googling \u201cSEO interview questions\u201d because you\u2019ve got an upcoming interview like\u2026 tomorrow? If so, don\u2019t panic\u2014I\u2019ve got you covered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>As research for this article, I\u2019ve asked eight top hiring managers to share the #1 SEO interview question they\u2019re asking candidates right now, so you can understand what types of questions hiring managers are asking.<\/p>\n<p>The hiring managers I talked to came from a range of different backgrounds: agency, in-house, and enterprise businesses.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s impossible to prepare for <em>every<\/em> question ahead of the interview, but it\u2019s important to put yourself in their shoes and diligently do your research.<\/p>\n<p>At a minimum, you should consider:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What\u2019s important to them and their business?<\/li>\n<li>Why should they hire\u00a0you?<\/li>\n<li>Can you demonstrate a thorough understanding of SEO and bring the receipts to prove\u00a0it?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ok, that\u2019s enough from me\u2014let\u2019s see what the hiring managers had to\u00a0say.<\/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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"one\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_ts58zjqrozgy\"\/>1. \u201cHow would you analyze your competitor\u2019s SEO strategy?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This question comes from <a id=\"post-180489-_u2s4nfdwb8g8\"\/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/samcpage\/\">Sam Page<\/a>, Director of SEO, <a href=\"https:\/\/slack.com\">Slack<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>A competitor has implemented a new SEO strategy. How do you analyze their strategy and when do you consider implementing something similar?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sam Page\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-2.png\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sam Page\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-2.png\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_uoseuqt67ok0\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s how Sam would answer this question:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>I look at how the competitor uses the strategy to grow keywords, traffic, or engagement. If it makes sense and falls within best practices, I would consider implementing something similar (ideally, finding a way to improve upon\u00a0it).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I analyze the success of their strategy with SEO tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, and Page Speed Insights (I am open to other tool ideas like GTMetrix).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I also want to consider whether the strategy is appropriate for our customer base.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sam Page\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-2.png\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sam Page\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-2.png\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>As Sam mentioned, you can use Ahrefs to help with\u00a0this.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d suggest checking out the Content changes filter in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>\u2019s Overview to understand whether the content changes you or your competitors have made have had a positive or negative impact. You can use this information to help inform your SEO and content strategy.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_hqqdvj1d5hw\"\/><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"756\" height=\"480\" class=\"wp-image-180492\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-3.gif\"\/><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"two\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_xurmwuwupvn2\"\/>2. \u201cHow would you handle a situation where someone in leadership wants immediate SEO results?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This question came from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jimisha-thakrar?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAACa5awBjW2cFoxLlDp5cCe8cItHw6QUJcc\">Jimisha Thakrar<\/a>, Head of Organic Performance at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mgomd.com\/\">MG OMD<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>\u201cHow would you handle a situation where someone in leadership wants immediate SEO results?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jimisha Thakrar\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-4.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jimisha Thakrar\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-4.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_qrfhfze32qpz\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<p>Jimisha gave an example of how to answer:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>SEO is a long-term strategy, but I understand the pressure for quick wins. In these situations, I would focus on setting clear expectations early on within the business by showing realistic timelines for SEO impact and comparing it to other channels like paid search.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>It\u2019s also important to realize how key resource for implementation is going to be and that this is also going to have an impact. There are things you can do, such as identify low-hanging fruit that can provide quicker results, such as optimizing underperforming pages that are ranking on page 2 or fixing technical SEO issues that are limiting visibility (resource dependent).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Next, if leadership is eager for quick traffic due to seasonality\/campaign deadlines, I would suggest they leverage paid channels for immediate impact while building on the SEO with a hybrid approach, combining short-term paid search with longer-term SEO efforts. This approach could provide the immediate visibility they seek while SEO efforts lay the groundwork for sustainable, organic traffic growth.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Finally, I would communicate the importance of patience and long-term investment in SEO, perhaps showing examples of how it contributes to sustainable traffic and revenue growth over time and work with them to focus on developing a robust SEO strategy that ensures long-term visibility.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jimisha Thakrar\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-4.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jimisha Thakrar\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-4.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>SEO is usually a long-term marketing strategy, as Jimisha says, and you need to communicate this clearly to stakeholders, but there are a few things you can do to accelerate your <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-performance-results\/\">SEO results<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Check out my article on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/quick-seo\/\">Quick SEO<\/a>, for eight ways to accelerate your results from months to\u00a0days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"three\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_tkm3p8wmido2\"\/>3. \u201cIf you could create any page on your current website, what would you create?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The next question comes courtesy of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ACoAAA1icrgBQEA-6jSr79r5tbg-Phuk5Z99IbY\">Fabrizio Ballarini<\/a>, Organic Growth at <a href=\"https:\/\/wise.com\/\">Wise<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>If you could create any page you want on your current website, what would you create?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fabrizio Ballarini\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-5.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fabrizio Ballarini\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-5.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_yjrf0s7u82xs\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>Often, candidates are blocked by resources and buy-in from stakeholders. I want to assess what they would do if given the freedom to execute.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fabrizio Ballarini\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-5.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fabrizio Ballarini\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-5.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"sidenote\">\n<p>Sidenote.<\/p>\n<p>In my opinion, it sounds like Fabrizio is keen to find independent, creative thinkers with this type of question. This is a good example of where it is useful to have a personal website so you can say, \u201cThis is what I would do\u2014and this is what I <em>have<\/em> done on my website.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even if the website is still relatively small, if the quality of the pages you mention is good, it may catch the attention of the hiring manager.<\/p>\n<\/div>\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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"four\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_3kdmjgj979th\"\/>4. \u201cWhat do you think the most significant Google update has been in the past two years, and\u00a0why?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This question came from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/itamarblauer\/\">Itamar Blauer<\/a>, Senior SEO Director at <a href=\"https:\/\/studiohawk.co.uk\/\">StudioHawk<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>What do you think the most significant Google update has been in the past two years, and\u00a0why?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Itamar Blauer\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-6.png\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Itamar Blauer\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-6.png\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_e8rgge5qn8uw\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<p>Itamar said he\u2019s looking for three things when asking this question:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>Firstly, I want to understand whether the candidate keeps up to date with the SEO industry and search landscape.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Secondly, I want to see how the candidate can prioritize and be critical.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Lastly, I want to get an insight into how the candidate sees different SEO areas and their significance.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I\u2019d look for answers around the various <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/appearance\/ranking-systems-guide#helpful-content\"><em>Helpful Content Updates<\/em><\/a><em> over the past year or so, as these have been fairly significant. Mentions of broad core algorithm updates are also fine but (generally) not as significant.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Itamar Blauer\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-6.png\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Itamar Blauer\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-6.png\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>To answer this, you need to make sure you\u2019re <em><s>very<\/s><\/em> extremely familiar with all the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/google-algorithm-updates\">Google algorithm updates<\/a> and be able to critically evaluate their significance.<\/p>\n<p>You can use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a> Google updates overlay to see whether updates correlate to traffic increases or decreases for the website you\u2019re analyzing.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1606\" height=\"862\" class=\"wp-image-180497\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s.png\" alt=\"Example Of Google Algorithm Overlay, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s.png 1606w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s-680x365.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s-1536x824.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1606px) 100vw, 1606px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1606\" height=\"862\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-180497\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s.png\" alt=\"Example Of Google Algorithm Overlay, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s.png 1606w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s-680x365.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/example-of-google-algorithm-overlay-via-ahrefs-s-1536x824.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1606px) 100vw, 1606px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"five\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_2ylj92o64946\"\/>5. \u201cHow would you perform SEO testing, and why is it so important?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<a id=\"post-180489-_b28pgkkjmo8q\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the question\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/daniel-foley-assertive\/\">Daniel Foley Carter<\/a>, Director at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seo-stack.io\/\">SEO Stack<\/a>, likes to ask candidates:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>How would you perform SEO testing, and why is it so important?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Foley Carter\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-8.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Foley Carter\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-8.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_fkrmghm00vy7\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<p>This is how Daniel would like a prospective candidate to answer it:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>SEO testing is important within an SEO strategy because there are so many nuances to ranking and ranking factors that we have to find that \u201chappy medium\u201d by testing.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Testing allows us to scratch under the surface of what our pages need to have in respect of content (including information priority, content coverage, depth, and quality of information) alongside traditional things such as tech compliance, internal &amp; external anchors, and\u00a0more.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Effectively, testing allows us to find out what\u2019s right on a case-by-case basis \u2013 as typically, each page on a domain will be aimed at different queries where, ultimately, ranking factors are likely to\u00a0vary.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Therefore, sequential and persistent testing would allow us to find what works best to establish rank and drive revenue\/traffic.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Foley Carter\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-8.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Foley Carter\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-8.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>You can monitor your performance of SEO tests using the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/portfolios\/\">Portfolios<\/a> feature in Ahrefs.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"416\" class=\"wp-image-180499\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs.png\" alt=\"My First SEO Test Portfolio, via Ahrefs\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs-680x138.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs-768x156.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs-1536x312.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"416\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-180499\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs.png\" alt=\"My First SEO Test Portfolio, via Ahrefs\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs-680x138.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs-768x156.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/my-first-seo-test-portfolio-via-ahrefs-1536x312.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"six\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_id5gmihfifxc\"\/>6. \u201cHow do you prioritize which SEO work should be completed first?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This question comes from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rachel-walton-311719151\/\">Rachel Walton<\/a>, Head of SEO at <a href=\"https:\/\/quirkydigital.com\">Quirky Digital<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>How do you prioritize which SEO work should be completed first?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rachel Walton\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-10.jpeg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rachel Walton\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-10.jpeg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_o879gjlpmdrs\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s why Rachel likes asking this question, and what she\u2019s looking for in an answer:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>I love this question because the candidate will reveal a lot about both their soft skills (time and resource management) and their hard skills (specific SEO red flags) in the answer.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Candidates who interpret this as a question about their soft skills will often talk about prioritizing work that has the highest impact for the lowest resource input, or they might talk about using the first month to complete work that they know is the most important to the client.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The candidates who approach the question with an answer about their hard skills will usually talk through some key issues that they like to ensure are resolved quickly, such as poor information architecture (IA), poor technical setup, and indexing issues.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I\u2019m always impressed with candidates who demonstrate their understanding of what foundations a client needs to perform well \u2013 this usually indicates that they have a great combination of both soft and hard skills.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>For example, they realize that it\u2019s going to be a lot easier for us to manage cannibalization issues before we move on to producing new content to save ourselves the hassle of needing to amend tons of internal linking later down the line when we cull useless or duplicated content.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This kind of response shows me that the candidate understands SEO concepts, is a forward thinker, and likely has some practical experience of messing it up once or twice and needing to rectify their mistakes \u2014 because the best growth often comes from getting it wrong, but learning from\u00a0it!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rachel Walton\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-10.jpeg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rachel Walton\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-10.jpeg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"seven\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_oenwr1zapehy\"\/>7. \u201cWhat should be the main priority for brands investing in SEO today, and\u00a0why?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Next up, here\u2019s a question from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/david-schulhof\/\">David Schulhof<\/a>, Director of Digital at <a href=\"https:\/\/thephagroup.com\">PHA Group<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>What should be the main priority for brands investing in SEO today, and\u00a0why?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"David Schulhof\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-11.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"David Schulhof\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-11.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_10y1rwsh330z\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s why David likes this question and how he expects someone to answer it:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>I like this broad question because it highlights what area of SEO the person is focused on and how open-minded they are to the broader SEO spectrum.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>It usually ignites a good discussion and talking points to explore experience and knowledge further and also leads to lots of follow up questions.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>As with any interview question, I want to hear validation for detail behind the answer, why they think it\u2019s a priority, and how that could vary for different clients.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I would usually follow up with specific sectors or types of brands to see if the answer would change.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"David Schulhof\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-11.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"David Schulhof\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-11.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\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<div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"eight\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_4oot7bn0mvpy\"\/>8. \u201cWhat do you think the impact of AI Overviews will be on\u00a0SEO?\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Our final (and very big) question comes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/freeg131\/\">Philip Gamble<\/a>, Head of SEO at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zenithmedia.com\">Zenith<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p>What do you think the impact of AI Overviews will be on SEO as a channel?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Philip Gamble\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-12.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Philip Gamble\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-12.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_lkqo2y2jf4d5\"\/>How to answer<\/h3>\n<p>Philip provides an example answer below but interestingly suggests that there <em>isn\u2019t<\/em> a right answer here.<\/p>\n<p>The question is there to test the candidate\u2019s general understanding of SEO and explore their ability to justify their SEO opinions and communicate them succinctly\u2014essential for working agency-side.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"small\">\n<div class=\"quote-content\">\n<p><em>At the moment, AI Overviews have not had a significant impact on most of my clients.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Their presence is fairly minimal compared to the early beta, and I see them predominantly on the upper funnel informational terms, mostly longer question queries.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I\u2019ve seen a few useful AI Overviews, for example, when searching for a grammar-related question. Still, in a few cases, they just seem to duplicate information already in featured snippets. I\u2019ve also seen some examples where the generated result wasn\u2019t helpful.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"quote-info clearfix\">\n<div class=\"quote-photo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Philip Gamble\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-12.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img class=\"lazyload\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Philip Gamble\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/word-image-180489-12.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-180489-_gwvrxyeittio\"\/>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>If you want to ace the interview, you need to get into the brain of the hiring manager. This is often easier said than done. As you can see from this post, every hiring manager is looking for something slightly different. You can only do this by understanding what\u2019s important to them\u2014and by understanding who they\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n<p>Are you an SEO hiring manager and want to contribute to this article? If so, share your favorite SEO interview questions <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/3KNAasiAaqpuXGzRA\">here<\/a> or contact me <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-haines-seo\">on LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-interview-questions\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you frantically Googling \u201cSEO interview questions\u201d because you\u2019ve got an upcoming interview like\u2026 tomorrow? If so, don\u2019t panic\u2014I\u2019ve got you covered. As research for this article, I\u2019ve asked eight top hiring managers to share the #1 SEO interview question they\u2019re asking candidates right now, so you can understand what types of questions hiring managers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2714","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\/2714","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=2714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}