While talk prior to us recording this episode was focused around a video that Google put out we instead focused on all the other things you should worry about when hiring an SEO.

Think of this as a starting point to a Guide to Hiring an SEO. There is much more you should worry about than what we cover here but the questions and conversation we have should help you before you hire your next SEO Specialist, SEO Strategist, SEO Manager and even an SEO Director.

What to look for in a possible SEO hire:

Another way to put it is, "what do you need help with?". Often few people really sit down and think through the type of SEO that they need to hire and instead just say "hire someone to do the SEO".

Someone that is teachable (for an entry level role)What tasks does your team or you personally need help with around SEO?What is your budget?What resources internally and externally do you have to support this person?What is the person going to do? Manage external people? Manage internal people? Do the research work? Sit in 6 hours of meetings and make sure SEO is at the table? Manage the team that does the busy work?What is their background? Did they come from somewhere that things were cookie cutter or did they come up with the tasks and strategy?Of course you should look at if this person(s) are a fit culturally and will work well with the team(s) in place.Are you a small business where Local SEO is super important?Do you need a consultant? An agency? Do you need to hire an intern? Or do you really have enough work and budget and resources for a full time SEO?

What questions to ask internally prior to hiring an SEO:

Does this person need to be:

Technical? Writer? Data? Project Manager? People Manager? Account Manager? Some Combo?

Before you go and hire someone or even think to start talking to people figure out what your pain points are. What and where do you need help with your site to improve the site?

Officer Skills vs Enlisted Skills

Does this person need to be certified with X, Y and Z or should you focus on their creativity and ability to manage people, projects and solve problems?

Additional Recent Resources on Hiring an SEO

SEO Community Rebukes Google for Advising Free Site AuditsGoogle’s Tips for Hiring an SEO SpecialistHiring an SEO? Why a technical SEO audit shouldn’t be part of the proposal process

Full Transcript

Matt Siltala: [00:00:00] Welcome to another exciting episode of the business of digital podcast featuring your host, Matt  and Dave roar. Hey you guys, excited to be here with you on another one of these businesses, digital podcast. Thank you for joining us as always. And of course I have my trusty cohost, Dave. How's it going, bud?

Dave Rohrer: [00:00:21] Top of the day, cause I don't know what time you're listening,

Matt Siltala: [00:00:26] top of the whatever to you,

Dave Rohrer: [00:00:28] top of the whatever.

Matt Siltala: [00:00:29] There we go. And of course, right

Dave Rohrer: [00:00:32] when we don't know what date is anyway at this point. So

Matt Siltala: [00:00:34] yeah, it's just day. That's, I saw that meme and, and it, it like resignated with me, the one that's all that, just kind of a blotched out the actual, like the sun of the mind or the two, like it's just a, it's all day now.

All

Dave Rohrer: [00:00:49] day. I like that.

Matt Siltala: [00:00:52] Yes, sir. So, um, we wanted to talk about hiring an SEO and so. Um, maybe one of you just get us [00:01:00] kicked off for today, Dave, and we'll go from there.

Dave Rohrer: [00:01:03] We are not going to rehash what has already been talked about cause we're recording this a couple of weeks after everyone posted and screamed at Google about it.

But we will mention it. I think it, it has, it should be mentioned since it was recent. Bill Hartzer had a good. Um, blog post about hiring, um, an SEO specialist search engine land. Um, why a technical SEO audit shouldn't be part o