How to hire an SEO consultant

Most of our online experiences start with search engines like Google. Companies hire search engine optimization (SEO) consultants to boost visibility on Google – generating more organic traffic and potential sales or leads.

However, to ensure the next person you hire for an SEO job has the skills to help your site rank, comprehensive evaluations like a Technical SEO test are vital. You must also ask the right SEO-related interview questions and determine what kind of consultant you need.

In this article, we explain how to hire an SEO consultant successfully, including the key steps to take and the top skills the perfect candidate should have.

Why hire an SEO consultant?

SEO consultants are experts in their field. SEO affects how high your website ranks for certain search queries and, by extension, whether you reach your target audience or how many visitors you get from non-advertised links, also called organic traffic. 

SEO consultants are experts in their field. SEO affects how high your website ranks for certain search queries and, by extension, whether you reach your target audience or how many visitors you get from non-advertised links, also called organic traffic. 

Consultants’ knowledge of the latest SEO trends helps them employ strategies and best practices to optimize your website and rank higher. Consequently, hiring an effective SEO consultant increases your organic traffic, boosting sales, leads, and brand reach. 

Ranking in the top results is crucial. On average, Google’s first result has a click-through rate of 28.5%, whereas the second and third results have click-through rates of 15.7% and 11%, respectively. Meanwhile, those that rank 10th only see 2.5%. An SEO expert helps you avoid low results, as well as bring other benefits to your organization, such as:

1. Long-term cost savings: Research shows that effective SEO strategies save you money and help you scale. SEO specialists increase and maintain consistent organic traffic, enabling you to rely less on paid search tools, such as PPC (pay-per-click) ads.

2. Match users’ search intent: Whenever visitors are looking for something, they expect a specific result. Consultants help you match your content to users’ search intent more effectively than your competitors.

3. Boost your brand image: With the assistance of an SEO expert, you make your brand more recognizable and visible, helping build your customers’ trust over time. 

4. Uncover unexplored growth opportunities: SEO specialists conduct keyword research and analysis, which leads to new ranking and growth opportunities.

6 steps on how to hire an SEO consultant

Given the benefits of optimization, finding the best talent is challenging and competitive. To help you get started, here are six steps on how to find a good SEO consultant.

1. Determine your objectives and budget

Clarifying your business goals and preferences helps you decide what type of SEO assistance you need.

Depending on their skills, SEO experts support your existing processes, focus on specific problem areas, or help you build a strategy from scratch. 

In addition, consider if you need input on a temporary or regular basis. Bringing on a consultant is usually an external process, but it’s possible to hire internally if you have an employee with an SEO background or the resources to train one.

An in-house hire, freelancer, or agency consultant also has different advantages, which we’ve outlined below: 

2. Evaluate: How much does it cost to hire an SEO specialist?

The average pay of an SEO consultant depends on several factors, such as their acquired skills and whether they’re a freelancer or an in-house hire. It also depends on your country of residence.

For example, according to FirstPageSage, the average total pay of an in-house SEO specialist is $52,000 to $65,000 per year. 

Rates of freelance consultants vary based on their SEO services. Meanwhile, agencies are comparatively more expensive than either option because they offer other services, like content creation. 

Other variables of the hiring process (e.g., recruiters’ salaries, freelancers’ and agencies’ discovery fees) also add to the cost. To save time and resources, opt for proactive candidate sourcing. Build a talent pool so that when the need arises, you have quality options.

Standard screening methods like resumes are also lengthy and costly. Using pre-developed talent assessments streamlines screening by providing an unbiased, comprehensive look at candidates’ skills. 

To visualize cost benefits, check out the ROI calculator. 

Create the most cost-effective recruiting process with TestGorilla

TestGorilla’s tests are pre-developed for each role. The test creation process is fast, administering easy, and the results are automatically scored and compared.

Screen with our Free forever plan

3. How to hire an SEO consultant: Write a job description

The next step is to write a compelling job listing. Here’s a template of an SEO consultant job description to help you get started on yours:

[Your company name] is seeking a skilled and results-driven SEO consultant with a track record of impeccable e-commerce work to help us improve our rankings.

SEO consultants work closely with our marketing and web development teams to improve our organic search visibility, drive website traffic, and enhance overall search engine ranking performance.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive website audits to identify ranking opportunities and fix issues

• Perform keyword research to identify target keywords and use SEO tools to optimize website content 

• Develop and implement effective on-page and off-page SEO strategies to increase organic traffic

• Optimize website structure, navigation, and user experience to enhance search engine crawlability and indexing

• Monitor and analyze website performance, rankings, and user behavior using SEO analytics platforms

• Provide recommendations and guidance for website optimization, content marketing, and link-building efforts

• Stay up-to-date with industry trends, Google algorithm updates, and best practices in SEO

Requirements

• In-depth knowledge of SEO techniques, best practices, and industry tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Search Console, keyword research tools)

• Familiarity with HTML, CSS, and website development principles, with the ability to work closely with web developers to implement SEO recommendations

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data, draw insights, and make data-driven decisions

• Excellent communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams, present recommendations, and provide clear explanations of SEO concepts to stakeholders

Preferred skills and qualifications

• Knowledge of technical SEO, including website performance optimization, structured data implementation, and XML sitemaps

• Familiarity with WordPress and experience optimizing websites on it

• Understanding of social media’s impact on SEO and integration of social media strategies into overall SEO efforts

• Skilled in B2C SEO for a brick-and-mortar store that has an online shop

• Skilled in local SEO and optimizing websites for specific geographic locations

4. Research and recruit SEO specialists in the right place

It’s time to track down some candidates. The research and recruitment process differs depending on the type of services you need and whether you’re a small business, a startup, or a large corporation.

Another way of finding an SEO expert is to seek recommendations from people you trust and who have previously worked with one. Personal referrals provide valuable insights into a consultant’s or agency’s skills, professionalism, and ability to deliver results.

5. Use skills assessments to screen the best with TestGorilla

To screen your next SEO consultant, focus on skills-based hiring, which lets you directly evaluate a variety of skills rather than counting on resumes to prove 

Your best bet is to use a dedicated talent assessment platform like TestGorilla. 

Our talent assessments accurately and quickly evaluate in-house candidates, freelancers, and even agency consultants. Comprehensive, high-quality data from test results automatically narrows down top talent – while eliminating bias and lengthy screening.

Furthermore, expert-vetted tests help managers hire without the need for personal expertise. 

Here’s an example question from the Google Analytics 4 test. SEO consultants often track data across multiple domains, which recruiters might not know how to do. 

Talent assessment also helps you refine your hiring process. For example, TakeFortyTwo, a digital agency, used TestGorilla to do so and created an accurate, easy-to-use system. 

The agency’s team set up tests in one day and landed better hires through objective tests on technical skills, culture add, and cognitive abilities.

To do the same and gain measurable insights into which candidates have the right skills, customize an SEO assessment of your own and get started with a Free forever plan. 

Here are some of the tests we recommend using to find a skilled SEO expert: 

• Technical SEO test: Technical SEO is an important element of your search engine optimization efforts because it affects your site’s performance. Use this test to evaluate your applicants’ skills in SEO practices and technical problem-solving. 

• SEO Copywriting test: If you need your SEO consultant to not only analyze opportunities but also write optimized copy for you, an SEO copywriting test is essential. Alternatively, use our test to gauge their skill in on- and off-page SEO.

• Google Analytics test: A competent SEO consultant knows the ins and outs of Google Analytics. Ask them to take our evaluation to check their skills.

• SEO Outreach test: Effective SEO requires outreach SEO campaigns to boost your ranking. Our test evaluates a candidate’s approach to outreach, covering link-building, relationship management, and optimization fundamentals.

• Communication Skills test: Consultants communicate with marketing teams, content writers, designers, developers, and business owners. A Communication Skills test identifies candidates who know how to collaborate and even handle conflict, as shown in the following example question.

Get the most out of recruiting with TestGorilla skills tests

Multi-measure talent assessments remove bias and guesswork from recruiting by providing the most comprehensive talent data. Give all applicants an equal chance and make mis-hires a thing of the past.

6. Plan your interviews with the right questions

Once you’ve screened your talent pool with skills testing, invite the best candidates to take part in a structured interview. 

Here are some sample SEO interview questions to get you started:

• Can you walk us through the process of conducting an SEO audit and identifying optimization opportunities?

• How do you approach keyword research to target relevant and high-impact keywords?

• How do you communicate SEO progress and recommendations to people who may not have a strong technical understanding?

• How do you stay updated with the latest trends, algorithm changes, and best practices in SEO?

• What is your understanding of local SEO? Can you give us an example of how you'd optimize a website for a specific geographic location?

Fundamental skills needed for an SEO specialist

Now that you know how to hire SEO specialists, it’s time to identify the top skills candidates need to succeed. 

Use talent assessments to validate the skills listed below and browse our test library for the right tests, or choose other options that fit your business needs. 

3 hard skills of an SEO consultant

The hard skills to prioritize depend on the role and the tasks you plan to give your new hire. Some consultants specialize in specific skills, while others are versed in all three of the following. 

1. Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the foundation of effective search engine optimization, affecting the performance and speed of your website, site errors, and redirects. Competent SEO specialists have a deep understanding of technical SEO and stay up to date on the latest developments in the field. They also feel confident tackling auditing, website structure, URL optimization, XML sitemaps, canonicalization, robots.txt implementations, and mobile responsiveness.

2. On-page and off-page SEO 

On-page SEO impacts elements, such as copywriting, meta tags, alt texts, URL structure, internal linking, and schema markup, to ensure that search engines understand and rank the content appropriately. Meanwhile, off-page SEO involves building high-quality backlinks and developing effective link-building strategies to improve the website’s domain authority and credibility. 

Effective on- and off-page optimization strategies work in tandem to improve search engine visibility, drive organic traffic, and enhance the overall online presence of a website. A skilled SEO consultant is often competent in optimizing both and does well on tests like SEO Outreach or SEO Copywriting.

3. Analytics software

An SEO consultant is responsible for measuring website performance and tracking key performance metrics like organic search traffic, bounce rate, conversion rates, and user engagement. 

To do so effectively, consultants use analytics software such as Google Analytics 4, Moz, and Ahrefs. They also need to feel comfortable making data-driven decisions and optimizing SEO strategies according to insights they draw from software.

3 soft skills of an SEO consultant

SEO is a dynamic field where best practices come and go quickly. Although technical skills are key, your next consultant’s soft skills are equally important because they help professionals adapt and learn.

1. Analytical skills 

A specific ranking position isn’t guaranteed because Google’s algorithms aren’t fully transparent. However, with strong analytical skills, a skilled SEO consultant draws insights to combat the lack of transparency.

For example, they know how to perform keyword research for your niche and look at large volumes of data to draw meaningful conclusions. They also analyze current results to build a strategy based on their findings and achieve better rankings.

2. Cognitive flexibility 

According to the World Economic Forum, cognitive flexibility is one of the most important skills for the future. The ability to learn and upskill – rather than only relying on technical skills and knowledge – sets outstanding employees apart.

In addition, cognitive flexibility is an essential skill because SEO constantly evolves. Search engines roll out thousands of algorithm changes per year. Strategies proven to work at the beginning of this decade don’t remain relevant forever.

Consequently, effective SEO specialists are flexible, staying updated with industry best practices and proactively implementing innovative strategies that align with the evolving search engine algorithms.

3. Communication skills

Effective communication skills are essential to convey complex SEO concepts to team members, managers, clients, and other stakeholders. Consultants must explain technical jargon clearly and concisely, ensuring everyone understands strategies and recommendations.

Strong communication skills also enable consultants to efficiently listen to client needs, gather requirements, and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Hire the best SEO consultant with TestGorilla

Learning how to hire an SEO consultant is the first step. Next is choosing assessments that save time and evaluate what matters the most – a candidate’s skill.

The SEO Outreach test tackles link-building. Meanwhile, the Technical SEO test evaluates foundational site needs. Lastly, the SEO Copywriting test assesses content optimization.

Together, the tests help you concentrate on the most qualified applicants and screen out those who don’t match your requirements. 

Sign up for a live demo to see how. 

When you’re ready to make the switch, register for your Free forever account.

Finally, check out our product tour and discover the benefits of skills-based hiring.

How to hire an SEO Consultant FAQs

Have more questions on how to hire an SEO expert or a strategist? Let’s go over some commonly asked questions about SEO work.

What is an SEO consultant?

Search engine optimization or SEO consultants are experts who assist businesses in improving their website’s rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) and online visibility. They are familiar with search engine algorithms and various strategies to optimize websites. Companies typically hire SEO specialists to diagnose and treat their ranking problems, help maintain their domain authority and online presence, and stay up to date with the current SEO best practices.

Can I hire a writer to do my SEO, or do I need an SEO consultant?

Whether you need a writer or an SEO consultant depends on your situation. SEO consultants are highly specialized, senior-level professionals. Some have experience with writing, but their skills are more focused on analysis and strategy. SEO writers often help with keyword analysis and content strategy as well, but this isn’t central to their role. Instead, they focus on creative and on-page responsibilities, which is just one vein of SEO.

How do I know if an SEO consultant is experienced and knowledgeable?

• Use skills tests to assess their talent: Skill tests are the biggest indicator of high-quality talent because they’re objective and comprehensive. 

• Examine their portfolio: A strong portfolio helps you align a candidate’s skills with your current needs. A portfolio includes past results or, if a candidate is early in their career, samples of potential strategies. 

• Check out references from past clients: Happy clients often offer testimonials or post recommendations for skilled SEO consultants.