Searching for fulfillment: the art of search engine optimisation

Google, SEO strategies, search engine optimisatiion
Local SEO Concept Business team hands at work with financial reports Links Global Hyperlink search engine optimization and a laptop

Using search engines to answer queries is a staple of modern life, giving people around the world access to information, businesses and stories with a few simple clicks. Lesser known are the techniques and complex algorithms determining those search results. For many small businesses, their organic ranking on Google in these search results can have a massive impact on their survival.

Search engines are always updating and optimising how they rank web pages, making it even harder for businesses to keep up. With this comes a range of specialisations needed to help guide businesses through the changes securely. From SEO assistants to senior SEO specialists, the array of positions and talent required to fulfill this need are seemingly endless.

What is an SEO specialist?

It’s important to understand exactly what an SEO specialist does and the role it can play within a business. An SEO specialist is skilled in what search engines – such as Google and Bing – expect from a website to rank it well in the relevant search results. With the fast-paced nature of SEO, much of our job is to keep up with changes to search engine algorithms and make changes proactively to stay ahead before an algorithm update hits. This includes optimising web pages to sit in the top end of search results when someone uses a search engine to find your products or services.

As the Head of SEO Fulfillment, I am fortunate to lead a very passionate and collaborative team of SEO specialists who are progressive in leading the way and staying ahead of the curve. as well as manage the SEO product

The fulfilment part of my title refers to the execution of the product we offer, implementing processes and changes that will improve our SEO product as a whole, and collaborating with stakeholders with the goal being to provide more value to our clients.

Landing my ideal role with merely a few clicks

SEO is constantly changing, which always keeps it interesting and challenging. There are always ways we can improve and stay ahead in the best interest of our clients, our team and the business as a whole. This plays a big part in why I ended up in an SEO-based position versus a more creative field, considering I studied a BA Degree in fashion.

Growing up in South Africa, and after completing my BA Degree in fashion, along with a post-graduate diploma in business and marketing, I went on to work in a number of evolving digital roles, but discovered where my real passion was – digital.

How can women excel in STEM?

A 2020 global study by North Star Inbound revealed a whopping 68.4 per cent of SEOs are male, leaving only 29.3 per cent of those surveyed identifying as female. In Australia, the ratios were even wider, with 83.3 per cent of SEOs identifying as male and only 16.7 per cent of SEOs identifying as women.

But why is there this significant imbalance? Is the issue deep-rooted in training and upskilling? No data available suggests that technical skills and digital expertise are significantly related to gender.

Localsearch defies the Australian trend with 66 per cent of our SEO team identifying as female. Five of the seven members of our marketing team are female, with three using SEO daily in their roles. The Localsearch leadership team is 40 per cent female, with the national average sitting at 31.5 per cent.

For other women looking to excel in STEM, take that chance. Learn what you can through your own studies and apply for jobs where you’re given the opportunity to grow. SEO is an ever-developing industry and will offer endless opportunities to develop professionally. I look forward to seeing the number of women in the field grow.