Advancing your in-house SEO career can be incredibly lucrative and fulfilling. But most advice is theoretical, too high-level, and comes from people who haven’t done it.
I had the good fortune of a very fruitful in-house career, leading large organizations at companies like Atlassian, G2, or Shopify.
Over the recent years, I have had the honor of helping companies like Ramp, Hims, Nextdoor, and many others hire top-tier talent and design effective teams.
But my experience is subjective, so I asked four of the most accomplished SEO pros in the world to share their insights as well (you can find their full answers at the end of the Memo):
Image Credit: Kevin Indig
Thank you so much for sharing your valuable insights!
The 5 Core Competencies Of SEO
SEO professionals need five core competencies to succeed in the long-term, that I broke down into three skills each.
I created the framework based on John’s, Malte’s, Jordan’s, Tom’s, and my own experience. Each skill is critical. You cannot just be strong in four. You need to be strong in all of them to succeed in the long term.
Image Credit: Kevin Indig
Skill 1: Communication
Communication is made up of alignment, collaboration, and outward communication.
Creating internal alignment means helping everyone understand what matters in SEO to get buy in, but also contemplate what’s happening in a crisis. For example, when an algorithm update hits your site.
Since SEO is a recommended discipline, it’s critical to collaborate effectively with supporting teams like engineering, design, content, etc., and adjacent teams like legal or procurement.
Outward communication, the way you present yourself and the company at events or on social media, matters it comes to hiring new talent and raising your company’s reputation.
Skill 2: Learning
Learning breaks down into adaptability, experience, and filtering information.
Adaptability is important because Google’s algorithms and design change a lot. Just think about the shift we’re going through with AI search right now. So, you need to be able to shift gears, leave old mental models behind, and develop new ones. You can learn about SEO, but doing it is a different kind of beast. To learn, you can have one or more side projects to tinker with or analyze and reverse engineer other sites.
It’s also important to at least know the basics of other disciplines because they all impact SEO: copywriting, positioning and messaging, conversion optimization, design, web development, and product development.
Lastly, get good at filtering information. What do you read? How do you learn from experiments, and how well are you connected to the industry so you can learn from peers?
Skill 3: Business Savviness
Business savviness breaks down into planning, focus, and execution.
Planning is a crucial skill for almost anything in life. You need to be good at setting goals, priorities, timings, and responsibilities. Planning also includes knowing what resources you need and pitching for them. Also, develop proficiency in forecasting and projecting impact.
Focus is the skill of working on the most important projects while tuning out the noise. It’s measuring the right data to know whether you’re successful and to report upwards and sideways.
Good execution is really hard. In my experience, it comes down to good project management but also understanding how your business and industry work.
Technicality doesn’t mean technical SEO but the skills of automation, data analysis, and a general technical understanding.
Automation is about doing work more efficiently while controlling for dependencies and liabilities. This skill is rapidly becoming more important as AI gets better. It used to be about proficiency with Excel, Google Sheets, SQL, web analytics, etc. But in the future, a lot of it will come down to prompt engineering and workflow automation.
Data analysis is the skill of getting and analyzing data, i.e., knowing which data to look at and how to interpret it well.
A good technical understanding comes down to learning how Google works but also being “technical” enough to talk to engineers and product managers. For example, you want to learn what tech stack your company’s site and application is built on, how the engineering team works, etc.
Leadership is the result of advocacy, hiring, and relationship building. To be clear, you should develop leadership qualities, whether you have management responsibility or not.
Advocacy means representing SEO where it matters. It demands you to proactively find out where conversations happen that impact SEO and how to influence them.
Good hiring skills come down to whether you have a high bar and if you can bring in good talent. Who do you know, and how do you evaluate them for the job?
Relationship building is critical for rapport with your manager and peers. You need allies and “friends” to lean on and learn from. Part of this is getting good at coaching others and finding a good coach.
The five core competencies offer you a helpful overview of what you need to develop. But without understanding how to apply them, they’re only half as useful.
General Vs. Specific Skills
Everybody needs to be proficient in the five core competencies, but you need to adjust the emphasis of your skills based on the industry and business model of the company you work for.
I have three tips for you:
Learn more about technical SEO and product development when you work on larger sites, usually in B2C. Get better at demand generation and content marketing for smaller sites, usually in B2B. The reason is that you want to align your skills with the biggest growth levers of the business.
Develop expertise in SERP Features that matter for your industry. For example:
News: top stories.
Ecommerce: product grids.
SaaS: video carousels.
SMB: Map Packs.
Tailor your skills to the size and maturity of a company. For example, in startups it’s more important to execute fast while you need to invest more time into creating alignment at large enterprises.
Hard Vs. Soft Skills
Hard skills are not as important as soft skills in SEO because you need to constantly adapt to Google changes and learn new hard skills as tech and consumer behavior evolve.
I recommend writing down and refining your mental model about how Google works and what drives success.
Forcing yourself to explain and think about why things are the way they are allows you to truly refine your approach to SEO.
You need to balance two things at the same time: being confident in your approach but open to new insights. Jeff Bezos: “Strong opinions, loosely held.”
Career Planning
This is hard, but most people never think about where they want to be and what it takes to get there.
But without focus, it’s easy to dabble in too many areas and waste time. What are you optimizing for?
Think about your endgame and what you need to get there. Remember, you can always change your goal. But have one.
I love Ray Dalio’s five-step framework for endgame planning 1:
Have clear goals.
Identify and don’t tolerate the problems that stand in the way of your achieving those goals.
Accurately diagnose the problems to get at their root causes.
Design plans that will get you around them.
Do what’s necessary to push these designs through to results.
I want to finish by leaving you with some top-notch resources you can use to keep developing yourself.
1. Malte suggests Learning SEO by Aleyda Solis, probably the most comprehensive repository of SEO learning material.
2. Jordan recommends three books:
3. Tom suggests the SEO MBA, especially the SEO maturity matrix, and the Lethain article, A forty-year career.
4. John mentions Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO, WIX SEO Guide, Semrush Academy, Ahrefs Academy, Harvard Business Review Case Studies, and two books:
“Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek.
“Lost and Founder” by Rand Fishkin.
Full Answers
I present to you the raw inputs I got from John, Tom, Jordan, and Malte:
What core skills and knowledge areas are essential for success in SEO today, and how do you recommend developing them?
Jordan Silton: If I were recreating my personal career path, I would emphasize technical expertise, data analysis, communication skills, and business acumen.
However, SEO roles today are so varied across different business types, industries, and strategies that a multitude of skills are valuable and relevant.
Malte Landwehr: I think SEO has become so diverse that there is no longer one set of skills.
A technical SEO needs very different skills from a content-marketing-focused SEO. A director of SEO needs very different skills from a principal SEO consultant. The SEO work for a B2B SaaS looks totally different from the SEO work for a marketplace or aggregator. News SEO is completely different from ecommerce SEO.
If I had to pick the traits that helped me the most, I would say:
The ability to simultaneously hold multiple, contradicting frameworks and mental models in your head. Two SEOs might tell you two completely different models, how they implement SEO. Both might be wrong – but you might still learn something from both approaches.
Embrace uncertainty. When reverse engineering the Google algorithm, there are many unknowns. You need to get comfortable with that.
ELI5 & ELIPhD. You need to be able to explain SEO to everyone. During your career, you might talk to a CEO, CFO, CMO, CTO, CPO, Head of Web Product, Product Manager, Content Editor, Software Developer, Analyst, and many other roles. Each of these people needs different information. And to convince them, you need to tell different stories. You must develop the ability to talk to each of them.
John Shehata: Today’s SEO landscape has evolved from a generalist approach to a more specialized one. We now see technical SEOs, content SEOs, commerce SEOs, and many more.
The most critical skill right now is adaptability. Google’s algorithms are becoming more sophisticated, advanced, and complex, requiring SEOs to maneuver through frequent changes and quickly pivot strategies when necessary.
Developing this skill involves staying informed through industry updates, engaging with the community, and experimenting to see what works in real time.
Equally important is the ability to think with a business mindset. Historically, SEOs have been focused heavily on driving traffic, but generating traffic for traffic’s sake is no longer enough.
SEOs today need to align their strategies with business goals and revenue streams, focusing on attracting the right audience that converts rather than casting the widest net possible. This shift requires optimizing content not just to attract visitors but to support key business objectives.
Additionally, leveraging AI is essential – not just for automating tasks but for enhancing your analysis and decision-making.
AI can streamline workflows, handle complex data analysis, and support content optimization, allowing SEOs to focus on strategic tasks.
To build these skills, SEOs should learn about AI tools, experiment with them, and stay updated on new developments.
However, none of these skills will be fully effective without strong communication abilities. Being able to translate complex SEO insights into clear, actionable recommendations for non-technical stakeholders is invaluable.
This involves bridging the gap between technical teams and business units, ensuring that all departments are aligned and moving toward shared objectives.
Lastly, data analytics is a foundational skill that ties everything together. A deep understanding of data helps uncover hidden opportunities and supports informed, strategic decisions.
Mastery of tools like Google Analytics, BigQuery, and Looker Studio will allow SEOs to extract meaningful insights that can shape strategies, validate recommendations, and ultimately drive better business outcomes.
Tom Critchlow: This will be no surprise to those who know me, but business skills are critical.
The ability to first understand the full revenue profile and mechanics of the companies you work with, and then being able to communicate confidently, credibly, and clearly.
SEO is more than ever a cross-functional activity and so what we consider “soft skills” are actually critical to be able to convince teams, stakeholders, clients and organizations to invest appropriately in SEO.
Of course, you need some knowledge of SEO too! I think the ideal career experience is a role that allows you to invest in your technical and analytical SEO skills while getting a front-row seat to the wider business context and communication.
What pivotal experiences contributed most to your professional growth?
Jordan Silton: I’ve been fortunate to keep learning different roles, and each shift into a new context accelerated my growth.
Starting in paid search/SEM taught me to monitor KPIs, optimize for ROI, and use an experimental approach to improvement.
Evolving a reporting team into a data science and experimentation team expanded my understanding of how teams and metrics connect across the entire business.
Becoming a product leader was transformational in teaching me how to build consensus and influence to move a business forward.
Malte Landwehr: For me personally, it was a combination of three things:
I started tinkering with websites in my early teen year. I did everything on my own, from repairing corrupted SQL databases, to editing .htaccess files, creating content, attracting visitors, and former partnerships for monetization. This allowed me to understand the full picture of running a website.
I studied Computer Science with a focus on graph algorithms, web scraping, machine learning, information retrieval, and NLP. This allowed me to form a deep understanding of Google’s algorithms and patents.
I worked in Management Consulting. One thing I oversaw was making sure our PowerPoint slides can be read on a BlackBerry in the backseat of a car. This gave me the skills to talk to the C-level and craft proper proposals.
John Shehata: My career growth has been shaped by a diverse range of experiences.
Coming from a technical background as a software engineer and transitioning to marketing has given me a strong foundation.
One key moment was learning to translate complex SEO concepts into a language that editorial, PR, and marketing teams could understand, which helped bridge the gap between SEO needs and business objectives.
Another pivotal decision early in my career was to become a well-rounded marketer instead of specializing only in SEO.
I gained expertise in social media when platforms like Twitter and Facebook were in their infancy, built one of the first social media teams for a major news publisher, and developed a deep understanding of newsletters and partnerships. This diverse experience allowed me to eventually lead global audience development strategies for large organizations.
Managing cross-functional teams was another formative experience.
Working closely with development and engineering teams taught me to speak their language, advocate for SEO needs, and propose technical solutions that accelerated our initiatives.
While working with Editorial teams taught me how to respect the craft and appreciate all the due diligence that goes into writing content.
Working with all these different teams and understanding their strengths and needs, strengthened my ability to push back when necessary and collaborate effectively, which is crucial for driving SEO projects forward within complex organizations.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of my career has been mentoring and team building. I’ve had the privilege of hiring hundreds of SEOs and mentoring some of the best SEOs in the industry, helping them develop their own skills and grow into leadership roles.
Watching them succeed has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
Finally, a turning point in my career was the conscious effort I made to build my personal brand.
Early on, I had supportive managers who encouraged me to refine my public speaking skills and present within the company.
I took these opportunities seriously, which eventually led to my first speaking engagement at SES 18 years ago, the largest SEO conference at the time with thousands of attendees.
From there, I focused on establishing my presence both online and offline, which not only advanced my career but also opened doors for me to promote my own software solutions.
Building a personal brand has proven invaluable in expanding my influence and credibility in the industry.
Tom Critchlow: My first job in digital was as an account manager for a digital agency. The first week on the job the account director and the SEO director both quit!
So, I was left speaking directly to clients about SEO with zero experience. Great way to learn both sides of the equation.
After that, working at Distilled, my brother Will taught me everything I know. I am forever indebted to his guidance.
What are the biggest mistakes you made or have seen others make in developing their career?
Jordan Silton: Most of my early career success was predicated on finding an issue or problem or opportunity and shining a light on it to get others to rally and fix it.
That approach worked well in a world of technical audits and a focus purely on what to do, rather than how to get it done.
I wish I had understood earlier how crucial it is to build up the people and relationships along the way.
In larger organizations (and small ones, too), success is almost exclusively driven by teamwork and communication rather than individual expertise.
Recognizing the value of people in the process transformed my approach, and I believe it has made me a more effective leader.
Malte Landwehr: For a long time, I underestimated the impact a good coach can have. Mindset and manifestation sound like a scam. But they work – also beyond career topics.
John Shehata: One mistake I made early on was focusing too much on rankings as a primary metric. While rankings are a great indicator, they are not the ultimate measure of success.
As I matured, I evolved to focus on traffic, and ultimately how SEO metrics align with overall business goals.
Now, my primary focus is on understanding how each SEO activity impacts revenue and long-term business growth.
I’ve also seen many SEOs panic over algorithm updates. While these changes can be disruptive, a better approach is to remain calm, evaluate the impact, and create both immediate and long-term action plans.
Sometimes, Google reverses its changes, so it’s important not to overreact.
Another common mistake is made by managers transitioning into director roles. Many struggle with balancing tactical and strategic thinking. They might dive into tactical details when speaking with C-level executives instead of focusing on strategy.
Mastering the art of switching between tactical and strategic conversations is crucial for career growth at this level.
Tom Critchlow: Not giving yourself access to context. Whatever role you’re in, if you’re not in the room where budgets are discussed and decisions are made, then you’re missing so much context.
So much of this comes down to your manager and how much they invite you into conversations “above your pay grade,” so to speak.
How do you think strategically about your career?
Jordan Silton: My favorite question about career aspirations is, “What’s your endgame?”
While it’s not crucial to stick to the same endgame, having a clear vision of what you want to achieve is vital.
My aspiration has been fairly consistent in helping businesses turn themselves around and accelerate growth, but my approach has evolved.
Initially, I thought that meant becoming a management consultant, but I was able to reframe this early in my career by realizing that agencies had significant leverage in this area.
This mindset guided my career decisions, including transitioning in-house to gain insight into internal business dynamics and knowing when to leave a successful, industry-leading business to explore opportunities with companies focused on reimagining and rebuilding their brands.
Having an end state to point toward – no matter how much you zigzag to get there – helps ground you in your professional journey.
Malte Landwehr: I am in the incredibly lucky and privileged position that I found something that I thoroughly enjoy doing, happen to be very good at it, and that companies are willing to pay a lot of money for.
I just show up every day at work and focus on whatever task sounds reasonable (and fun) to me.
John Shehata: I’ve always focused on becoming a well-rounded digital marketer rather than a specialist. My strategy was to gain experience across different channels – SEO, social media, newsletters, partnerships, etc. – so I could integrate these areas into a cohesive strategy.
This approach has paid off as I moved into senior leadership roles, where I was able to oversee not just SEO but broader audience development strategies.
Now, as the founder of an SEO software company, my focus has shifted significantly.
Running a SaaS startup requires wearing many hats – product development, sales, support, and client relations – each demanding its own set of skills.
My strategy now is centered on building long-term relationships, and deeply understanding my customers, identifying their pain points, and positioning our software as a long-term solution rather than just a tactical tool.
This means continuously evaluating how our products can deliver real value and helping publishers see the impact through clear, actionable insights.
It’s a constant balance between addressing immediate customer needs and aligning those solutions with their long-term business goals.
In addition, I place a strong emphasis on long-term skill building. I focus on developing skills that I anticipate will be critical in the next 5 to 10 years, such as AI, automation, and business development.
Staying ahead of the curve is essential in such a fast-evolving industry, and it’s important to proactively build expertise in emerging areas.
Another crucial element of my strategy is networking. Building a strong network has consistently opened new doors and opportunities for collaboration.
It’s not just about who you know, but ensuring that the people in your network know the value you bring to the table.
By fostering genuine relationships and contributing to the community, I’ve been able to establish connections that have proven invaluable throughout my career journey.
Tom Critchlow: There’s a great post on a 40-year career that uses a framework of “pace, people, prestige, profit and learning” where different career/life stages require different focus. I like that a lot.
Personally, I’ve always been motivated by learning primarily – the ability to learn new skills and new industries.
Can you suggest any resources or material for career growth?
Jordan Silton: Three books that come to mind immediately are “Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders” by L. David Marquet, “The Checklist Manifesto” by Atul Gawande, and “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz.
Each of these challenges traditional norms and presents innovative approaches grounded in science and contemporary insights.
Additionally, I’m excited about what Evan LaPointe is building at CORE Sciences. His team leverages clinical insights from neuroscience to evolve business thinking, addressing the many counterproductive norms that persist in the workplace. It’s time to upgrade our understanding, thinking, and practices for better outcomes.
Malte Landwehr: https://learningseo.io/ is the only resource you need to advance your SEO career.
John Shehata: The resources you should focus on depend on where you are in your career.
For early-stage professionals, I recommend mastering tactical skills using resources like Aleyda’s Learning SEO, Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO, WIX, Semrush, or Ahrefs’ Academy.
As you progress, start exploring strategic resources like Kevin’s Growth Memo newsletter.
For more experienced professionals and SaaS owners, I suggest diving into leadership books like “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek or exploring resources that help you develop a business mindset, Rand Fishkin’s “Lost and Founder,” case studies from Harvard Business Review.
Additionally, staying connected with the SEO community through conferences, webinars, and podcasts is invaluable for continuous learning and networking.
One thing that applies across all stages is the need to stay updated.
SEO and digital marketing are constantly evolving, and keeping a pulse on the latest Google algorithm updates, industry changes, and new tools is crucial to maintaining a competitive edge.
Beyond reading, mentorship is a powerful tool for career growth. Finding a mentor in your field, or becoming one for others, accelerates learning in ways that books and courses alone cannot.
Teaching and guiding others not only solidifies your own understanding but also deepens your expertise.
Finally, hands-on experience is irreplaceable. No amount of reading or watching tutorials can substitute for real-world application.
Create your own projects, build websites, do your own affiliate content, and test different strategies.
Experimenting firsthand is the best way to learn what works and, just as importantly, what doesn’t.
Ultimately, it’s the combination of learning, mentorship, and practical application that will propel your career forward.
Tom Critchlow: I mean, I’m biased, but I think a lot of the SEO MBA archives are relevant!
In particular, the SEO skills maturity matrix is my most popular all-time post and looks at career progression, specifically balancing the “hard” and “soft” skills you need as you grow.
1 Use the 5-Step Process to Get What You Want Out of Life
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal