If you have decided that you want to add to your in-house SEO team (or start one), you need to think seriously about the type of person you want to hire. Do you want someone with prior experience? Or do you want the person to learn from other team members along the way?
Hiring top people can be prohibitively expensive, because there are a lot of income opportunities for them to pursue. It is hard to match the earning potential of a top SEO practitioner because, at the very least, he can make more from building his own sites and operating them in an affiliate model. That does not mean you cannot hire real talent; it just means you will pay a premium.
Although experience costs more, under normal circumstances it will bring faster results. On the other hand, a less experienced person is a lot like a rookie in baseball: if you hire a future star, you can potentially accomplish a great deal at a much lower cost.
When sifting through résumés, examine candidates’ specific skill sets. If you are looking for someone to develop social media campaigns, you should probably be a bit more focused on that than on whether the candidate is an expert at keyword research. No matter what the person’s skill level, he should “get” the Internet. Does he blog? Tweet? Participate actively in social media sites such as StumbleUpon? If he doesn’t, chances are he is underexperienced for the position you are looking to fill.
When evaluating a person’s skills, don’t forget to assess his political finesse. What makes a successful SEO practitioner at an agency or in a freelance position is different from what makes a successful candidate in-house. Often, companies focus strictly on results and types of projects; however, if your company is plagued with red tape and political minefields, you need someone who can sell SEO to the entire organization and integrate it into the organization in the right places so that it is implemented successfully. There is an 80/20 rule for in-house SEO: 80% of the time you spend selling and 20% of the time you spend doing SEO. These skills are very different from what is required as a consultant, where you spend 80% of your time doing SEO.
Finding good SEO talent can be difficult and challenging as top SEO experts are in high demand and likely have more than one job option to pursue.
Many companies overlook this. The “jobs offered” sections of forums are often full of offers, but few have made any real effort to market the opening. It really is a basic marketing problem that many of those vacancies show. Many don’t even put a location in the title. Far worse is that almost all of the posts are company-centric: all about what the company wants from applicants, and no thought for what the prospective applicant will want from a company.
Fail to pitch the prospect and you will get to choose from a diminishing pool of folks who can’t make it alone, aren’t able or willing to make a good living from affiliate programs, and don’t prefer to be with a more forward-thinking and proactive company that looks to develop its staff, rather than merely recruit them.
The following job opening appeared in the job postings at Search Engine Watch (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/archive/index.php/t-4088.html):
I’m totally serious about this unique opportunity for a person of the right calibre to come and work with Propellernet UK, a Brighton-based Search Engine Marketing company, as a trainee Consultant.
This is not your average trainee position, and a high level of skills are already expected. We do not have the time to spend years on this training, and we are looking to take on an experienced SEO, who already understands the special aspects of Marketing as it applies to the web. Then I will personally train and coach you to take that further still.
The ideal candidate will have a background in sales or marketing, as well as a broad understanding of SEO.
(Clue: If you don’t know who I am, your knowledge of SEO is not going to be broad enough.)
You must be a great communicator, as an essential part of this role is to bridge the communication gap that often exists between the Marketing and Technical Departments of Client Companies.
You need to be able to talk to Marketing Directors on their level, and then turn around and talk with Heads of IT Departments on their level without a pause.
You need to have equal passions for both Teaching and for Learning, as you will be expected to do both things each week as a matter of course.
You need high initiative, and the ability to think on your feet. You need to be proactive yet still have fast reactions too.
You must be in possession of a full, clean, UK Driving License, as considerable travel may be involved in the consulting work.
What you get in return:
A salary based upon ability and experience that will be reviewed regularly as your skills are proven. The salary will also include performance-related elements, and on-target earnings could easily surpass £70,000 as soon as your skills are up to the demand.
You get to work right on the cutting edge of SEO consultancy, where the work is never dull nor repetitive and we seek unique solutions for every client.
You get to be trained to be a world-class SEO and Web Marketing Consultant, able to stand alongside the very best that our industry has to offer.
I am looking to train an equal, not a junior, so you’ll be learning everything that I can impart to you just as quickly as you can absorb it.
This is a completely sincere offer. Your time will not be wasted - I don’t expect mine to be either.
CVs should be sent to Propellernet Ltd. - you can find the address for yourself if you’re a qualified candidate.
Sincerely,
Ammon Johns (aka Black_Knight)
Marketing Director, Propellernet Ltd.
Clearly, this type of job posting is not what every company would want to put out there, but that is part of what makes it effective. There is a certain amount of attitude to it, and that speaks volumes to a potential applicant: either this is what you are looking for, or it isn’t.
In addition, the posting makes it clear that Ammon Johns is looking for someone who can be a true peer. This and many other points in the job outline make it clear that he is looking for a senior person. One thing that might make this a bit more effective is the addition of some examples of search problems that a qualified applicant should be able to solve prior to applying (the “find the address for Propellernet Ltd.” requirement at the bottom is not a challenging problem).
The job requirements also spell out many of the personal and professional attributes an applicant would need to have to get the job. The compensation is well detailed too, so the applicant knows what is in it for him.