SEO Specialist Resume Sample Guide (20+ Skills Tips)

SEO Specialist Resume Sample Guide (20+ Skills Tips) In a minute you will see a great SEO resume. Youll then write a better one.Because you really need it.Why?All the best SEO jobs get flooded with applications.To get hired in this competitive industry you really have to rank number one.And you will.This guide will show you:SEO resume examples better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.How to write an SEO resume that will land you more interviews.Tips on how to put SEO skills and achievements on an SEO specialist resume.How to describe your work experience on an SEO resume to get any marketing job you want.Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample SEO ResumeSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowHere are a few other resume examples related to marketing jobs:Marketing ResumeMarketing Manager ResumeDigital Marketing ResumeSocial Media Manager ResumeCopywriter ResumeAnd if you are a consultant, follow up with Consultant Resume Sample Guide1Whats the Best Format for an SEO Resume?Six seconds.Thats the average dwell time recruiters spend looking at each resume they get.Not 10x content?Bounce.Poor UX?Theyll pogo-stick.ButYou will up the time on page and boost engagement metrics on your SEO resume.Hell, that Invite to Job Interview goal will be completed.Just follow this surefire formula:The first thing you need to do is choose the proper resume format.There are 3 resume formats you can choose from:reverse-chronological resume formatfunctional resume formatcombination resume formatThe best choice for most SEO resumes is the reverse-chronological format. It shows your most recent experience, education, skills first.Just what dr Jakob Nielsen ordered!Make good use of legi ble fonts, white space, and headings to guide the recruiter through all of the valuable sections of your resume.Finally, dont forget to save your resume as a PDF so the formatting is properly secured and ATS software can scan it.Pro Tip: Edit and proofread over and over again. SEO work revolves around attention to detail and accuracy. Typos and poor grammar are a ranking factor in the HR world.Not sure if the reverse-chronological format for an SEO resume is right for you? See our guide: Best Resume Format How to Choose It [Guide with Examples]2SEO Resume Summary or Resume Objective?You want your SEO resume to stand out like a DA 80 .gov dofollow link on your link building report for the client.For this to happen, you need to catch the recruiters attention right off the bat with solid above-the-fold copyStart with a resume summary or a resume objective. Both are a brief paragraph about 24 sentences.Which one should you choose?A resume objective is a great choice when you are a fres h graduate or career changer applying for entry-level SEO jobs.When you have lots of SEO experience, go for a resume summary.Lets look at each of them:SEO Resume Summary ExamplerightResults-driven SEO specialist with 5+ years experience. Improved organic search rankings from page 3 to Top 5 for 10+ high-competition keywords for a leading ecommerce brand and increased their organic traffic by 21%. Seeking to leverage exemplary project management skills, data analysis skills, and broad technical SEO knowledge as an SEO Strategist at Google.wrongSEO expert with 5+ years experience. Skilled in Google Analytics, data analysis, many crawlers, and other SEO tools.The good example is all they needa brief account of your SEO experience packed with quantifiable achievements.Youve just improved scroll-depth.The bad example?This could be literally anyone, including a not-that-deep learning algorithm. Calling yourself an expert doesnt make you an expert.Now, time for two very different SEO resum e objectives:SEO Resume Objective ExamplerightEnergetic marketing graduate passionate about Internet marketing as well as technical SEO. Skilled in project management, with strong foundations in data visualization and research. Seeking to leverage skills in data analysis and result tracking as an SEO Analyst at Google.wrongInexperienced marketer willing to learn and work hard to become an SEO Analyst.The right entry-level SEO job resume example shows you already have some knowledge and passion even though youve only started. Plus, you show the recruiter how they can profit teaching you more.Just look at what Bartosz Gralewicz, CEO and head of SEO at Elephate, says:What attributes indicate a persons future success in SEO? Passion.When you have little to no experience in SEO, passion will be your rocket fuel.And whats wrong with the second example?Thin content. All it says is I know SEO exists. Teach me everything else.Its great youre willing to learn. But this objective statement foc uses on your personal gainand not on the employers.When making a resume in our builder, drag drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.Create my resume nowWhen youre done, Zetys resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.Pro Tip: Drop personal pronouns from your writer resume summary or objective. Copywriting 101: focus on the reader, not yourself.Hungry for more proven tips and best examples of great resume summaries and objectives? Check out our dedicated guides: Resume Summary: Step-by-Step Writing Guideand Resume Objective: Examples for Every Profession3How to Describe Your SEO ExperienceThis is what the recruiter should scream looking at the work experience section of your SEO resume:Damn, this candidate is the next Rand Fishkin!Yes. Its just that you dont yet have those fancy shirts and a whiteboard.To prove your worth, rememberWinning SEO job descriptions on resumes ha ve to highlight your expertise in building and optimizing websites for search engine traffic.Show you can develop content with relevant keywords to increase organic traffic, analyze SEO performance, solve technical SEO issues, and develop and implement SEO strategies.To describe your work experience as an SEO Manager or SEO Specialist:1. Follow the reverse-chronological order.Describe your professional SEO experience starting from your most recent position. Go back in time until the last position relevant to the SEO job youre applying for.2. Use bullet points.Add up to 5 bullet points describing your SEO work duties per one entry.3. Include facts and figures.Instead of saying optimized a website, go for improved organic search rankings from page 3 to Top 5 for 10+ high-competition keywords.4. Use action words and power verbs.Dont waffle about being responsible for.... Start your resume bullets with verbs like supervised, developed, performed.5. Strategically use keywords from the jo b ad.You know the importance of keywords more than anyone else. So pick the crucial ones from job posting andtailor your resume to the employers expectations. But dont do keyword stuffing. In resume writing it doesnt work either.6. Add a small subsection with your key achievements.Helped a website to recover from a Google penalty? Ran a spectacular link building campaign? Mention your biggest professional wins here.Just look at these examples:SEO Resume SampleJob Description SectionrightSEO SpecialistLower DigitalJune 2014May 2017Created 20+ SEO campaigns for websites with complex media and big structures.Took average CTR for 20 transactional keywords from 20% to 34%.Prepared informational and reader-friendly reports.Stayed up-to-date with the newest SEO guidelines and trends.Key Achievements:Reduced a clients interior design blog bounce rate from 42% to 11%.Improved rankings from page 3 to Top 5 for 10+ high-competition keywords in the interior design niche.wrongSEO SpecialistLower DigitalJune 2014May 2017In charge of SEO campaigns for our customers.Responsible for SEO performance tracking and reporting.Used various SEO tools.The right example clearly follows all the best practices of a job-winning SEO resume I listed above.The wrong example reads like content generated by a SEO bot from 2010.One more thing:When describing your SEO experience you can mention valuable case studies you worked onbut watch out:Question: What do you want to see on the resume of an experienced SEO Specialist?Bartosz Gralewicz: One thing I would avoid is using case studies of brands that dont do well in the SERPs. I always check the visibility of all brands mentioned in the resume for SEO jobs. If the brands arent doing well, I wont invite that person for an interview.SoWhen applying to an SEO agency or any other SEO job, cite websites that perform well in Google. They will check everything before you will be invited.(And yes, theyre mean sometimes!)What if You Don't Have SEO Experi ence?Go get some.Create a simple WordPress blog in the niche you like and experiment with its SEO.Change the heading structure, optimize content for relevant keywords, meddle with structural data here and there, and monitor how it ranks in the search results.You will play around with it and learn at the same time. Thats a win-win situation. Youll gain SEO experienceand an entry to your beginner SEO resume.Look at these examples:Entry-level SEO Specialist ResumeExamplerightFreelance SEO SpecialistJuly 2018PresentGrew an anime-oriented blog from zero to 10,000 visits/month in 6 months.Got over 1,500 likes on my websites Facebook fan page.wrongBuilt a blog and a Facebook fan page.The right example? Youve just boosted your hireability rankings. Get ready for your first SEO job interview!The wrong example? Oops, the recruiter has just started pogo-sticking in search for a better candidate.Pro Tip: When listing your work experience dont skip months. This falsifies your employment length.I f you want to know more about what skills will come in handy in your SEO career, you can read my guide on how to become an SEO specialist.Content length may not be a ranking factor. But comprehensiveness is. Dont go for sheer length, but dont sacrifice valuable information with help from our guide: How Long Should a Resume Be? Find Your Ideal Length4Is Your Education Section Underperforming? It Might BeHummingbird. Penguin. Panda. Pumbaa.You can easily say which ones are Google algorithm updates and which one is a warthog.Because you have knowledgeeither from your formal education or SEO courses you took.Show it. The education section of your SEO resume is important.Make sure to include:Degree type (major and minors, if you hold them)University or college name and locationGraduation dateWriting an entry-level resume for SEO jobs?Mention your academic achievements, relevant coursework, and extracurricular activities.Recruiters hiring junior SEOs with no work experience pay special at tention to the education section of their resumes.Testedlike all the best Backlinko strategies.SEO Resume Sample Education Sectionright2015 BA in MarketingBuckinghamshire New University, London, UKRelevant coursework: Inbound Marketing, Data Analytics, CopywritingManaged the students blog for over two years, growing it from zero to 5,000 visits a month.This makes you an interesting candidate. Again.Bravo.Not sure what education details to put on your SEO resumeand what to leave off? Read our article: Education on a Resume: What to Include and What to Skip5How to Put Skills on an SEO ResumeSimilar to every marketing and computer science job, skills are among the fundamental qualities of a job-winning SEO specialist.Hiring managers crave for them in your SEO resume.Because great skills equal spectacular results.There are several SEO skills that Id like to highlight in particular.Research skills, data analysis skills, writing skills.These 3 musketeers are irreplaceable in SEO jobs. Why ?We research stuff, we analyze stuff, and then we write about the stuff we researched and analyzed.ButBecause the SEO industry is becoming more and more technical, it is also very important for you have some strictly technical skills, too.To understand website code properly, you have to know HTML and CSS. These two are like bread and butter in any search engine optimization work. But JS is a strong selling point, too!And finally, you have to know how to use various SEO tools.MANY tools.Whole stacks of them!Mention all these skills in your SEO resume (mind the spelling!) and your job application will land on position 1 on the recruiters desk.Look at these examples:SEO Resume Skills Section SamplerightSkillsRyte, Deepcrawl, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, Searchmetrics, Semrush, Sistrix, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, MS ExcelEspecially skilled in data analysis using tools like KnimeBroad knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScriptWriting informational and reader-friendly reportsStrong c ommunication, collaboration, and leadership skillswrongSkillsUsed crawlers - Deep crawl, RyteUsed Google tools - Google Search Console, Google analyticsHTML, CSS, JSLeadership, communicationData analysis, research skillsThe right example starts with a nice list of technical skills followed by a nice mix of hard and soft skills. Comprehensive and neat. And yes, general computer skills like Microsoft Excel are an important must-have!The wrong example is just messy.Need more skills to start brainstorming?SEO SkillsSEO on a ResumeCritical thinking skillsAnalytical skillsCopywriting skillsSEO editing skillsWeb design skillsUX skillsExcel skillsHTMLCSSJavaScriptA/B testingOn-page SEOOff-site SEOCROSchema markupLink buildingKeyword researchCompetitor analysisE-A-T expertiseTarget audience analysisContent strategy, development, planningImage optimizationDomain management and strategyCampaign / content calendarsLog file analysisDNS and CDN managementPro Tip: Label your resume skills section Skills so that any ATS software can easily identify it. All the entries listed there will count as your resume keywords.Thats rightSkills make for great keywords. Your whole life is about keywords.As is your SEO resume.Most modern companies use an ATS to find candidates who match their needs.Applicant tracking systems work much like Google ca. 1999They scan resumes for important phrases and rank candidates by matching keyword count.Feature too few and you wont get past those bots. Mention too many and theyll flag you as a spammer.Use those SEO keywords naturally, but dont worry if you dont meet all the expectations. Most is enough.For more ideas on what skills to put on an SEO resume, read our amazing guide: 99+ Professional Skills for Your Resumeand follow up with specific Marketing Skills That Matter6How to Add Other Sections for An Effective SEO ResumeAt this stage your professional SEO resume is almost ready.Just add a few tiny bonus sections to kick it up a notch and make the r ecruiter a returning visitor of your job application.Here are some ideas of what to put in the extra sections of your resume:Additional Sections for an SEO ResumeExamplesAwards and HonorsCertificationsPublicationsConferences and Industry EventsInfluencing on Social MediaLanguagesHobbies and InterestsIm sure you have some hobbiesBut what if you dont have any of the other items from this list?Again, go get some!Take an online course and earn a certification, attend or run a workshop at an industry event, start posting SEO tips on Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium, or Facebook.You can be 100% sure they will make the hiring manager even more interested in talking to you in person.Pro Tip: If you add a section with hobbies, dont include generic or odd ones that have no relation to the SEO job youre applying for. Like reading books or extreme ironing. They just take up valuable space on your resume.Want more tips on what sections to add to your SEO resume? Read our dedicated guide with proven tip s: Resume Categories Sections That Matter Most7How About a Cover Letter for an SEO Resume?Some people say that you dont need a cover letter to get a job.WellSome people also say that SEO is dead.Ill bust both these myths:SEO is booming and blooming. So there are more and more people doing SEO professionally.Do resumes get jobs or interviews? Is it first-touch or last-touch attribution?Answer: multi-touch for the win!To stand out from this crowd you have to write a cover letter, too.Why?Because 40% of hiring managers say they won't read a resume if there's no cover letter attached.Plus, youll get to show off your content development prowess.How to write a cover letter for SEO jobs that will land you that job interview?Tailor it to the job openingjust like your professional SEO resume:Address search intent. Highlight your most relevant SEO experience, achievements and skills.Briefly describe what makes you the best candidate for this position.Mention how the company will benefit from hiring you.Pro Tip: The only scenario in which you can skip submitting a cover letter is when the SEO job ad explicitly states they dont want one with your resume.Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.Here's what it may look like:See more cover letter templates and start writing.Key TakeawayTo have the best SEO resume in the pile:Start with a compelling resume summary or objective statement.SEO experience is king, so brag about it in your work experience section using power words, numbers and achievements.Include good case studies only.List tools you can use and mention you develop your SEO know-how all the time.Tailor your SEO resume and cover letter to the position you are applying to.There is one last thing that I want to emphasize:You need to love doing SEO if you want to be good at it and build a striking career in this industry.Still no sure how to make the best S EO resume? Need help? Tell us in the comments section below!