In a world where skills are taught for free on YouTube, we must up our game to ensure that SEO gains a bigger piece of the marketing budget.
It’s 2023, and no matter how many “SEO is dead” articles get published, SEO isn’t going anywhere.
Reports suggest that the global SEO market size is expected to reach $122.11 billion in 2028.
But, with that kind of growth, SEO will have to change along with it – as will the skill set of SEO practitioners.
In this article, I’ll cover seven emerging skills that SEOs will need to master to ensure their place at the table in the goliath SEO industry.
Let’s dive in.
1. Value articulation
If you work as a freelance SEO, you’ll have this one down already. But for many on the agency and even client side, it’s a skill too few understand.
We’re living through a potential recession and a cost of living crisis. As such, people and businesses will be careful where budgets go.
No matter what role you currently have, from executive to strategist, you’ll need to be clear about your role’s value and the tasks you undertake – and learn how to articulate that value.
Here’s a line that every SEO needs to master for every task.
“I’m doing (insert task) because it (explain the value it delivers).”
Because if you can be replaced by an AI tool, you will be.
This brings me to my next skill.
2. Utilizing AI tools
AI tools are exploding by the bucket load, and so are the sheer number of ways that SEOs are figuring out how to leverage machine learning – from keyword and cluster research to meta descriptions and page titles.
SEOs shouldn’t be worried about AI tools. They need to learn how to use them to their advantage.