The author's views are entirely his or her own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
Hiring SEOs has never been more necessary and more competitive. The pandemic catapulted e-commerce growth, with online spending up 44%[1] in 2020.
As more businesses rely on their online presence, the more necessary SEOs become to help them grow their visibility. The proof is in the data: SEO job postings increased significantly during the pandemic.
Source: Backlinko SEO Jobs Report[2]
But the supply does not appear to be keeping up with demand. In a recent Twitter poll[3], I asked if there was a shortage of SEO talent. The results skewed “yes”, and comments from industry veterans showed this is likely the case.
With the demand being this high, where do you find good SEOs? Hiring an experienced SEO is top of mind for many companies, but isn’t always an option due to budget and increased competition for talent.
Consider this instead: Businesses can hire and train entry-level marketers to become the new, experienced SEOs.
This may sound simple, but I know firsthand the level of work that goes into finding and training the right candidates. In the past year, I’ve helped our agency, Uproer[4], hire four incredible entry-level SEO analysts and interns, all of whom started adding value right away.
In this article, I’ll share unique places to source talented entry-level SEOs (none of which include Indeed or LinkedIn Jobs), and tips to support their growth once they’re hired.
Why hire entry-level?
Not surprisingly, most open SEO positions are for more tenured candidates. Backlinko’s 2020 SEO Jobs Report[5] shows that the two most popular SEO job post titles are