Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an integral component of any digital marketing strategy, but what do SEO experts do? If you’re the owner of a business or a future SEO professional, understanding the complete scope of this role can inform your overall decision of either hiring out or developing those skills yourself.
So let’s breakdown what SEO professionals actually do in 2025.
1. Keyword Research – Discovering What People Want
Keyword research is the starting place for an SEO expert. Keyword research means identifying the exact terms your potential customers are writing in search engines. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest to find:
-High traffic keywords
-Low-competition opportunities
-Long-tail variations
-User intent (informational, navigational, transactional)
Goal: Taregt the right keywords to bring relevant traffic to your site.
2. On-Page SEO – Content Optimization
Once keywords are identified, the next step is to optimize content and the HTML framework for each page.
Key areas that SEO professionals optimize:
-Title Tags
-Meta Description
-Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)
-Keyword Usage
-Image alt text
-Internal link structure
-URL optimization
Aim: To make each page search engine-friendly and user-friendly.
3. Technical SEO – Enhancing the Health and Crawlability of Your Website
When search engines like Google want to crawl and subsequently index your site they rely on bots to do so. If your site is not technically sound, then your site will not rank.
Technical tasks performed by an SEO expert include:
-Site speed enhancements
-Mobile responsive
-Crawl errors (via Google Search Console)
-HTTPS and secure architecture
-XML sitemap
-robots.txt
-Core Web Vitals
Goal: Get your website fast, accessible, and crawlable!
4. Content Strategy – Producing Valuable SEO Content
SEO today is content-led. SEO professionals typically have a close relationship with writers and/or have a strong writing background themselves, and they typically will:
-Create blogs/guides/landing pages/etc.
-Optimize search intent
-Adding value through up-to-date and informative content
-Semantic keywords and LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing)
Goal: Build authority, answer user questions, and keep your website current.
5. Off-Page SEO – Establishing authority with Backlinks.
A significant part of SEO is about what happens outside of your website.
SEO experts behind the scenes help with:
-Backlink building from higher value domains
-Gain a speaker spot for a podcast, guest blog, or public relations outreach
-Social signals and sharing of content
-Submitting your territory to directories and local listings
Goal: Improve authority and trust in the eyes of Google.
6. Local SEO – Getting Found in Your Area
Local SEO experts want to make sure local businesses can rank in Google’s Local Pack.
Key local SEO actions:
-Google Business Profile optimization
-Local citations (NAP consistency)
-Local keyword targeting
-Managing reviews & ratings
-Location-based schema markup
Goal: Get found by nearby searchers.
7. SEO Analytics & Reporting – Measuring What Matters
SEO is not a one-time task – it is an ongoing strategy.
An SEO expert will always track signs of success:
-Rankings
-Organic traffic
-Click-through rates (CTR)
-Bunce rates
-Conversion rates
Using tools such as:
-Google Analytics
-Google Search Console
-SEMrush / Ahrefs
-Hotjar / heatmaps
Goal: Measure results and adapt strategies for continued growth.
8. Competitor Analysis – Keeping up with Google
Google makes hundreds of algorithms updates every year.
There are excellent SEOs that:
1. Stay in-tune with core updates
2. Understand recovering from penalties
3. Adapt to changes in ranking factors
4. Test out new strategies (AI SEO, EEAT, SGE)
Goal: Have more competition and not lose traffic.
FAQs – What People Also Ask
Q1: Are SEO experts the same as digital marketers?
They are not. An SEO expert is a specialist within the digital marketing space that focuses on organic search visibility and rankings exclusively.
Q2: How long does an SEO expert take to get results?
SEO is a long-term play. Depending on the niche and competition, noticeable results typically take 3 to 6 months to show.
Q3: Do I need an SEO expert for a small business?
Yes! Local SEO experts can get your business to rank in local search engines, bringing targeted high intent traffic to your business.
Q4: What tools do SEO experts use?
Common tools that SEO experts use include Google Analytics, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, Surfer SEO, and Google Search Console.
Q5: Can I learn SEO myself?
Absolutely. But it requires time, consistency, and keeping up with changes in search engine algorithms.
Wrap Up: Why SEO Specialists Will Matter In 2025
SEO specialists’ work goes beyond just changing one keyword to another; they create a strategy and a plan, which allows websites to be visible, discover traffic, and eventually, leads to an increase in business. Whether you are hiring one or becoming one, knowing what they do is the first step in a successful SEO strategy.
