4 replies to this topic

[send2paul]

This is the bulk of a job vacancy that landed in my in box the other day. It's for a major UK retailer. The job is for a Search Engine Optimisation Analyst:

Responsibilities:
- Keywords
- Audit of the editorial content of the site and drafting recommendations
- Architecture; in conjunction with technical teams and search engine agency, you will participate in the optimisation of existing pages and creation of optimised new pages
- Integration of new developments on the site
- Create and implement strategy linking internal and external
- Deal with comparison sites
- Liaise with search agency and internal departments
- Monitoring, analysis and optimisation of search marketing campaigns (return on investment, return on advertising spend)
- Execute search engine campaign management (Google, Yahoo! Search, MSN, etc).
- Utilise and implement paid search/SEO best practices
- Monitor emerging industry trends and communicate both internally and externally

The ideal candidate will be educated to degree standard or equivalent. Applicants will ideally have relevant online media experience; preferably SEM (paid search and/or SEO) ideally gained within a retail environment. You will be passionate about the internet and issues of visibility and ideally have experience of managing web projects and comparing sites. If you feel that you are suitably skilled and able to take on this challenging and rewarding role reply attaching your CV and covering letter.

Amazing. As I read through blurb, it seemed to me that you'd have to be wearing many hats for this role. Or, alternatively, it seems to me that just being a Search Engine Optimisation Analyst is probably only one of the many skill areas you'd have to have to complete this role.

What do you think?

[EGOL]

If this person has lots of sites to tend that is a lot going on.

If it is all for a single site or a small group of sites then it might be a fun job and once you know the landscape not be too hard.

I have a full time webmaster, a half time artist and a contractor that does fulfillment. I do everything else... blog, write articles, administrative, contract authors, affiliate, analytics, PPC, SEO, accounting, outsource jobs, respond to idiots, generate enough content to keep webmaster and artist fully booked.

But... knowing the span of what goes on, knowing the sites/niches extremely well, and being the one who makes the decisions has its efficiencies. It is a fun job.

Edited by EGOL, 22 January 2009 - 01:36 AM.

[A.N.Onym]

It seems like:
- the job offer was crafted by an HR expert or agency
- he/she/they chose "Analyst" to accompany "Search Engine Optimization", because "Analyst" in their language means top of the back, jack of all trades and expert in all, kind
- in our language, what they mean is "Search Engine Optimization Expert/Manager" or even "Senior SEO Manager"

All in all, it doesn't seem like an all in one job to me: social media marketing, reputation management and conversion optimization? I routinely manage all that in my work, being the only one in the house, so I'm a bit closer to EGOL, than to the job offer above

Just one caveat: dealing with comparison sites can be a developer's job, not SEO, or am I missing something? Did they want to just put the task away on someone or it requires significant SEO [duplicate content] knowledge?

Edited by A.N.Onym, 22 January 2009 - 11:35 PM.

[Pittbug]

I don't think it's that bad. I had a similar task list for some of my clients when I worked at the agency. Depending on how big the site is, and their budget, they may want to split the paid search component into another role, which could also take on the comparison site task.

[send2paul]

Well, if anyone's interested - it's still open, as it's landed in my inbox again!

Search Engine Optimisation Analyst

Good luck!