How would I approach finding a job in SEO/PPC?

Is there certain qualifications and training that is useful? How do you get your foot through the door?
How would I approach finding a job in SEO/PPC?
First off, the world of SEO and web marketing is an exciting one, but can be very challenging at times. With that said, there is no one stop shop for learning the arts of SEO and PPC.





Getting a Job in SEO/PPC(obviously this could be different between employers) : This will be difficult (not impossible) if you don%26#039;t have any experience under your belt. This is because there is still no definative %26quot;cookie cutter%26quot; way to achieve success in SEO/PPC. While there are the basic techniques of SEO, successful SEO needs to have elements of uniqueness, creativity and good troubleshooting. These all need to apply to the specific client/project you are working with (relation to industry, competitors, etc...). Being able to sell yourself as a successful candidate for a job, means demostrating to the employer that you have these traits and that you know how to apply them. You will also need to demonstrate that you have kept up with the latest trends. SEO never ends because tomorrow a new competitor will arise.





Start off by:


1) Learn the basic rules of the major 3 search engines (Google, Yahoo!, MSN). Google has one of the best knowledge bases for this: http://www.google.com/webmasters/





2) Know the basic process of SEO/PPC. Here%26#039;s a good article that outlines a pretty decently 10 Step process. Note: as you become more knowledgeable, you will likely develop your own process.


http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles...





3) Subscribe and Read up on some of the top SEO/PPC blogs:


http://www.seomoz.org/


http://www.mattcutts.com/blog


http://www.seobook.com/


http://www.searchengineland.com/


http://www.searchenginewatch.com/


(many more, but those should give you a good start...)





4) Try out all the PPC tools from the major 3. You need to know your way around (Adwords, Omniture, and adCenter). Try to find a friend who has a business and offer your service at a very low price to get them involved in some basic PPC campaigns.





Bonus: Get involved with forums (and possibly social networking). Start networking...





5) Start searching for jobs... Once you start networking, this should come easily.


Ex: http://www.seomoz.org/marketplace/jobs





Bonus: Look at university job listing sites. You%26#039;ll find some of the best there.





6) For the Interview: Research the company%26#039;s website and industry (prior to the interview). Ask about their goals. Call out some things (related to SEO) you notice that could be improved on for them.





7) Seal the deal... :-)
How would I approach finding a job in SEO/PPC?
Beth P%26#039;s got it right and well said. I%26#039;d only add that you can build a reputation for yourself as a knowledgeable SEO by posting to SEO blogs like the ones Beth listed.





Two thumbs up, Beth P.





editor@webwordslinger.com
Reply:well done beth P





CHeers !
Reply:Hi,





There are many ways to market a small business on the web. You can buy banner ads, text links, or use PPC. However, the best way is to get listed in a bunch of portals. Portals and directories are like phone books, and they often provide a lot of traffic because they tend to rank high on Google.





This portal is giving away a free business card holder for lising your business (I got mine a few days ago in the mail). If you want to know about some other portals, just let me know.








http://www.your-e-business-directory.inf...





Best of Luck
Reply:Hi,





I have a lot of experience marketing small companies online (I have 3 companies). One of the best ways is to sign up at business directories and protals. These are basically listings of businesses (simliar to the phone book). The advantage is that these portals usually get a lot of traffic and they%26#039;re ranked high on Google because of all the quality links they contain.





My favorite portal is called Directory Exclusive. I signed up a few weeks ago because they%26#039;re giving a away a free business card holder when a person enter%26#039;s their company info. I received it in the mail 3 days ago =)





I don%26#039;t know if they still have that promotion, but you can try to get the free card holder here:








http://www.first-i-directory.info





Good Luck