SEO consultants play a vital role in improving your website’s visibility, driving organic traffic, and ultimately increasing revenue. Unlike one-off SEO advice, most consultants engage in ongoing monthly work that mirrors the comprehensive approach of an SEO agency.
Here’s a closer look at the broad range of tasks an SEO consultant undertakes:
Key Responsibilities of an SEO Consultant:
Competitor Audits
A thorough competitor audit involves analysing the strengths and weaknesses of websites ranking higher than yours. This process uncovers opportunities to refine your strategy, whether it’s better targeting keywords, enhancing content quality, or addressing technical issues.
Content Creation
Experienced consultants often collaborate with freelance writers to create high-quality, well-optimised content tailored to your needs. This can include blog posts, service pages, and more, designed to drive traffic and engage your audience.
Content Gap Audits
A content gap audit identifies missing topics or areas where your competitors are excelling, providing clear opportunities to enhance your site’s content strategy and fill those gaps.
Content Templating
Content templates are tailored guides that outline:
- Required headings
- Internal linking opportunities
- Optimal word counts
- Keyword placement
- Tone of voice
These templates empower clients to create content independently, reducing the need for further optimisation.
Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)
SEO isn’t just about driving traffic; it’s about converting that traffic into customers. Consultants analyse user behaviour, set up A/B testing, and provide actionable recommendations to increase conversions from existing traffic.
Google Business Profile (GBP) Audits
Optimising your Google Business Profile can significantly impact local SEO performance. Audits identify areas for improvement, such as missing details, underutilised features, or inconsistent information.
Keyword Research
Keyword research isn’t just about finding popular terms. A skilled SEO consultant uncovers untapped keyword opportunities, focusing on terms that improve topical authority and help revenue-driving pages rank higher.
Link Building and Audits
Consultants evaluate your website’s backlinks to identify harmful or low-quality links that may be dragging down your rankings. They can also guide you on acquiring high-quality, safe backlinks through outreach or strategic partnerships.
Internal Linking Audits
An effective internal linking structure boosts SEO performance. Consultants review:
- Anchor text usage
- Links to the same page from a single source
- Adequate internal links to key pages
Schema Implementation
Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better. Consultants review your current schema setup and recommend additional schemas, like FAQs, reviews, or product markup, to improve search visibility.
Page-Specific Content Reviews
Search Console data provides insights into how individual pages perform. Consultants analyse these metrics to refine on-page content, ensuring it aligns with user intent and SEO goals.
Site Speed Audits
A fast website is crucial for both user experience and rankings. Consultants identify bottlenecks in your site’s performance, from unoptimised images to server issues, and provide actionable fixes.
Technical SEO Audits
Technical SEO ensures your website’s infrastructure supports search engine crawlers and indexing. Comprehensive audits may address:
- Broken links
- Redirect chains
- Canonical tag issues
- Indexing problems
- Security protocols (e.g., HTTPS)
- Mobile-friendliness
Multilingual SEO Consulting
Expanding into international markets? An SEO consultant can guide you through hreflang tags and multilingual strategies to ensure proper localisation and avoid duplicate content issues.
Traffic Drop Analysis
If your website experiences a sudden traffic drop, an SEO consultant investigates potential causes, such as algorithm updates, site changes, or penalties. They’ll then develop a recovery plan to restore performance.
Monthly Reporting
Regular updates are essential for tracking progress. Most consultants use tools like Google Data Studio to deliver clear, visual reports on:
- Organic traffic trends
- Keyword rankings
- Conversion metrics
- Work completed and upcoming priorities
Why Hire an SEO Consultant?
Hiring an SEO consultant offers flexibility, expertise, and a personalised approach. Whether you need help with technical issues, content strategy, or recovering from a traffic drop, consultants provide targeted solutions to improve your site’s performance.
By combining a deep understanding of SEO with practical tools and strategies, consultants ensure your website not only ranks well but also delivers meaningful results for your business.