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This article was originally submitted by Ashar Jamil
Pakistan is home to one of the biggest freelance marketplaces in the world, outperforming most Asian markets. With countries like USA, UK, and Australia outsourcing their work to cut prices and maximize profits; Pakistan has seen a budding freelance community of youngsters and mature professionals in the past few years.
Now, with Asia’s rise as an economic juggernaut, outsourcing isn’t only limited to western countries. With remote work on the rise, and with SEO becoming one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing industries in outsourced solutions, here’s why a career in SEO is one of the best choices you can make.
SEO and its scope
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization: the process of getting a website or page on the top pages of search engines like Google. Simply put, it is improving the visibility of a website or webpage in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).
Today, most businesses understand the value of taking real estate on Google’s first page. It means a massive increase in reach and hundreds of leads generated based on discovery searches. But showing at the top of Google is no easy task. With over 1.4 billion websites competing for search engine rankings; a company’s SEO strategy can make or break its revenue streams.
Recognizing that, most companies are now outsourcing their SEO services to freelancers; who charge better rates compared to agencies. SEO is big, and growing even bigger by the minute. And a freelance career in the field can help you make a bank.
What Skills Do You Need To Get Started?
SEO isn’t a difficult field to break in. Professionals from many fields easily transition because of the easy learning curve. Plus, with education becoming widespread and free of costs, and online platforms like CourseEra, edx, and udemy springing up on the web, it’s now extremely easy to master the skills required to have a lucrative career in SEO.
Here are some basic skills you can master to stand out:
- HTML/ WordPress
- Content Writing
- Google Analytics
- Digital Marketing
- Critical Thinking
Here Are Some Free Courses To Get You Started:
- Google Digital Garage
- Google SEO Starter Guide
- SEO Training Course (by Moz)
- Coursera SEO Courses
- Advanced Guide to SEO (by Neil Patel)
- Search Engine Land SEO Guide
- WordStream SEO Guide
- The SEO Blueprint Training
- Digitally Up SEO Course
In SEO, learning never really stops. Read blogs, books, take more courses, listen to podcasts and keep doing your own testing. Start by using the skills you’ve learned to build your own website. Optimize it, rank it, and use it as your portfolio. Do internships, work with a diverse list of clients and never stop learning.
Now the next move is yours to take. The world is your oyster.