What should a competent SEO specialist know?

Question

Search Engine Optimization

Hello. I apologize if the question sounds too stupid, but still I don’t want to fill my head with too much. What kind of knowledge should a SEO specialist have?
In my understanding, this is an orchestra man who knows
html and css
frontend
php
cms
design

Answer 1

A competent SEO specialist should know: First
of all:
Technologies used by Google and
Yandex : yandex webmaster, google search console - work with yandex metrics and google analitycs - generating snippets - yandex wizards and widgets in google results - various google and yandex services related to search (maps, market, direct, adwords, etc.) - factors affecting indexing (bots.txt, sitemap.xml, last-modified headers, rel=canonical attribute, etc. )
-html
-php
-js
-popular cms
-statistics and analytics
Additionally:
-general understanding of internet marketing, sales channels and traffic
-ui/ux
-modern trends and tools to attract traffic and increase conversions

Answer 2

From your list:
Unless the ability to use the CMS in editor (not developer) mode.
And understanding what's in HTML.

Answer 3

I don’t know why in vacancies employers often write knowledge of php and JS in the requirements for a SEO specialist. They are not needed by the SEO optimizer from the word at all. Unless there is an intention to hang additional functions on it. An SEO specialist may have knowledge of web programming and layout, but this is a different specialization and area. Knowledge of JS is needed just enough to minimize its use in important elements of the site, such as links. If Google, even more or less, under certain conditions, can render JS, then Yandex, even limping on 4 paws with crutches, cannot.
The real knowledge that an SEO optimizer needs in practice:
1. Knowledge of internal SEO optimization. Semantic core, customization of html titles of the page title, meta name description, markup tags H1, H2, relinking. Setting up robots.txt and indexing meta tags (noindex, nofollow, index, follow) to know what to put into the index of search engines and what not. The ability to use the main functions of Yandex Webmaster and Google Search Console at a level sufficient to understand the problems of the site that really affect ranking and indexing. Understanding how 301 redirects work. Knowledge of the features of prescribing occurrences of key phrases in the text (not by yourself, first of all to give technical specifications to a copywriter) at a level sufficient for ranking, but without driving under filters for internal re-optimization. Understanding passages, knowing the difference between exact and dilute occurrences of a key. What influences the formation of the snippet, including micromarking. Understand which landing pages are worth creating and which are not based on the type and direction of the site.
2. Knowledge of external SEO optimization. Correct filtering of link donors by link metrics and site-wide indicators of quality, proximity to topics. Ability to build the correct anchor list. Understanding types of links and types of donor sites. Attention to the location of the link.
3. Knowledge of web analytics for audits. First of all Yandex Metrika and Google Analytics. The ability to understand on which pages traffic has dipped, for which keys, to what extent, whether it is related to seasonality or changes in the technical part of the site, moving to another engine or redesign.
4. Knowledge of behavioral factors, primarily for Yandex and a little bit for Google. Bounce rates, snippet CTR, time spent on the site, browsing depth.
5. Ability to use SEO optimizer tools for both internal and external optimization. In addition to webmasters' cabinets, these are tools for collecting semantics (primarily Keycollector from programs or Rush Analytics from services), tools for checking technical optimization (Xenu, Screaming Frog), for evaluating backlinks (Ahrefs, Majestic SEO, Serpstat)
6. Understanding the features of competitor analysis . Be able to find what allows a competitor to be higher in the search results and get more traffic, what does not affect, and what can affect in a negative way.

Answer 4

Thank you very much for your detailed detailed answer. But the phrase "They are not needed by the SEO optimizer from the word at all" to be honest, breaks my template a little. Wouldn't a SEO specialist benefit from knowledge of programming or vice versa for a programmer. I understand that this is not necessary, but given the requirements of employers for candidates, it is not necessary, but always desirable. Another matter if it is simply impossible.
As I noticed, real programmers still disdain SEO specialists and consider them, to put it mildly, incompetent. So I thought that maybe I’m still in the wrong place and I should at least learn how to create websites before mastering the skill of promotion and optimization.

Answer 5

I was also interested in this issue. I went through a bunch of sources and collected a whole knowledge map for SEO specialists of different levels. In addition, I also asked
the experts about what they think about this. I hope it will be useful.