universo-virtual.com

buytrendz.net

thisforall.net

benchpressgains.com

qthzb.com

mindhunter9.com

dwjqp1.com

secure-signup.net

ahaayy.com

soxtry.com

tressesindia.com

puresybian.com

krpano-chs.com

cre8workshop.com

hdkino.org

peixun021.com

qz786.com

utahperformingartscenter.org

maw-pr.com

zaaksen.com

ypxsptbfd7.com

worldqrmconference.com

shangyuwh.com

eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com

playminecraftfreeonline.com

trekvietnamtour.com

your-business-articles.com

essaywritingservice10.com

hindusamaaj.com

joggingvideo.com

wandercoups.com

onlinenewsofindia.com

worldgraphic-team.com

bnsrz.com

wormblaster.net

tongchengchuyange0004.com

internetknowing.com

breachurch.com

peachesnginburlesque.com

dataarchitectoo.com

clientfunnelformula.com

30pps.com

cherylroll.com

ks2252.com

webmanicura.com

osostore.com

softsmob.com

sofietsshotel.com

facetorch.com

nylawyerreview.com

apapromotions.com

shareparelli.com

goeaglepointe.com

thegreenmanpubphuket.com

karotorossian.com

publicsensor.com

taiwandefence.com

epcsur.com

odskc.com

inzziln.info

leaiiln.info

cq-oa.com

dqtianshun.com

southstills.com

tvtv98.com

thewellington-hotel.com

bccaipiao.com

colectoresindustrialesgs.com

shenanddcg.com

capriartfilmfestival.com

replicabreitlingsale.com

thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com

gkmcww.com

mbnkbj.com

andrewbrennandesign.com

cod54.com

luobinzhang.com

bartoysdirect.com

taquerialoscompadresdc.com

aaoodln.info

amcckln.info

drvrnln.info

dwabmln.info

fcsjoln.info

hlonxln.info

kcmeiln.info

kplrrln.info

fatcatoons.com

91guoys.com

signupforfreehosting.com

faithfirst.net

zjyc28.com

tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com

nhuan6.com

oldgardensflowers.com

lightupthefloor.com

bahamamamas-stjohns.com

ly2818.com

905onthebay.com

fonemenu.com

notanothermovie.com

ukrainehighclassescort.com

meincmagazine.com

av-5858.com

yallerdawg.com

donkeythemovie.com

corporatehospitalitygroup.com

boboyy88.com

miteinander-lernen.com

dannayconsulting.com

officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com

forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net

generictadalafil-canada.net

guitarlessonseastlondon.com

lesliesrestaurants.com

mattyno9.com

nri-homeloans.com

rtgvisas-qatar.com

salbutamolventolinonline.net

sportsinjuries.info

topsedu.xyz

xmxm7.com

x332.xyz

sportstrainingblog.com

autopartspares.com

readguy.net

soniasegreto.com

bobbygdavis.com

wedsna.com

rgkntk.com

bkkmarketplace.com

zxqcwx.com

breakupprogram.com

boxcardc.com

unblockyoutubeindonesia.com

fabulousbookmark.com

beat-the.com

guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com

magie-marketing.com

kingstonliteracy.com

guitaraffinity.com

eurelookinggoodapparel.com

howtolosecheekfat.net

marioncma.org

oliviadavismusic.com

shantelcampbellrealestate.com

shopleborn13.com

topindiafree.com

v-visitors.net

qazwsxedcokmijn.com

parabis.net

terriesandelin.com

luxuryhomme.com

studyexpanse.com

ronoom.com

djjky.com

053hh.com

originbluei.com

baucishotel.com

33kkn.com

intrinsiqresearch.com

mariaescort-kiev.com

mymaguk.com

sponsored4u.com

crimsonclass.com

bataillenavale.com

searchtile.com

ze-stribrnych-struh.com

zenithalhype.com

modalpkv.com

bouisset-lafforgue.com

useupload.com

37r.net

autoankauf-muenster.com

bantinbongda.net

bilgius.com

brabustermagazine.com

indigrow.org

miicrosofts.net

mysmiletravel.com

selinasims.com

spellcubesapp.com

usa-faction.com

snn01.com

hope-kelley.com

bancodeprofissionais.com

zjccp99.com

liturgycreator.com

weedsmj.com

majorelenco.com

colcollect.com

androidnews-jp.com

hypoallergenicdogsnames.com

dailyupdatez.com

foodphotographyreviews.com

cricutcom-setup.com

chprowebdesign.com

katyrealty-kanepa.com

tasramar.com

bilgipinari.org

four-am.com

indiarepublicday.com

inquick-enbooks.com

iracmpi.com

kakaschoenen.com

lsm99flash.com

nana1255.com

ngen-niagara.com

technwzs.com

virtualonlinecasino1345.com

wallpapertop.net

nova-click.com

abeautifulcrazylife.com

diggmobile.com

denochemexicana.com

eventhalfkg.com

medcon-taiwan.com

life-himawari.com

myriamshomes.com

nightmarevue.com

allstarsru.com

bestofthebuckeyestate.com

bestofthefirststate.com

bestwireless7.com

declarationintermittent.com

findhereall.com

jingyou888.com

lsm99deal.com

lsm99galaxy.com

moozatech.com

nuagh.com

patliyo.com

philomenamagikz.net

rckouba.net

saturnunipessoallda.com

tallahasseefrolics.com

thematurehardcore.net

totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com

velislavakaymakanova.com

vermontenergetic.com

sizam-design.com

kakakpintar.com

begorgeouslady.com

1800birks4u.com

2wheelstogo.com

6strip4you.com

bigdata-world.net

emailandco.net

gacapal.com

jharpost.com

krishnaastro.com

lsm99credit.com

mascalzonicampani.com

sitemapxml.org

thecityslums.net

topagh.com

flairnetwebdesign.com

bangkaeair.com

beneventocoupon.com

noternet.org

oqtive.com

smilebrightrx.com

decollage-etiquette.com

1millionbestdownloads.com

7658.info

bidbass.com

devlopworldtech.com

digitalmarketingrajkot.com

fluginfo.net

naqlafshk.com

passion-decouverte.com

playsirius.com

spacceleratorintl.com

stikyballs.com

top10way.com

yokidsyogurt.com

zszyhl.com

16firthcrescent.com

abogadolaboralistamd.com

apk2wap.com

aromacremeria.com

banparacard.com

bosmanraws.com

businessproviderblog.com

caltonosa.com

calvaryrevivalchurch.org

chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com

cheminotsgardcevennes.com

cooksspot.com

cqxzpt.com

deesywig.com

deltacartoonmaps.com

despixelsetdeshommes.com

duocoracaobrasileiro.com

fareshopbd.com

goodpainspills.com

kobisitecdn.com

makaigoods.com

mgs1454.com

piccadillyresidences.com

radiolaondafresca.com

rubendorf.com

searchengineimprov.com

sellmyhrvahome.com

shugahouseessentials.com

sonihullquad.com

subtractkilos.com

valeriekelmansky.com

vipasdigitalmarketing.com

voolivrerj.com

zeelonggroup.com

1015southrockhill.com

10x10b.com

111-online-casinos.com

191cb.com

3665arpentunitd.com

aitesonics.com

bag-shokunin.com

brightotech.com

communication-digitale-services.com

covoakland.org

dariaprimapack.com

freefortniteaccountss.com

gatebizglobal.com

global1entertainmentnews.com

greatytene.com

hiroshiwakita.com

iktodaypk.com

jahatsakong.com

meadowbrookgolfgroup.com

newsbharati.net

platinumstudiosdesign.com

slotxogamesplay.com

strikestaruk.com

trucosdefortnite.com

ufabetrune.com

weddedtowhitmore.com

12940brycecanyonunitb.com

1311dietrichoaks.com

2monarchtraceunit303.com

601legendhill.com

850elaine.com

adieusolasomade.com

andora-ke.com

bestslotxogames.com

cannagomcallen.com

endlesslyhot.com

iestpjva.com

ouqprint.com

pwmaplefest.com

qtylmr.com

rb88betting.com

buscadogues.com

1007macfm.com

born-wild.com

growthinvests.com

promocode-casino.com

proyectogalgoargentina.com

wbthompson-art.com

whitemountainwheels.com

7thavehvl.com

developmethis.com

funkydogbowties.com

travelodgegrandjunction.com

gao-town.com

globalmarketsuite.com

blogshippo.com

hdbka.com

proboards67.com

outletonline-michaelkors.com

kalkis-research.com

thuthuatit.net

buckcash.com

hollistercanada.com

docterror.com

asadart.com

vmayke.org

erwincomputers.com

dirimart.org

okkii.com

loteriasdecehegin.com

mountanalog.com

healingtaobritain.com

ttxmonitor.com

bamthemes.com

nwordpress.com

11bolabonanza.com

avgo.top

How to spot potential in SEO candidates - SEO
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
spot_img

Top 5 This Week

Related Posts

How to spot potential in SEO candidates

SEO professionals start their careers in so many different and unconventional ways.

Most people don’t come in on day one being able to identify SERP features or optimize a header.

That means some of your hiring decisions for SEO roles will be based on what your candidates can learn, not just what they already know.

Spotting good SEO candidates based on their potential abilities, not just their current experience or skills will get you a broader pool of candidates. You’ll also end up with a team of people who bring diverse approaches and perspectives.

Make a list of non-negotiable skills

Start with your job description and prioritize the most important skills. 

  • Which skills take up the highest portion of this person’s time?
  • Which skills have the biggest impact on our key metrics?
  • Which skills are most important for this role in the first 90 days?
  • Which skills are missing from the team that we need an expert in?

Your list of non-negotiable skills might be a mix of technical and soft skills.

The strongest resumes in these areas can go to the top of the list. Resumes without these skills can probably be skipped.

For example, consider an SEO role focused on testing and optimization. You might need someone who can use data analytics tools, run tests, and analyze and present results on day one. 

But you probably don’t need someone who’s used every tool your team currently uses. Someone who’s comfortable with advanced reporting in Ahrefs could quickly learn Semrush, Accuranker, Stat or other keyword tools.

Decide your bare minimum level of ability

Along with your list of critical skills, consider the level of each skill that would be absolutely necessary to have.

  • What level of ability would be reasonable to expect for this role?
  • What were previous people in the role able to accomplish?
  • What level of experience have we seen with similar roles?

An SEO specialist focusing on conversion rate optimization (CRO) should probably have some experience creating good test hypotheses, launching tests, analyzing results and rolling out the winner. 

You might decide it’s okay for junior-level candidates to learn how to use your A/B testing tools on the job. For a more senior level, you might expect someone who’s already familiar with tools like Optimizely, Crazy Egg or Adobe Target.

If you ask candidates to do an interview assignment like a writing assignment or a technical audit, ensure it includes a test of these abilities. Asking every candidate to do the same work assignment can also help prevent bias in the hiring process.

If your hiring process doesn’t involve a work sample, you can do a quick check during the interview process. For example, pull up a page on your website and ask candidates to talk about what they like and dislike and why. Then, ask many follow-up questions to understand their thought process behind any recommendations.

Consider potential dealbreakers

Some skills are easy to train on the job, and others might take up too much time.

  • Which skills would take too much time to teach?
  • Which skills are too difficult to teach?
  • What skills should a candidate at this level come in with?

For example, say you’re hiring for an SEO role where 80% of the job is writing and optimizing content. You probably want someone who’s comfortable doing writing and basic keyword research so they can hit the ground running

That means candidates need to be able to write great content. You probably don’t have time to fix copy filled with spelling errors and run-on sentences.

For an SEO writer, looking at writing portfolios will be especially valuable to gauge their ability. You may also want to ask for a new writing sample in the later stages of the interview process to see how they write without an editor’s help.

Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.


See terms.


Skip candidates without essential soft skills

Some abilities are essential in most SEO roles but can’t easily be taught on the job. Ensure your candidates check off the soft skills they’ll need to build technical skills.

  • Critical thinking.
  • Curiosity.
  • Adaptability.
  • Problem-solving.
  • Learning mindset.
  • Creativity.
  • Open-mindedness.

Candidates without these skills might not have enough potential to be successful in SEO.

For example, a new hire can learn your brand’s tone of voice or what matters to your audience if they’re curious, open-minded and creative. 

However, a candidate without solid critical thinking skills probably won’t be able to master user intent or run A/B tests. 

It can be tough to test these skills just by looking at someone’s resume. Your interview questions should help you decide whether each candidate can demonstrate these skills.

Dig deeper: 13 essential SEO skills you need to succeed

Look for people with the interest and capacity to learn

Candidates who demonstrate they’re good at learning and are self-aware about their current knowledge often have a lot of potential.

At the interview stage, ask questions to determine if candidates are passionate about learning new things, taking on new challenges and developing their skills. 

Interview questions to test learning ability

  • Tell me about a time you had to learn something difficult or outside your wheelhouse.
  • What’s something you researched in the last 6 months? Walk me through your research process.
  • What are you considered the team expert on? How did you become the expert?
  • Tell me about a time you had to overcome a weakness.
  • Let’s say your boss came to you and asked you to become an expert on a new tool/system and teach the team about it. What questions would you ask to learn about it?

Connect related experience in their background

Consider candidates with translatable experience that’s similar to the role you’re hiring for, even if candidates don’t directly spell it out.

For example, a candidate with a background in customer support might be good at problem-solving and understanding user intent. A graphic designer could have an advantage in learning UX and user testing.

Then, ask interview questions to confirm which experiences are relevant. For example, you can ask how each of their previous roles will give them an advantage in this role.

Build an onboarding plan based on your new hire’s skill portfolio

After choosing your new hire, you should have a good sense of what level of skills they’ll come in with. Use that to build your onboarding itinerary.

  • Which skills are they strongest in?
  • Which skills are they weakest in?
  • Which skills are critical in the first 30 days?
  • Which skills do we have training or documentation around?
  • Who’s the team expert or trainer for each skill?

Your onboarding plan should be tailored to the position and level. But even if your new hire seems to have many basics covered, it’s always helpful to start with standard training sessions to set expectations and teach new people your best practices. 

Don’t assume your new hire can skip essential training just because they have a skill listed on their resume.

Maybe it’s been years since they worked with a certain tool, or your team’s process is completely different from how they’ve done something before. 

A clear, thoughtful onboarding process is just the start of bringing out the potential in your new hire. Continue to develop their skills on the job using everything you learned from the hiring process.


Contributing authors are invited to create content for Search Engine Land and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the search community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they express are their own.


Popular Articles