SEO managers are considered as the Jedis in Digital Marketing.
If you want to get this job, you should be a master of Google’s algorithm.
Such a feat equates to an expert level portfolio and SEO manager resume with a proven amount of experience in the field of SEO.
While there is no shadow of doubt that you do possess such qualities, the challenge arises in how you craft your resume.
What you’ll learn from this SEO manager resume
- How to create an SEO manager resume that will win you 9 out of 10 interviews.
- The 4 key focus areas of your resume.
- The specific background that recruiters are looking for an SEO manager.
- How to write a header that will give a good first impression on the recruiter.
- How to craft a summary that conveys your competence right away.
- Highlighting your valuable contributions and professional milestones in your experience section.
- Which skills should you include in your resume and how to present them effectively.
- The relevance of your educational background and certifications.
Looking for related SEO & Marketing resumes? We’ll help you out
How to write an SEO manager resume
In a nutshell, a competent looking SEO manager resume should, at its core, answer questions like:
- How can you boost a website’s organic traffic?
- What keywords are you going to optimize to do that?
- How can you decrease CPC rate?
- What content do you think your website should focus on?
- How can you identify your audience’s persona to improve your targeting.
In other words, your resume should portray you as a great analyst and strategist.
In today’s time where every business has their own internet space, the world wide web is crowded with the same businesses catering to the same audience.
In order to get noticed by the audience, you must learn how to rise to the top of search engine results.
In order to get noticed by reqruiters you need to make a resume that stands out. From drafting your resume outline to picking a suitable resume format all the way to the details like fonts and colour shemes.
Such a feat is no walk in the park!
With an optimized presentation of your competence and expertise in your resume, you drastically reduce the bounce rate of your application.
What are the top sections of a proper SEO manager resume
- Professional header
- Career summary (featuring one big achievement)
- Result-driven experience section
- Soft and tech skills panel
What a recruiter is looking for in an SEO manager resume
- Hands-On SEO experience
- Communication/Reporting Skills
- Comprehensive knowledge on how Google algorithm works
- Advanced HTML skills
- Expertise in analytics
- Ability to do competitor analysis
- Big picture thinking
Let’s write an impactful SEO manager resume header
The main goal of the resume header is to provide your basic information.
But we will take it to the next level.
You can easily give the recruiter a sneak peek of what they can expect from you.
But before that…
While the recruiter won’t really dwell on your header for more than a few seconds, it’s worth noting that some of them use Applicant Tracking Software.
If your header is less than complete, chances are it might automatically get skipped!
You don’t want such technicality to ruin your chance of getting hired. To make sure you keep that from happening, your header should contain the following information.
- Your complete name
- Your current job title (add your certification or relevant qualification for a credibility boost)
- Physical address
- Email address (at least use a professional-looking email address; scrap the goofy one you had since high-school)
- Related links (personal website/Trailhead profile/< a href="https://enhancv.com/blog/how-to-put-linkedin-on-your-resume/">LinkedIn profile)
Now let’s see how this looks like in practice.
2 SEO manager resume header examples
To land the SEO manager role, you should be a master of keywords.
There should be keywords in your resume, as well. Note that while writing.
Treat the header of your resume as if it’s metadata. At the end, it serves the same purpose - to boost your authority and presence.
What makes a memorable SEO manager resume summary [with examples]
Your resume summary is a great way to catch the recruiters’ attention.
In this section, you should feature your notable accomplishments and the skills you’ve demonstrated to achieve it.
However, keep in mind to pick the accomplishments that answer the specific job descriptions, this will make the recruiters intrigued.
Success in SEO is gauged in numbers, that is why you should include quantitative data in your summary to add more credence to your accomplishments.
As you craft your summary to make a reference to the job description, make sure you aren’t plagiarizing it on the process. Rewrite it in a way that it will still convey the same message.
SEO managers are looked up to as masters of keywords and website content optimization, your summary should speak concisely about that.
2 SEO manager resume summary examples
How to frame your SEO manager resume experience
In SEO, responsibilities are mainly focused on increasing numerical results.
When marketing managers or whoever has the last say in picking the best SEO candidate, they will not only look at your SEO strategy initiative but most importantly how you made a tangible difference in your previous company’s digital marketing efforts.
- Did you boost their traffic? If yes, how did you do it? By how many percent?
- Did you increase the revenue of the company? In what way and by how much?
- Or have you crafted a strategy to decrease the cost of your keyword advertising campaigns?
In SEO, results are very demonstrable. When writing your roles in job positions you’ve held, claim outstanding successes in detail instead of stating your responsibilities.
Below is a good contrast of resume experience that claims successes and simply stating responsibilities.
SEO manager resume experience examples.
- •Boosted conversions from search engines)in the last 6 months.
- •Boosted efficiency of Google AdWords campaigns by decreasing bounce rate, increasing website click-through rate (CTR), and reducing cost per click (CPC).
- •Optimized landing pages, banners, copy, squeeze pages and all web-based elements.
While there is nothing wrong about how the candidate states his work experience here, it does not provide a measurable impact.
In the end, the experiences sound less desirable to the hiring manager than it should have been.
- •Acquired of over $100,000 in PPC (conversions from search engines) in the last 6 months.
- •Boosted efficiency of Google AdWords campaigns: drastically decreased bounce rate from 25% to 10%, increased website click-through rate (CTR) by 20% month-over-month, and reduced cost per click (CPC)by 50%.
- •Optimized landing pages, banners, copy, squeeze pages and all web-based elements.
- •Improving conversions page conversion by 20% month-over-month, improving page ranking (page 1 on google), and increasing engagement.
This is overall a good copy.
It provides the hiring manager the chance to truly gauge your competence and allow them to forecast the possibilities of how your potential could play a role in their SEO campaigns.
Revolve around the following formula, if you’re having trouble coming up with your dragon slaying stories:
- What did you do?
- Why did you do it?
- What was the result?
Make your skills stand out on the resume
In the arena of Search Engine Optimization, the ability to run SEO tools is only the tip of the iceberg.
Evaluating data and transforming it into a crafty SEO strategy has written soft skills all over it.
Ideally, make two separate skill sections for your soft skills and tech skills. This way, it’s easier for recruiters or hiring managers to scan for specific skills which they are looking for a candidate.
What’s the best way to present your tech skills
Tech skills are all about your proficiency is utilizing SEO tools to your advantage.
When stating them in your resume, include examples that demonstrate your adeptness of these tools rather than stating the name of the tools point-blank.
By presenting your technical skills this way, not only are you actively conveying your ability to perform such specific SEO tasks, but you’re also matching it with the job description.
Top 13 technical skills for SEO manager resume
- Keyword research (e.g SEMRush, Ahrefs, Serpstat)
- GSuite
- Microsoft Office (Excel)
- Email marketing (e.g. MailChimp, Drip, Marketo)
- Adobe Suite
- Google Analytics
- PPC
- SEO software (e.g. Yoast, Searchmetrics)
- CMS (e.g. Hubspot, Wordpress, Magento, Shopify)
- Crawl software (e.g. Screaming Frog, Netpeak)
- Code languages (HTML, Javascript, CSS)
- On/off-page SEO
- Automation (Python, R, etc.)
How to feature your soft skills on the resume
As mentioned above, soft skills play a big deal in SEO, even more than tech skills for many cases.
Since SEO is all about analysis of web data to conquer Google’s algorithm, the tools are only as good as its data - they’re only raw answers not clear cut solutions.
Soft skills determine your ability to craft winning SEO strategies. Writing this part will be a big deal since it’s the only space in your resume where you can communicate your ability to make any SEO tools work to your advantage.
When stating your soft skills, include a brief description stating its relevance to the SEO manager job.
Avoid using generic soft skills like being a team player and can work under pressure. Instead, highlight the practical skills that you possess.
8 soft skills that improve the quality of an SEO manager resume
- Strong analytical skills
- Strategic perspective
- Proficiency in all SEO tools
- Understanding of best SEO practices
- Ability to conduct unbiased (competitor) analysis
- Interpersonal skills
- Team management and leadership qualities
- Good communication and reporting skills
Should I have an education section on an SEO manager resume?
In reality, not everyone who thrived in the field of SEO has formal education in this field. The least educational attainment you should possess is a degree.
An education section in your resume is still important because some recruiters or hiring managers require such particular qualifications.
It doesn’t have to be full of details unless you’re a Ph.D. holder of a degree related to SEO which isn’t really that common.
At most, people holding SEO manager positions have a degree in IT or Marketing.
What certifications can I add to my resume?
Accredited schools that offer SEO/SEM classes aren’t that common. And, a certification for SEO is a mostly good-to-have credential, not a necessity. They’re mainly useful for baseline knowledge because this industry (especially Google algorithm) changes so frequently.
The thing with SEO is that it’s a very dynamic profession to work as every knowledge that you know now about Google’s algorithm is not constant. If anything, change is the only constant thing in this field.
Proven experience still trumps any certification that certifies baseline knowledge on certain SEO practices. They aren’t necessary but they can be good to have, especially if you’re a newbie in this industry. So, of course, you can add certificates to your resume, but make sure they are relevant to the position.
Everything should be carefully handpicked, you don't want your resume to be too long. Here is how to shorten a resume, if you need to.
And to answer the most common question of how long a resume should be, we have gathered real examples from hired professionals. (Resume Length: How Long Should a Resume Be)
Top 9 SEO manager Certificates for Your Resume
- Hubspot Content Marketing Certification
- Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification
- Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ)
- Facebook Advertising
- Hootsuite Social Media Certification
- Google’s Digital Garage: Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Certification
- Bing Ads Accredited Professional Certification
- YouTube Certification
- PMI-ACP® Certification
Writing an SEO manager resume: key points and takeaways
- SEO managers are considered as the Jedis in Digital Marketing, show them you're one.
- The 4 sections that make a great SEO manager resume.
- Self-promote yourself in the header - don't forget to add your website or portfolio link.
- Your summary should speak concisely about your results, quantitatively.
- Emphasize on the numerical results you've produced in your past job experiences.
- Your soft skills are actually more important than your tech skills in SEO - flex them!
- Education and certificates are not that relevant in this industry.
SEO Manager resume examples
Explore additional seo manager resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
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