Are you interested in a career in SEO/SEM? According to the SEMPO Institute, there are thousands of job openings in the online marketing industry and many of the job descriptions include search engine marketing experience. Experienced and entry-level SEO/SEM professionals are needed.

SEO Job Categories

Many of the SEO/SEM firms, particularly the larger firms, have employees in these job categories:

  • Analytics
  • Business Management/Development
  • Link Building
  • Event Building
  • Organic Search Engine Optimization
  • Offline Marketing/Advertising
  • Public Relations/Reputation Management
  • Paid Search/PPC Management
  • Web Design
  • Social Media
  • Web Development/Programming
  • Web Design
  • Writing/Blogging

Self-Employed

Here are some tips for those seeking to be self-employed in the SEO field:

  • Team up with a web designer. Their clients typically require SEO services.
  • Attend conferences such as the Search Marketing Expo and Search Engine Strategies. Meeting people in the search engine optimization industry may lead to a job.
  • Find networking opportunities. Social networking websites such as LinkedIn.com are good places to meet people who need SEO/SEM services.
  • Offer free services to build your business. Referrals from grateful website owners can lead to paid assignments.
  • Attend SEO workshops. They provide good networking opportunities.

Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO)

SEMPO is a global non-profit organization which serves the search engine marketing industry. Joining this well known community can provide networking opportunities. Anyone who’s interested in search engine marketing can join. Networking opportunities are provided via member meetings, local working groups, task forces, committees, and industry events. Also, SEMPO members can post their resumes at the organization’s website.

SEO Training and Certification

Currently there are no official SEO certifications available. There is no official governing body of the SEO industry and no standards to follow. However, several notable companies and organizations offer certification for completing courses. Taking these courses can enhance your resume.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) reports to be the largest trade association for direct marketers in the world. Being well known in the industry adds credibility to its SEO certificate programs. DMA offers the Total Search Marketing Essentials Certification in-person program, its SEM & PPC Essentials Certification online program, and the SEO Essentials Certification online program.

SEMPO Institute offers several training courses including the Advanced SEO Course. Those who pass the course tests receive SEMPO Institute’s Certificate of Completion. Others that offer SEO training include Market Motive and Instant E-Training.

SEO/SEM Job Boards

The SEMPO Job Board posts a variety of search engine marketing related jobs.

The DMA Career Center advertises a large number of job openings in SEO/SEM. You can search by keywords and/or location and job titles.

The popular job board Indeed provides a web page devoted to available SEO jobs.

Twitter provides timely messages about available search engine optimization jobs.

Simply Hired offers a web page focused on SEO jobs.

SEOmoz lists SEO related jobs. The web page includes numerous job categories.

SearchEngineWatch.com provides search engine optimization job listings. You can search by job titles.

For those interested in entering the SEO and SEM fields, there are a variety of interesting careers to choose from.

Brian Jenkins writes about marketing careers for BrainTrack.com.