Technical SEO
Crawl and index fixes, site speed, structured data, international setup and migration planning, worked through with your developers.
Roles · Marketing
An SEO specialist for the technical fixes, content and links that move rankings
Someone who finds what's holding your pages back, fixes it with your developers and writers, and reports on organic traffic in plain terms each month.
Organic search that someone actually works on
Organic traffic tends to slip quietly. A redesign drops redirects, pages compete for the same keyword, and competitors publish the guides your buyers read. An SEO specialist audits the site, fixes the technical issues with your team, plans content around what people search for, and earns links from sites that matter in your space.
What they do for you
- Run technical audits for crawling, indexing, speed and structured data
- Research keywords and map them to pages, so each page has a clear job
- Optimize titles, headings, internal links and copy on existing pages
- Write content briefs for your writers, based on search intent and competing pages
- Find link opportunities and run outreach to relevant sites
- Manage Google Business Profiles and local listings for each location
- Track rankings, traffic and conversions in Search Console and GA4
How to judge an SEO specialist before hiring
Tools they work in
Google Search ConsoleGA4AhrefsSemrushScreaming FrogSitebulbMozLooker StudioGoogle Business ProfileBrightLocalSurferClearscopeYoastRank MathSchema markupMany more
A good fit if:
- Organic traffic has dropped and nobody knows why
- You publish content but it doesn't rank
- You're relaunching or migrating your website
- You have several locations and want to show up in local results
Not the right fit if:
- You mainly need articles written; see Content Marketer
- You need paid search campaigns run; see Performance Marketer
- You need the site itself rebuilt; see WordPress & CMS Developer
Interview questions
01
"Our traffic fell after a site migration. What do you check first?"
Strong answer: redirect mapping, indexing in Search Console, changed URLs and canonicals, internal links, and which page groups lost traffic.
02
"Two of our pages compete for the same keyword. What do you do?"
Strong answer: check intent and performance, then merge, redirect or retarget one, and update internal links.
03
"How do you approach link building without risking a penalty?"
Strong answer: content worth linking to, relevant outreach, digital PR and partnerships. No paid link schemes or private networks.
04
"How would you report SEO progress to a CEO?"
Strong answer: organic leads or revenue first, then traffic and rankings for the pages that matter, with what changed and what's next.
05
"How are AI search results changing your approach?"
Strong answer: clear answers on the page, structured data, strong brand signals, and tracking visibility in AI overviews as well as classic rankings.
Signs of a strong SEO specialist:
- Ties work to leads and revenue, not just rankings
- Explains technical issues so developers can fix them
- Prioritizes the few changes with the biggest impact
- Keeps a log of changes so results can be traced
Signs of a weak SEO specialist:
- Sends a 200-item audit with no priorities
- Reports only keyword positions
- Buys links or promises page-one results
On-page SEO
Titles, headings, internal linking and copy updates that match search intent, on new and existing pages.
Content briefs
Keyword research and briefs your writers can follow, covering intent, structure, questions to answer and pages to link.
Link building
Outreach, digital PR, partner mentions and broken-link work aimed at relevant sites in your industry.
Local SEO
Google Business Profile management, local citations, reviews workflow and location pages for businesses with physical sites.
From your SEO goals to your new specialist
- 1
Talk it through
We agree the work, the tools, the hours you share and who they report to. For this role: your site and CMS, your SEO tools, who writes and who develops, and the pages or markets you most want to grow.
- 2
Meet a shortlist and choose
We screen a wide pool for every role and introduce only the few who fit your brief. We source, screen and test candidates against your brief, and run background and reference checks. You interview and decide.
- 3
Start with support in place
They start on the work in the brief, and we stay in contact once they've begun.
SEO specialists are usually a straightforward search. If you need a technical lead for a large or multi-language site, the shortlist may take a little longer to build. We look for SEO talent in South Africa first.
How pricing works
An SEO specialist fits under each option here. Choose freely, and we'll set out how each model works if you'd like. Compare the arrangements on ways to hire.
Who does what
Swipe to see more →
| Task | You | JiveTalent |
|---|---|---|
| Target markets, priority pages and content approval | Own | – |
| Audits, optimizations, briefs and reporting | Review | Handled by your specialist; we ask how the monthly plan is tracking |
SEO specialist FAQs
How long before we see results?
It depends on your site, your competition and how quickly fixes get made. Technical fixes can show up within weeks, and content and links usually take months. Your specialist reports progress each month so you can judge it.
Will they work during our business hours?
The brief sets the hours and the overlap with your team before the search starts, so every candidate is hired for them.
Do they write the content too?
They write briefs and optimize existing pages. For a steady flow of new articles, pair them with a Content Marketer.
What if it isn't working out?
Talk to your account lead. We go through it with you and agree a way forward.
Will they need access to our website?
Usually editor access to the CMS, plus Search Console and analytics. Code changes go through your developers or your normal deployment process.
Can they handle SEO for several countries?
Yes. Hreflang, local keyword research and country-specific content are part of international SEO. Note the markets and languages in your brief.
How do we see what our SEO specialist is working on?
Their hours are tracked in the client app and reported there for you to see.
Get your site found by more buyers
Book a call. We'll agree the brief for your SEO specialist and talk you through the ways to hire.