What is an SEO Specialist, and what do they do?

An SEO specialist is a person who specialises in the discipline of search engine optimisation (also known as SEO: Search Engine Optimization).
In other words, an SEO Specialist is someone who understands what it takes to get a website to rank highly in search engines such as Google, Bing, etc., and is able to execute on this.
SEO encompasses many things, as search engines like Google use algorithms that evaluate websites and their rankings on individual keywords across more than 200 different parameters. What an SEO specialist does exactly therefore depends on where they work and what is required for each individual site.

What does an SEO specialist do? Typical tasks

Below are some of an SEO specialist's typical tasks:

Analysis of: keywords, competition, market, trends, etc.
Use of relevant SEO tools such as Google Analytics, GSC, etc.
Strategy and planning: what it takes to achieve better rankings and more traffic.
Execution across SEO disciplines such as: on-site optimisation, content, link building, technical SEO, etc.
Reporting on SEO efforts and development, and measuring KPIs.

And much more.

All of which should ultimately result in: better rankings, more traffic and thus improved top- and bottom-line performance.

What does an SEO Specialist earn?

On average, an SEO specialist in Denmark earns around DKK 34,990 per month (2024 data). Those who earn the most make around DKK 60,000–80,000, while those who earn the least make between DKK 10,000–20,000 per month.
Below is the distribution of Danish SEO specialists' monthly salaries from Jobindex.dk:

Is an SEO Specialist what you're missing?

Search engines, and organic traffic in particular, are by far the primary traffic source for most businesses. And for good reason.

This is where most customer journeys begin — and in fact 68% of all online journeys in general.

At the same time, competition for organic rankings is becoming increasingly fierce, and the SEO discipline increasingly complex. In other words, it takes more than ever to compete for the top positions in search engines.
This requires skilled professionals, such as SEO specialists, to make it happen.

The alternative, if you don't have the time, resources or inclination to hire someone for this area, is to engage a digital marketing agency that has the expertise in-house — along with many other capabilities — and can therefore handle multiple tasks.