Being a talent hunter for SEO agencies can be an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding job. For years in a row, search engine optimization has remained one of the most recruited roles. And job interest also remains high in this sector.
The great demand for the sector on both sides should’ve made the process of hiring SEO experts nearly effortless. But that’s not quite true. In reality, you need to be able to navigate the field, its trends, and related technology well to be able to detect the right talent.
In this article, we’ll tell you about the key competencies to look for in an SEO specialist in 2026.
1. SEO Software Knowledge
Long gone are the days when optimization relied on manual effort. Now, there are plenty of SEO tools for agencies that boost productivity. These tools enable agencies to get 80% output with 20% effort. And that’s why every recruited talent must demonstrate good knowledge of relevant SEO software for agencies.
Which specific SEO technology competencies should you pay attention to? Since the list of tools for SEO agencies is enormous, it’s often counterproductive to look for specialists with experience in a very specific software option. However, recruiters can pay attention to expertise in the core tool categories, such as:
- Keyword research
- Technical audit and SEO
- Rank tracking
- Competitor analytics
- Link-building and backlink analytics
- On-page and content optimization
These are crucial. But not all competencies you need to keep in mind. Additionally, look for agency-specific experience:
- Tools that allow in-depth performance analytics.
- Tools that enable multi-client, white-label SEO reporting.
How do you navigate candidate competencies? It would be hard without any technical knowledge. Hence, it’s crucial that you educate yourself. You need to delve into the best SEO tools and their features.
2. Essential SEO Hard Skills
Looking beyond the knowledge of SEO tools for agencies, recruiters must assess the core hard skills. These can be divided into four essential categories:
Technical SEO
An SEO specialist needs strong proficiency in technical optimization basics:
- Mobile-friendliness
- Site speed
- Crawlability
- HTML/CSS
- Structured data
Good candidates must understand them well. And they must know how to detect and fix the mistakes related to each aspect of technical SEO. These are the things recruiters should check for.
On-Page SEO
The right talent needs in-depth proficiency across all levels of an on-page SEO workflow. This begins with content creation. A specialist must demonstrate the ability to plan and create quality, human-first copy that improves rankings.
Other on-page competencies include:
- Strategic keyword allocation
- Headings’ optimization
- Metadata creation
- URL structure improvement
Off-Page SEO
When hiring SEO experts, it’s pivotal to assess their off-page competencies. Good talent needs expertise in digital PR and link-building.
Research and SEO Analytics
SEO is a highly data-reliant field. Research and analytics are the two things that allow for workflow efficiency and foolproof results. Respectively, when SEO agencies recruit new specialists, they are looking for someone with strong research and analytical skills.
In candidates, you have to look for a strong ability to perform audience, keyword, and competitor research. They have to be able to collect accurate and timely insights. Then, they must show the ability to organize them in effective SEO and content marketing plans. After deploying their strategies, SEO experts must also have the skills and knowledge to assess the outcomes and detect flaws and areas for improvement.
And then there are some special needs of SEO agencies. In particular, reporting. To cover this need, candidates need outstanding data interpretation skills. They must know how to organize the findings from their SEO analytics. And they must be able to create clean, yet compelling reports that clients can understand.
Bonus: Advanced Skills
Together, technical, on-page, and off-page optimization and analytics create the foundation of knowledge and skills that every SEO expert needs to have. However, the industry doesn’t stand still. It constantly emerges, introducing new, advanced competencies that everyone hunts for. At this moment, the biggest ones include:
- AI tools and their integration for automation purposes.
- Optimization for voice search.
- Local SEO.
- User experience knowledge.
- Generative engine optimization (geo).
3. Essential SEO Soft Skills
Without any doubt, a huge part of SEO workflow success depends on software proficiency and hard skills. But not 100%.
A great SEO specialist also needs soft skills. These are often overlooked. But without them, it’s impossible to get the most out of SEO and navigate the challenges.
Here’s what matters:
- Analytical thinking comes first. It creates a solid foundation for SEO growth. With an analytical mindset, specialists can critically assess their own and competitors’ strategies and provide logical reasoning for why particular tactics work or do not work. Analytical thinking also matters for data-driven decision-making.
- Communication skills come second among the most pivotal soft skills. The truth is that SEO specialists have to handle a lot of communications. Firstly, they communicate within their own teams and with other departments (if relevant). Good communication skills help align strategies. They matter for discussing tasks, goals, and milestones that matter for productivity. Secondly, they have to communicate with third parties, including bloggers, reporters, influencers, and other brands. Proper communication is the key to strategic partnerships and effective off-page optimization. Lastly, perfect candidates for SEO agencies need to know how to communicate with clients. They should be able to get their point across in an easy-to-understand manner. This is essential for keeping customers happy.
- Collaboration goes along with communication. Search engine optimization is a complex undertaking that often involves multiple professionals. For the most efficient workflow, agencies want to ensure that all employees are real team players. What to check in candidates? The ability to collaborate toward a shared goal, including working with cross-functional teams.
- Problem-solving is another thing that matters. Search engine optimization never brings instant results. On the contrary, it constantly throws new challenges at agencies and professionals, and they have to know how to find creative solutions fast.
- Adaptability and attention to emerging trends are the final essential soft skills to look for. As you should know, search engine algorithms change rapidly. When this happens, many old techniques stop bringing the same results. And it requires adapting to change in order to stay visible and competitive. Respectively, when looking for the best talent, you want to look for someone who keeps an eye on trends and changes in the industry. And not just keeps an eye, but actually knows how to adapt to the new reality.
Conclusion
When looking for new talent, SEO agencies often have high expectations. Compared to regular businesses that handle SEO for their own benefit, agencies do it for their clients. They don’t have the right for multiple mistakes. And that’s why they need top-tier talent.
Hiring the right specialists for agencies can feel overwhelming. At least at the beginning. However, it becomes much simpler when you know exactly what to look for.
This article is a roadmap to hiring SEO experts who can bring true value to agencies. Use the knowledge and tips from it to understand what to focus on in your recruitment process. But don’t stop there. Do your analysis and align your talent hunt with the particular needs of the agency you work for. The essentials matter. But covering individual needs matters even more.
