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Tech Startups › Marketing team › SEO Specialist

Your SEO Specialist, explained in plain English.

An SEO Specialist helps your startup appear when customers search for the problems you solve. They fix technical issues on your website, find the right search terms and guide your content, so search becomes a growing source of visitors you do not pay for each time.

No tech background needed. This guide explains the role in plain English: what it is, when you need it, what to expect and how to choose the right Volunteer.
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In plain English

What does a SEO Specialist do for you?

“

Think of signposts on a motorway.

Drivers do not search every exit. They follow the signs. SEO puts clear signs in front of the people already looking for what you offer.

1

Gets you found

Your pages showing for the searches customers make.

2

Fixes the foundations

Technical issues that stop search engines reading your site.

3

Guides content

Topics and terms that match real search demand.

When you need one

Signs it is time to bring one in.

If two or more of these sound familiar, add this role to your Marketing team.

Bring one in when

  • ✓Your website gets few visitors from search
  • ✓You do not appear when searching for your own product category
  • ✓Your pages load slowly or show errors
  • ✓You publish content but nobody finds it
  • ✓Paid ads are your only source of visitors

You can wait if

  • …Your website is about to be rebuilt (involve them in the rebuild instead)
What they own

Four areas a SEO Specialist takes off your plate.

01

Technical SEO

Site speed, indexing, broken links and page structure.

02

Keyword research

The terms your customers actually search for.

03

On-page optimisation

Titles, descriptions and headings on key pages.

04

Search reporting

Rankings, visitors and sign ups from search.

What to expect

Across a 60 Volunteer day term.

Volunteers give up to three hours a day, Monday to Friday, over three months or more. Daily and weekly updates keep you informed, and rapid feedback from you in the first two weeks makes the biggest difference.

1
✦

Weeks 1 and 2

Audits your website, reports the biggest issues and proposes priority search terms.

2
▤

By mid term

Technical fixes under way, key pages improved and a content plan agreed with the writer.

3
★

By day 60

A cleaner, faster site, early movement in search and a documented SEO checklist for the next specialist.

Choosing the right Volunteer

What to ask, and what to look for.

You do not need to be an expert to recruit well. Use these questions at interview and listen for the signs below.

Questions to ask

  • ?What would you check first on our website?
  • ?How do you choose which search terms to target?
  • ?Show me a site you improved and what changed.
  • ?How do you report progress when rankings move slowly?

Good signs

  • ✓Explains technical issues simply
  • ✓Links search to sign ups, not only rankings
  • ✓Sets realistic timelines

Red flags

  • ✕Guarantees first place on Google
  • ✕Suggests buying links or other shortcuts
  • ✕Ignores the quality of the content
Your part as a Tech Founder

Give them this, and they deliver from Day 1.

  • ✓Access to your website, Google Search Console and analytics
  • ✓A developer or website builder to make technical changes
  • ✓Agreement on priority products and pages
  • ✓Patience: search results take time
  • ✓A signed Volunteer Agreement before they start
FAQ

Questions Tech Founders ask.

How long does SEO take? +
Usually months rather than weeks. Technical fixes can help quickly, but steady growth comes from consistent improvements and useful content.
Do I need a developer? +
For some technical fixes, yes. Many changes, such as titles and content, can be made directly in your website editor.
Can SEO replace paid ads? +
Over time it can reduce your reliance on them. Most startups use both, with SEO growing as a long term source of visitors.
How much does it cost to recruit this role? +
Volunteers give their time for experience, not pay. You subscribe to the Advanced (GTM) plan at £250 a month or £2,500 a year, which lets you recruit up to 100 Volunteer team members across Marketing, Sales and Customer Success. See the plans.
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Ready to recruit your SEO Specialist?

Create your company account, list an Opportunity with the matching template and start meeting Volunteers this week.