This is a summary of the State of SEO 2024 published by Search Engine Journal. Learn about salaries, trends and the state of the industry.
In the dynamic and constantly evolving SEO industry, professional experience plays a determining role in career path and progression. According to a recent survey, more than half (51.6%) of SEO professionals have less than five years of experience, indicating a growing wave of new talent entering the field. Search Engine Journal published its State of SEO 2024 study .
As you move up the professional hierarchy, accumulated experience becomes a valuable asset; 64.8% of managers and an impressive 81.1% of directors or senior positions have more than five years of experience. However, it is notable that 27.5% of managers were promoted with just two to four years of experience, reflecting the possibility of rapid advancement for those with outstanding skills.
Regarding budgets, or salaries, in SEO, the most common range is between $1,001 and $5,000 per month. Although a significant minority (12.96%) work with budgets exceeding $10,000 per month, it is interesting to note that SEO professionals in B2B tend to manage higher budgets compared to those in B2C/ecommerce. Despite growth expectations, with 48.9% anticipating an increase in budgets this year, 42.2% expect them to remain constant. This trend is even more intriguing in the freelance and agency space, where almost half have recently increased their rates, while 31.7% have reduced them.
These findings highlight current trends in SEO investment, as well as the value of industry experience and how it influences career paths and financial decisions.
How much experience do SEO specialists have?
SEO experience appears to be a crucial factor in career progression within the field:
- Overall :
- 51.6% of respondents have less than five years of experience.
- There is high competition for junior roles and high demand for experienced SEO professionals within organizations.
- By role :
- 64.8% of managers have more than five years of experience.
- 81.1% of directors or senior positions have more than five years of experience.
- Although 27.5% of managers have two to four years of experience, this shows that early advancement is quite possible in the field of SEO.
Experience by type of position
| Position | < 2 years | 2-4 years | 5-10 years | 11-20 years | > 20 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | 16.4% | 35.2% | 33.7% | 11.2% | 3.5% |
| En casa | 12.9% | 37.5% | 34.8% | 10.6% | 4.1% |
| Freelancer | 11.4% | 53.7% | 17.6% | 12.4% | 4.9% |
| Business owner | 5.1% | 7.2% | 13.8% | 17.9% | 56.0% |
| Director+ | 7.6% | 2.8% | 12.2% | 27.5% | 49.8% |
| Junior/Mid | 25.19% | 38.4% | 28.9% | 6.3% | 1.4% |
This table provides a detailed overview of how experience is distributed across different roles in the SEO industry. It is evident that the higher the position, the greater the proportion of individuals with extensive experience. For example, in director positions or above, almost 50% have more than 20 years of experience. On the other hand, in junior or mid-level roles, most have less than 5 years of experience.
Freelancers:
Freelancers appear to be new to the industry, with 77.9% of them having less than five years of experience. However, even those with many years of experience are looking for a change of scenery, with 65.7% of freelancers with 11-20 years of experience wanting to move into a new role. Among freelancers, agencies are the most sought-after positions, with 31.9% wanting agency positions.
SEO budgets and salaries
The most common budget range for SEO professionals is $1,001 to $5,000 per month, with 28.6% of responses. However, 12.96% work with budgets greater than $10,000. When comparing B2B to B2C/ecommerce, more B2B SEO professionals work with budgets greater than $10,000 per month.
It’s interesting to note that while 48.9% of SEO professionals expect an increase in budgets this year, 42.2% expect them to stay the same. However, when it comes to rates, almost half (49.8%) of freelancers and agencies have recently increased their rates, while 31.7% have reduced them. This suggests that freelancers are experiencing more fluctuations than others.
| Budget range (dollars) | Percentage |
|---|---|
| < US$500 | 7.89% |
| US$501-US$1,000 | 21.80% |
| US$1,001-US$5,000 | 28.56% |
| US$5,001-US$10,000 | 17.12% |
| > US$10,000 | 12.96% |
| not specified | 8.05% |
| Does not know | 3.60% |
B2B SEO Budgets vs. B2C:
| Budget range | B2B | B2C/Ecommerce |
|---|---|---|
| < US$500 | 8.4% | 7.3% |
| US$501-$1,000 | 12.1% | 12.2% |
| US$1,001-$5,000 | 27.2% | 29.2% |
| US$5,001-$10,000 | 15.8% | 19.8% |
| > US$10,001 | 23.4% | 17.4% |
| not specified | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| Does not know | 9.6% | 11.0% |
Expectations on SEO budgets
| Expectation of change in budgets | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Will increase | 48.9% |
| will decrease | 8.6% |
| It will stay the same | 42.2% |
| Other | 0.4% |
Change in freelancer and agency rates in the last year
| Change in rates | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Increase | 49.8% |
| decreased | 31.7% |
| He remained the same | 21.6% |
These tables reflect that, while almost half of respondents expect an increase in SEO budgets, there is a notable divide between freelancers and agencies in how they have adjusted their rates in the last year. Specifically, nearly 50% of freelancers and agencies have increased their rates, while 31.7% have reduced them, suggesting greater fluctuation among freelancers compared to other groups.
Technologies that will transform SEO in 2024
The current SEO landscape faces various technologies that are redefining the way professionals approach search engine optimization.
Generative AI leads the list with 21.0%, highlighting its emerging role in SEO transformation. Artificial Intelligence, especially in its generative form, is introducing capabilities and tools that SEO professionals must understand and adopt to stay ahead.
EEAT regulations and trusted sources account for 13.5% of concerns, reflecting the growing importance of authority, expertise and trustworthiness of content on the web. Reliable sources and content quality are becoming critical to SEO performance.
Automation tools also play a significant role and come in third place at 10.7%. These tools are simplifying and automating numerous SEO processes, allowing professionals to focus on more advanced strategies and the creation of quality content.
Other factors such as Core Web Vitals, Google Discover, and social search are also influencing how SEO is approached, with percentages ranging between 6% and 8%. It is essential for SEO professionals to be aware of and adapt to these technologies to ensure optimal search engine performance.
| Disturbance | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Generative AI | 21.0% |
| EEAT & trusted sources | 13.5% |
| Automation (tools) | 10.7% |
| Core Web Vitals | 8.2% |
| Google Discover | 6.4% |
| Social Search | 6.3% |
| Structured data | 5.9% |
| Site Security | 5.3% |
| Google Passages | 4.2% |
| Knowledge Graph and entities | 3.9% |
| Video search | 3.6% |
| SERP Features | 3.5% |
| Mobile SEO | 2.8% |
| Voice search | 2.6% |
| None/Other | 2.2% |
The biggest changes in the SEO industry
| Changes | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Competition for talent | 16.7% |
| ChatGPT/AI/ML | 16.5% |
| Google algorithm updates | 16.5% |
| Deletion of third-party cookies | 15.7% |
| Google Zero-Click Pages | 11.4% |
| Site Security | 10.6% |
| Industry regulation | 10.2% |
| none/other | 2.4% |
The SEO industry landscape is undergoing significant changes, with several areas emerging as focuses of attention. For respondents, competition for talent tops the list at 16.7%, suggesting a growing demand for qualified SEO professionals in the market. This could indicate an opportunity for those looking to enter or advance in this industry, but also a challenge for companies looking to attract and retain the best talent.
On the other hand, artificial intelligence and machine learning (machine learning) and Google algorithm updates share second place with 16.5%. These results underline the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning on SEO and the growing concern about constant changes in the algorithm.
Another point of interest is the elimination of third-party cookies with 15.7%. Given the increasing focus on user privacy, it is not surprising to see this area as a top concern in SEO.
What SEO will focus on in 2024
| Area | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Content Strategy/Production | 13.5% |
| Analysis of data | 9.6% |
| Better public understanding | 8.8% |
| Creating a subscriber list | 8.7% |
| Search intent for pages | 8.4% |
| User experience | 7.6% |
| Social networks | 6.9% |
| Improve attribution | 6.5% |
| Lead generation | 5.9% |
| Link building | 5.0% |
| PR and Influencers | 4.9% |
| Paid search | 4.1% |
| User journey | 3.9% |
| Workflows and processes | 3.5% |
| Other | 2.6% |
| Factors on the page | 0.2% |
The results reveal the priorities and areas of interest for professionals in the next 12 months in the field of SEO and digital marketing.
“Content Strategy and Production” leads the list with 13.5%, underscoring the continued importance of quality content in SEO strategy. Creating relevant and valuable content remains essential to attracting and retaining your audience.
Data analysis and better public understanding follow at 9.6% and 8.8% respectively. These percentages highlight the need for a deep understanding of user behavior and using data to inform and adapt strategies.
We also see an emphasis on subscriber list building and search intent for pages, indicating an effort to better capture and serve the target audience.
It is interesting to note that traditional areas such as link building and Google Ads have less focus compared to more content and user-oriented areas. This suggests a shift in priorities, with an emphasis on content quality and understanding user behavior.
The strategies with the best results
| Strategies | Percentage |
|---|---|
| General content strategy | 16.7% |
| Topic grouping | 12.8% |
| Link Building | 11.8% |
| Long tail keywords | 10.2% |
| Competitor Replication | 10.1% |
| Speed, performance, CWV | 7.5% |
| Site structure settings | 7.4% |
| Structured data | 7.2% |
| Mobile optimization | 4.9% |
| URL Optimization | 3.4% |
| User experience | 3.3% |
| Maps and location | 2.8% |
| User journey | 1.7% |
| Other | 0.4% |
The table shows the main content and SEO strategies that professionals are implementing during 2023 and which of those strategies are working best.
Surprisingly, overall content strategy tops the list at 16.7%, indicating that content planning and structuring remains a key pillar in the world of SEO.
Next on the list, topic grouping (the famous content clusters) and link building have 12.8% and 11.8% respectively, suggesting a strong trend towards organizing content around specific topics and the relevance of link building in SEO strategy.
Long tail keywords and competitor replication also have significant percentages, showing that keyword optimization and competitive analysis remain essential.
It is crucial to note that strategies focused on user experience are part of the priorities, emphasizing the importance of offering an optimal web experience with good performance. Web Core Vitals optimization is still relevant, although not as much as in other times.
Most used metrics to measure SEO
| Metrics | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Click-through rate (CTR) | 9.2% |
| Branded vs unbranded traffic | 8.3% |
| Keyword positions | 7.7% |
| Marketing/Sales Qualified Lead (MQL, SQL) | 7.5% |
| Organic Page Visits | 7.4% |
| Conversions and goal events | 7.2% |
| bounce rate | 6.4% |
| Backlinks | 6.2% |
| Average time on page | 6.1% |
| New vs Returning Visitors | 5.8% |
| Mentions in PR | 5.4% |
| Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) | 5.0% |
| Email Subscriptions | 3.9% |
| page speed | 3.6% |
| Social networks (shares, likes) | 2.9% |
| Income increase | 2.9% |
| Total page visits/sessions | 2.1% |
| Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) | 2.2% |
| Other | 0.2% |
It is notable that “Click Through Rate (CTR)” tops the list at 9.2%. This suggests that a search result’s ability to attract clicks remains a crucial metric for evaluating performance.
“Branded vs. non-branded traffic” and “Keyword Positions” follow closely at 8.3% and 7.7% respectively, underscoring the importance of how brands are perceived in search results and how They are classified for key terms.
Metrics related to user engagement and conversion, such as “Organic Page Visits” and “Conversions and Goal Events,” also have significant percentages, indicating a trend toward measuring traffic quality, not just the amount.
On the other hand, traditional metrics like “Backlinks” and “Bounce Rate” are still relevant, but they are not the top priorities for many professionals.
Taken together, this data suggests that SEO professionals are taking a more holistic, user-centric approach when evaluating their success, considering both search engine visibility and the quality and behavior of the traffic they attract.
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