Take a quick browse through leading SEO forums, SEOChat, SitePoint, and look in their ‘professionals’ or ‘for hire’ threads. You’ll notice that just about everyone, cousins, aunts, dogs, know how to provide SEO services at a ‘professional level’.

All jokes aside, how is it possible that 16 year old kids or SEOs without credentials win jobs? The answer is pretty simple, there is a market for low cost SEO. Let’s take a look at some issues that show how anybody can get a job in search engine optimization and what is to be done about the issue. This post may also help you to choose the right SEO for your consulting job.

1. The training. There is no standard or ‘test’ required to be labeled an SEO. A handful of universities are starting to take notice of the phenomena, however, marketing and business majors have yet to realise the potential. This being the case, credentialing is difficult and non-existent. Existing methods to become ‘certified’ in SEO are generally from online institutions and lack the prestige, proper curriculum, and knowledge to providing top ‘grandaunts’.

As it currently stands, anybody who reads English is at an advantage over the remainder of the world. I’m not being biased here, merely suggesting that the majority of information and methods of learning some SEO traits are provided in English. This would account for the heavy influx of third-world SEOs popping up throughout the online land.

If you’re trying to choose a consultant then you should adopt the same scrutiny you’d have for any purchase. ‘Good enough’ English skills is NOT enough. Good writing and great a great command of the Enlighs language go hand in hand. You cannot write great SEO content (remember, everyone thinks they can but few actually do it) without a firm gasp of English. You cannot communicate effectively through the written word if you can’t speak it. Phone your prospective client and talk to them. ‘JUST OK’ skills is not enough.

Because of the lack of credentialling SEO provides interesting dilemmas (although not unique to the industry). Quality of life factors influence consultation prices. An SEO from India may be able to acquire large contracts because they have the ability to price their services lower given this factor. I’m not going to dwell on a quality of life argument, but rather, would support a more sound argument based on experience overall experience and integrity.

Hypothetically (and actually this is the case for the majority) someone can learn the current trends and the ‘ins and outs’ of SEO with enough accuracy to start ranking web sites successfully. Today, this is the primary reason for joining the SEO foray. In fact, a couple of the major components of the real SEO ‘pro’ is staying current with the field and experience—what they have accomplished in the past. This brings me to my second point.

2. Successful SEO is largely based on following acceptable practices and methods. These methods/factors are numerous (innumerable by some measures), and constantly under debate. What we do know is lower competitive markets (your name, brown purple pony widgets, etc.) are easier to rank high, take less time, and are more ‘forgiven’ when it comes to leaving out certain SEO factors (either by ignorance or method), than a competitive market.

As a result, less astute SEOs can successfully rank these small websites. Furthermore, small websites are not interested in paying top dollar for the seasoned ‘pro’ and will gladly shell out a tenth of the cost for someone who claims the same results (the ‘low-level’ SEO). Herein lies a reason why the SEO industry requires differentiation (it’s starting) and how anybody can lay claim as a qualified SEO and profit from it.

3. If we’re talking about what you can do to help your stay in the industry as an SEO, differentiation is key. Since there is no governing body for SEO the skill set of individuals will vary greatly. Many useful skills to posses as part of the SEO trade include marketing backgrounds, statistical backgrounds, understanding of coding languages like CSS, SQL, HTML, ASP, .net, etc. DistinctSEO posses these skills in addition to business strategy, CMS, content writing, the list could go on.

Matt Cutts recently posted a worthy blog encouraging SEOs to branch out and differentiate themselves in suitable niche markets. This is an excellent idea for new SEOs trying to capitalise in a market they have a suitable foundation in.

There is plenty of demand for SEOs; many markets, many consumers, many SEOs. A good movement would be for small/uncompetitive webmasters to learn SEO themselves and save themselves the trouble of hiring a ‘low-level’ SEO pro. This would weed out unqualified SEOs and leave those with substantial industry experience coupled with their unique skill sets to lay claim.

This unfairly assumes that quality SEOs can only be found in highly competitive markets, this is not the case. However, follow the old adage, “if you pay peanuts, you’ll get monkeys.” This is especially true in the SEO industry.

Remember, SEO is merely a subset of the overall marketing picture which is a subset of the overall business picture. Without clearly defined objectives and goals you’re throwing money at invisible and poorly defined measures.

So first off you need a coherent plan so you know when you’ve reach your goal or why you haven’t.

After that you need to be able to market. Effective marketing, which takes unique and clever ideas unique to each firm/content piece, and great content are the main components of SEO.

You don’t explain to the client what they need, they tell you. They have a purpose/goal, and if not, they’re out to lunch. Once they understand what they want to accomplish then you build a solution.

So what do you need to be a good SEO? Beats me, but to be a great web marketer though you need exceptional business planning/strategy skills, exceptional writing skills, somebody who can code your cool and neat ideas, and exceptional neat ideas.

The rest can be learned in a forum, but who wants to be like everyone else? Be a leader in your field so everyone else is playing catch up.