Alright, Let’s Talk About Getting Into SEO (And Why I Almost Quit Twice)
Look, I’m gonna be straight with you. When I first heard about SEO back in 2017, I thought it was some kind of black magic. My buddy Jake was making decent money “doing Google stuff” and I was broke, working at a call center, hating my life.
Fast forward to now – I’ve worked at three agencies, got fired from one (long story), and somehow ended up as an SEO manager. If you’re trying to figure out how to get SEO jobs in 2026, let me save you from the mistakes I made.
Nobody Warned Me About This Stuff
My first SEO job? Total disaster. I spent three weeks trying to rank a plumber’s website for “emergency plumbing” without understanding that 500 other companies were fighting for the same spot. My boss kept asking for “results” and I kept showing him keyword rankings that meant absolutely nothing to his business.
I got obsessed with tools. Spent my first paycheck on Ahrefs, convinced that having expensive software would make me good at this. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. I was like a guy who bought a Ferrari but couldn’t drive stick.
The worst part? I kept reading these blogs that made SEO sound easy. “Just create great content!” they said. “Focus on user experience!” Sure, but what does that actually mean when you’re staring at a website that loads slower than dial-up?
What I Actually Do All Day (It’s Weirder Than You Think)
Okay, so SEO in 2026 isn’t what I expected. Here’s yesterday:
I spent two hours trying to convince a client that no, we can’t rank their local bakery for “best bread in America.” Then I discovered their website was broken on mobile – like, completely broken. Images wouldn’t load, text was overlapping, the works.
After that, I wrote what felt like a novel explaining why their blog post about “sourdough tips” was getting zero traffic. Turns out nobody searches for “sourdough tips.” They search for “how to make sourdough bread” or “sourdough starter troubleshooting.” Small difference, huge impact.
I ended the day in a Zoom call with a developer who was convinced that adding more keywords to meta descriptions would fix everything. I died a little inside.
This is SEO now – part detective work, part therapy session, part technical support. Some days I love it, other days I question my life choices.
The Skills They Don’t Teach You in Courses
You know what skill matters most? Being able to explain why someone’s website sucks without making them cry. I’ve had grown men get emotional when I tell them their homepage doesn’t make sense to visitors.
You need thick skin too. I once spent three months optimizing a client’s site, traffic went up 200%, and they complained because it wasn’t 300%. There’s always someone who thinks SEO is magic.
Here’s what actually helps:
- Being naturally nosy (you’ll spend hours digging through data)
- Having zero ego about being wrong (Google changes its mind constantly)
- Enjoying repetitive tasks (you’ll check the same reports over and over)
- Being comfortable with uncertainty (half the time, nobody knows why rankings change)
The technical stuff? You’ll learn it. I still Google “how to fix canonical issues” every few months.
How I’d Start Over (Knowing What I Know Now)
If I had to do this again, I’d pick something I actually care about and start there. I made the mistake of taking any SEO job I could find. Ended up optimizing websites for industries I knew nothing about. Ever tried writing content briefs for HVAC companies when you’ve never owned a home? It’s rough.
I’d also stop trying to learn everything at once. My first year, I had like 47 bookmarks for “SEO guides” and felt overwhelmed constantly. Pick one area – maybe local SEO or e-commerce – and get decent at that first.
And for the love of everything holy, I’d learn Google Analytics properly from day one. I faked my way through GA for way too long, nodding along in meetings while having no idea what bounce rate actually meant.
Job Hunting Was a Nightmare (But Here’s What Worked)
Real talk – most SEO job postings are written by people who don’t understand SEO. I saw one that required “expert knowledge of Google’s algorithm.” Nobody has that, not even Google employees.
I applied to probably 200 jobs over six months. Got maybe 15 interviews. The one that hired me? They were more interested in my ability to explain things clearly than my technical skills.
My advice: apply everywhere, even if you don’t meet their ridiculous requirements. The best job I ever had, I was missing like half their “must-haves.” They hired me anyway because I showed up prepared and asked good questions.
Also, LinkedIn is your friend. I hate networking events, but sending thoughtful messages to SEO people actually worked. Most of them are pretty helpful if you’re not obviously trying to sell them something.
The Money Thing (Since Everyone Asks)
My first SEO job paid $32K. In 2018. In a major city. I was basically broke, but I needed the experience. Second job was $48K, third was $65K. Now I’m at $78K plus bonuses.
Could I make more in other fields? Probably. But I genuinely enjoy the work most days, and there’s something satisfying about watching organic traffic grow over time. It’s like tending a garden, except the garden sometimes gets hit by Google algorithm updates and dies overnight.
Freelancing pays better if you’re good at sales and don’t mind the uncertainty. I tried it for six months, made good money, but missed having coworkers and steady income.
Why I Almost Quit (Twice)
First time was after the Google update in 2019 that destroyed a client’s traffic. They blamed me, even though it hit thousands of sites. I spent weeks trying to fix something that wasn’t fixable. Nearly had a breakdown.
Second time was during the pandemic when everything went crazy. Budgets got slashed, clients panicked about every tiny traffic dip, and I was working 60-hour weeks trying to keep everyone happy.
But you know what kept me going? The wins. Helping a small restaurant triple their online orders. Watching a blogger’s passion project finally take off after months of optimization. Getting a random LinkedIn message from someone saying my advice helped their business.
The Real Deal About SEO Careers
This job will make you paranoid about your own website’s performance. I check my personal blog’s traffic more than my bank account.
You’ll develop strong opinions about things normal people don’t think about. Page speed, mobile usability, schema markup – these become part of your daily vocabulary.
The learning never stops. Just when you think you understand Google, they release a new update and everything changes. It’s frustrating and exciting at the same time.
But if you like puzzles, enjoy helping businesses grow, and don’t mind being wrong sometimes, SEO might work for you. Just don’t expect it to be easy or glamorous. It’s mostly spreadsheets, coffee, and trying to explain why correlation doesn’t equal causation.