Career Advice

How to Become an SEO Executive in India (Skills, Salary & Jobs)

Published on Jan 02, 2026 by Lakshita Sharma

"How to Become an SEO Executive in India" has been one of the most sought-after search terms on the internet, especially for those seeking promising and high-paying careers in the digital sector. Being an SEO search engine optimisation consultant or expert has emerged as one of the most sought-after skills or requirements for any business establishment since every business aims at ranking on Google search as its topmost priority.

However, the fact is that most people are faced with a common problem; they are not aware of the skills that are demanded, the salary of an SEO executive in India, and the locations where they can find authentic SEO job listings. Some people believe that the job of an SEO executive is too technical, while others consider a degree and experience essential for becoming an SEO executive. The good thing is that anyone can become an SEO executive without a degree.

This blog is designed to help you with complete and updated information as per the trends in the industry in India. Through this article, you will know about the job role of an SEO executive, skills required, salary details in India, and finally, the process to get an SEO job step by step-all explained.

Key takeaways :

• No degree required to become an SEO Executive. Only skills are required.
• Learn on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and keyword research.
• The starting salary for an SEO in India is ₹15,000+.
• SEO jobs require experience, skills, and effective job searching.

What is SEO?

SEO is a process of optimising any website or online content to improve its search visibility on a particular search engine, like Google, and attract organic traffic. The primary keyword here is SEO itself, while secondary keywords are search engine optimisation, organic traffic, Google ranking, keyword research, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO. SEO focuses on using the right keywords, high-quality content, optimised website structure, improved page speed, and building backlinks such that search engines can understand the content and rank it higher. Effective SEO will bring businesses, blogs, and even job portals better online visibility, reach the right audience, and long-term growth with minimum dependence on paid advertisements.

What does an SEO Executive do

The SEO Executive is responsible for carrying out keyword analysis, optimising web content on the website using on-page optimisation techniques such as optimisation of web pages using titles, meta descriptions, headings, internal linking, as well as off-page optimisation techniques such as link building. The SEO Executive is also responsible for dealing with technical web optimisation, such as ensuring the website is mobile-friendly, is loaded quickly, and dealing with web indexing. The SEO Executive uses Google Analytics to analyse the performance of the website.

Roles and Responsibilities of an SEO Executive

• Conduct keyword research to identify relevant high-ranking keywords for improved search engine optimisation.
• Website content optimisation- meta titles, meta descriptions, headings, URL structure, and internal linking l
• Improve website performance by technical SEO, such as site speed, friendliness, crawlability, and indexing.
• Run off-page SEO-staff, including link building, backlink analysis, and brand mentions, to improve domain authority.
• Create and optimise SEO-friendly content that aligns with user search intent and drives organic traffic.
• Track the ranking, traffic, and performance of websites with the help of Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and SEO toolsets.

Kinds of SEO Executives in India

1. On-Page SEO

Function: Enhances website content, meta tags, headings, internal links, and images to improve search engine rankings.

Skills: Keyword Research, Content Optimisation, HTML basics, and On-page SEO Tools.

2. Off-Page SEO

Role: Deals with backlinks, how to build them, guest blogging, and increasing site authority.

Skills: Link building, Outreach, Social signals, Competitor analysis.

3. Technical SEO Executive

Role: Handles site structure, crawlability, indexing, page speed, mobile optimisation, and schema markup.
Skills: Technical SEO, site audits, Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, HTML/CSS basics.

4. Local SEO Executive

Functions: Locally based optimisation of businesses related to Google Maps or Google Business Profile.

Skills: Local search keywords, GBP optimisation, citations, and review management.

5. Content SEO Executive

Role: Develops & optimizes SEO content pages, such as blogs, LPs, & site content.

Skills: SEO Writing, Keyword Incorporation, Content Strategies, On-Page Optimization.

6. E-commerce SEO

Role: Helps optimize product pages, category pages, and e-commerce sites for search engine ranking and conversion.

Skills: Product keyword research, on-page SEO for e-commerce, URL structuring, product schema markup, content opt., and tracking.

What are the skills that are required to become an SEO Executive?

This skill set will assist an SEO Executive in increasing Google rankings or organic traffic effectively.

Core Skills

• SEO Basics (Crawl, Index, Rank): A good understanding of how search engines crawl pages on websites, index their contents, and rank websites based on relevance and quality.
• Keyword Research & Search Intent Analysis: To determine high search volume and low competition keywords based on search intent (informational, navigational, transactional searches).
• On-Page SEO Optimization: Maximizing the use of meta titles, descriptions, headings (H1-H6), URL structure, placement of content, internal linking, and image alt tags for optimal search engine ranking.
• Basic Technical SEO Knowledge: Knowledge regarding website speed, mobile-friendliness, website structure, use of XML sitemaps, knowledge about robots.txt, and basic knowledge about crawlers/index
• Google Search Console & Reporting: Monitoring the performance for keywords, impressions, clicks, indexing, correcting crawl errors, and creating a report on SEO performance.

Advanced / Growth Skills

• Content Optimization & SEO Writing: Creation and optimization of high quality and optimized content based on search intent to improve engagement and search traffic.
• HTML Basics: Familiarity with HTML tags such as title tags, meta tags, HTML headings, anchor link tags, and HTML img alt attributes for improved SEO management.
• Local SEO (Google Business Profile): Google Business Profile optimization, Google Business Profile reviews, Google Business Profile local keywords, Google Business Profile NAP.
• Technical SEO & Schema Knowledge: Organization of structured schema markup on the website, use of canonical URL, use of redirects, optimization of website structure.

Online Courses/Certificate Programs for an SEO Executive

These SEO optimization courses and certifications can assemble a solid foundation, expertise, and credentials for the successful role of an SEO Specialist.

• Google SEO Essentials Course: It offers training on search engine optimization fundamentals, topics that include Google search, key word research, and search engine optimization methods.
• Google Analytics Certification: Assist in website traffic understanding and behavior analysis and help make data-driven search engine decisions.
• Google Search Console Training: Provides guidance on how to check for indexing problems and optimize search results.\
• HubSpot SEO Certification: This certification is all about learning how to optimize your content and create a strategy for SEO.
• SEMrush SEO Certification: Offers practical learning on keyword research, competitor analysis, backlinking, and using SEO software.
• Ahrefs SEO Course: Provides training on advanced subjects like link building, doing a technical SEO audit, and improving rankings.
• Yoast SEO Training: It is beneficial in understanding SEO and WordPress SEO optimization.

What SEO Tools are Useful to become SEO Executive

These tools are critical to enhancing search engine optimization, search engine rankings, and SEO in the Indian industry.

• Google Search Console (Free): This service can assist in tracking website data on Google and then allow corrections for crawl errors and query searches.
• Google Analytics (Basic): Tracking website traffic, visitor behavior, session time, bounce rate, and conversion rate.
• Google Trends & Keyword Planner: Google Trends reveals the trending search queries, and the Keyword Planner aids in determining the volume and level of competition of the keywords.
• Ahrefs/SEMrush/Moz (Commercial Tools): Sophisticated search engine optimization tools for keyword analysis, competitor analysis, backlink tracking, site assessment, and ranking tracking.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: It is a technical SEO tool that is used to crawl websites and highlight errors like broken links, duplicated content, meta tags not available, and redirects.

SEO Jobs in India

1. SEO Executive

Role:
Handles keyword research, on-page SEO, basic technical SEO, content optimization, and performance tracking.

Salary in India:
₹2–4 LPA (Freshers)

Skills Required:
Keyword research, on-page SEO, Google Search Console, basic technical SEO, SEO tools

2. SEO Analyst

Role:
Analyzes website performance, SEO data, rankings, competitors, and suggests optimization strategies.

Salary in India:
₹3–6 LPA

Skills Required:
Data analysis, Google Analytics, SEO reporting, competitor analysis, technical SEO basics

3. SEO Specialist

Role:
Creates and executes complete SEO strategies including on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.

Salary in India:
₹5–8 LPA

Skills Required:
Advanced keyword research, content SEO, link building, technical SEO, SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush)

4. Technical SEO Specialist

Role:
Improves website structure, speed, crawlability, indexing, and schema implementation.

Salary in India:
₹6–10 LPA

Skills Required:
Technical SEO, HTML, schema markup, site audits, Screaming Frog, Core Web Vitals

5. Local SEO Specialist

Role:
Optimizes Google Business Profile and local search rankings for businesses.

Salary in India:
₹4–7 LPA

Skills Required:
Local keyword research, Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, reviews management

6. SEO Content Writer

Role:
Writes SEO-optimized blogs, web pages, and landing pages based on search intent.

Salary in India:
₹3–6 LPA

Skills Required:
SEO writing, keyword placement, content optimization, basic on-page SEO

7. SEO Manager

Role:
Manages SEO teams, plans strategies, tracks KPIs, and drives organic growth.

Salary in India:
₹8–15 LPA

Skills Required:
SEO strategy, team management, analytics, advanced SEO knowledge, reporting

8. Freelance SEO Expert

Role:
Provides SEO services to multiple clients independently.

Salary / Income:
₹50,000 – ₹2,00,000+ per month (depends on clients)

Skills Required:
Complete SEO knowledge, client handling, strategy building, tools expertise

Step by Step Roadmap to Become an SEO Executive

Month 1: Learn SEO Basics

• Get a grasp of the SEO basics: crawl, index, rank
• Learn keyword research, search intent, and competitor analysis
• On-page SEO: master the usage of meta tags, headings, URLs, and internal linking.

Month 2 - Practice & Apply Skills

• Start practicing on your own website or blog
• Publish SEO-optimized content regularly.
• Technical SEO: Find and repair technical SEO problems using tools like Google Search Console.

Month 3 - Build Portfolio & Apply

• Portfolio of projects, optimized pages, and results created
• Case-study preparation, to evidence skill sets
• Apply for the position of SEO Executive, freelance projects, or internships.

Where SEO Jobs Are Available

• Internet marketing agencies
• Job Portals & EdTech Organizations
• E-commerce & D2C brands
• Real estate, healthcare, travel SaaS
• SEO jobs remotely

SEO Executive Interview Questions

1. What is SEO and its types?

SEO targets increasing the visibility of your website on search engines. Types: On-Page, Off-Page, Technical, Local SEO.

2. What is keyword intent?

It's the intent of a search query: Informational, Navigational, or Transactional.

3. What is a canonical tag?

A tag to inform the search engine which page is preferable to be shown as the original content, thereby not being considered duplicate.

4. What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow links?

dofollow passes SEO value; nofollow does not pass SEO value.

5. How do you fix indexing issues?

Check the robots.txt, remove noindex tags, submit the sitemap, fix errors, and enhance crawlability.

Conclusion

SEO as a career field is skills-based. Any individual in India, without any formal degree but with consistent learning, practice, and real projects, may start their career as an SEO Executive. Focus on fundamentals, create proof of work, and build upwards, one step at a time.