If you’re reading this, you hopefully like search engine optimizaton. But every SEO Specialist is bound to re-think SEO as a career path every once in awhile. Here’s the reasons why my bumper sticker reads “I Heart SEO”.

• Determination - If you’re going to excel in the SEO world, you need to have determination. You may see your keywords rise to the top of Google one month and see them fall to page 4 the next. SEO isn’t Pay-Per-Click, you must have the persistence to see your SEO campaign through. Keywords rise, and keywords fall. Don’t let one bad month deter you from excelling in SEO in the future.
• Continous Training - Sign up for all the SEO newsletters at sites like SEO Chat, Search Engine Land, Search Engine Watch, and SEOmoz. Read their blogs daily to get insight and tips. Be sure to read the blog of your favorite SEO Girl too! It’s imperative to stay up to date on the latest SEO trends, this is a career path that can at times change every week.
• Broad Skill Set - Are words your specialty, but have no ideal what html stands for? Team up with a developer and you’re good to go. SEO Specialists bring many different skills to the table, and you need to have people who can write and others who are more tech-savvy. Partner the two together and you’re golden.
• Be Friendly - The Search Engine Optimization world is competitive, but it also has a certain camraderie that many industries lack. SEO is the future, and I predict there will be great demand for SEO Specialists in a few years. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge. Attend conferences, network, and schmooze with the big wigs. Maybe you’ll even spot me
• Experience is Everything - There’s no Bachelor’s degree in SEO. Learn the techniques, read the blogs, and apply it to your SEO campaign. You’re bound to screw up, but learn from your mistakes and figure out where you went wrong.

If your SEO campaign doesn’t seem to be paying off, hang in there kid. There’s no sense in throwing in the towel just yet. The SEO community is extraordinarly welcoming to newbies, so leave a comment on the SEO Chat message boards or on one of my posts, and someone’s bound to help you out. We’re always ready to give you a hand.