Whether you want to work on the technical side of SEO and analyze and improve website speed and performance, or configure analytics so that your organization is able to benefit from end-user insights and implement these into the overall business strategy, there are several routes a career in SEO can take.

And while you might think knowing the ins and outs of a programming language or being skilled in AI is what prospective employers are looking for, a new report has identified that it's other skills that can add to your salary.

SEO platform Ahrefs analyzed 307 skills across 527 search engine optimization job listings on Glassdoor and found that certain skills – essentially job listings containing certain keywords – were more lucrative than others. This was done by comparing the median salary for jobs which included certain keywords compared to job listings that did not contain those keywords.

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The top keywords? The names of software applications that help SEO professionals do their jobs everyday, for example, Hootsuite, Salesforce, and Smartsheet, as well as Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush. The report found that job listings containing these words equated to a salary increase of $35,217.

Additionally, SEO professionals who possess marketing experience can expect a salary boost of $30,763 if they apply for a job with public relations, keyword research, social listening, or social media marketing in the job description.

And while programming is not a vital skill to have for an SEO professional, those who do have programming skills can also benefit. Jobs with concepts such as application development and software troubleshooting, services such as AWS (Amazon Web Services), and coding languages such as Python and JavaScript pay approximately $27,999 more.

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Interestingly, having a Bachelor's degree isn't as important as it used to be when it comes to securing the best-paying jobs. The report established that job descriptions with a Bachelor's degree in the requirements only pay $9,189 more.

This correlates with a separate survey of 800 U.S. employers which found that 45% of companies plan to eliminate Bachelor's degree requirements this year.

Speaking about the findings, Tim Soulo, CMO at Ahrefs, commented: "Search engine optimization is an incredibly exciting industry, with an ever-evolving toolkit that can dramatically boost the visibility of websites when used effectively. This, in turn, can mean massive increases in revenue and influence for websites that can further improve search engine rankings."

"This boost is not confined to just businesses or websites; it applies to SEO professionals too. As the industry has matured in recent years, so has its value to businesses, bringing increased salaries for those working in this field."

Whether you're looking for a role in SEO or want to explore other options in tech, visit the TechSpot Job Board today.