Interview Tips South Africa: Popular SEO Interview Questions

Preparing for a job interview for a SEO position can be a bit of guessing game. As one of the top recruitment agencies for digital marketing in South Africa however, we keep a record of the most popular interview questions asked in interviews.

In terms of soft traits required in the online marketing and SEO arena, a winning mind set is crucial, a good SEO professional thrives in a competitive environment and gets a kick out of competitor analysis. While you don’t have to be the king or queen of charisma, SEO professionals are usually part of a bigger team, so social skills are absolutely crucial too. But let’s have a look at the questions interviewers may ask to test your SEO knowledge.

What Search engine optimization software could you not live without and why?
Can you tell me about one SEO problem you had to deal with and how you fixed it?
How would you improve the SEO of website “xy”
How would you quickly assess which websites are useful for link building and which ones aren’t?
Does page rank actually matter?
What is the Google Sandbox?
What is a canonicalization issue and how would you solve it?
What do you do with a .htacess file?
What is search engine saturation?
Which online marketing blogs do you use to stay up to date?
How do organically attract backlinks?
What SEO strategy would you suggest for a website affected by Penguin update?
What do you know about black hat SEO?
What would you do with a toxic link?
Name two possible reasons why sessions are fluctuating (interviewer might present you with a google analytics export).
Name two possible reasons for a high bounce rate (interviewer might present you with a google analytics export).

While this is not a complete list, it should give you an indication what South African employers are looking for in a SEO professional.

Researchig those questions will not only empower you to impress your interviewer, you will also feel more prepared and calmer as a result. If you have encountered any other interesting SEO interview questions, that took you completely by surprise, please let us know.

May 11, 2016

Michaela Gabriel

Testimonials

I would just like to express my gratitude towards one of your employees who assisted me with finding employment. Dean Kruger…….. is not just a consultant but more of a career path companion. Throughout my process I never felt alone I always felt at ease and complete. I had faith and calmness throughout my interview process. He is professional and passionate and makes you feel as if you are his only client or well that’s how I felt. He made an excellent match between myself and the company I’m currently with. He has given me a work family which I know I will grow a prosperous future with. His communication skills and attention to detail and constantly keeping me in the loop is what I appreciated most. I will definitely encourage any company or individual to entrust their career journey in the hands of this amazing individual his word is everything. Thanking you in advance

Amy Bailey – Traffic

Testimonial Amy Bailey
Lois was instrumental in me finding my ideal career opportunity. She was quick off the mark in responding to my initial enquiry and immediately had various career opportunities in mind for me. I interviewed for two roles within a week or so and was offered one of these positions, which I subsequently accepted. Not only did Lois and her Colleagues find me a position I am very happy with, but she was always honest and up-front about the relative pros and cons of each position – something I really appreciated. I have dealt with Lois first as a Client, then as a Career Seeker, and I found her to be very professional, knowledgeable and personable. I would have no hesitation in recommending her to job seekers or clients alike.

William Wilsnagh – CEO, Betstone

Testimonial William Wilsnagh
I have worked with Initiate International for the past year, and their service has been good. They take the time to understand the industries of their clients, as well as the specific needs of their clients. They are prompt in terms of feedback, and Ryan and his team have always been a pleasure to work with.

Sue-Anne Joe, Talent Acquisition Manager – MTN Group.

Testimonial Sue-Anne Joe
I would like to take this opportunity to describe the work that Initiate Immigration, performs for Full Circle Contact Centre Services. It has been a great pleasure working for Initiate. The team has a firm grasp of technical details and takes the time to document them, dealing effectively with both technical people and with those with less technical knowledge. The team is highly skilled at recognizing issues that may arise and proactively tries to address them before they happen. Typically, the team tackles this by presenting a number of well thought-out options with pros and cons to aid the decision maker in making choices and in understanding and communicating the implications of that choice. I would recommend Initiate in any project that involves complexity, though time constraints, or high quality requirements.

Full Circle Contact Centre part of CAPITA

Testimonial CAPITA
DQ&A MG SA has been working with Initiate International for a number of years. What struck me about Andrew Wicks in our very first meeting, is his eagerness and interest to get to know your business and culture. This runs strongly throughout the organisation and as a result they have placed many skilled and successful candidates with us. Its a company you can trust and they have certainly set the bar quite high for many other recruitment agencies out there. Recently they have also partnered with us in launching one of SA’s popular digital events: Online Tuesday South Africa which originates from The Netherlands. Working with both Andrew Wicks and Lois Bright has become a long term relationship and they feel like a part of our business.

DQ & A

Testimonial DQ&A
…I would like to introduce you to Lois Bright who is the MD of Initiate International. Lois is an amazing recruitment specialist and found some gems for our business, and our group, in the past. Due to the fact she understands the space we operate in, I really believe that she could assist you to find the perfect candidate…

Petra Rees – MD at Leap

Testimonial Petra Rees
I met Tiffany during my job search phase. She was interested in getting to know me as an individual rather than just placing me at a company. She put in effort to understand the type of culture and work environment that as a client would be suitable for me and that i would enjoy. She has great people skills, negotiation skills and communication skills. I really enjoyed working with Tiffany in my search for a job and would recommend her as a recruiter to anyone looking to change jobs or careers. She will ensure you are placed with the right company that fits well with your skills and personality.

Korong Eva Sehlodimela

Testimonial Korong Eva Sehlodimela
Tiffany represented me. Tiffany at Initiate International helped me make the transition from a large IT company to a Medical Research Division. Tiffany instructed me through the interview process and didn’t miss a beat. I felt incredibly prepared and excited throughout the process, and I was confident I was in good hands. Tiffany guided me through the process and gave useful professional advice. The job was the perfect match for me and I was the right fit for the company. I will highly recommend Tiffany at Initiate International to others and would like to work with her in the future.
Thanks Tiffany.

Denver Jainarain: Data Manager at The Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institutee (Wits RHI)

Testimonial Denver Jainarain
Hi Percy, I hope that you are well and having a great start to your week.Thank you very much for submitting the final checks. It has been received. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to you and Initiate International for the outstanding services you have provided us with thus far. Not only is your professionalism recognised and appreciated, but also your efficiency and the fact that you thoroughly screen all candidates to ensure they are a good culture fit. The candidates you have submitted and placed with us are certainly the type of calibre individuals we are in search of. So well done on this note. I hope that this email finds you well and I look forward to your favourable response. However I would like to leave you with a very important fact, you are not just one of our preferred suppliers but we see you as our partners in assisting us to taking our company to greater heights. Once again thank you very much. Have a good evening and take care.

Lindsey Young – HollywoodBets

Testimonial Lindsey Young
I first worked with Andrew Wicks from Initiate International as a candidate seeking my next career move. Almost immediately after starting my new position, I contacted Initiate International to staff my team, and have since hired two fantastic professionals. I found Andrew and the staff at Initiate to be meticulous in their attention to both the candidate and client; they always ‘do their homework’ to gain a thorough understanding of the hiring organisation so that they will only present candidates that are the right match. Given the intensity and complexity of the Initiate placement process, I also knew that the candidates they presented would be strong, tough, and a ‘cut above’ the rest.

Mark Reilly

Testimonial Mark Reilly
Afternoon Matthew. Trust that you are well. I’ve been interacting with Richard Harris regarding job applications in the Cape Town area and I would like to take this opportunity to give him the compliments that he deserves. From the get go, he was passionate and professional and guaranteed me that he will get me interviews organised over the upcoming weeks. With every application, he would send me all the job specs and documents in a timely fashion. Richard does not know the word ‘delay’, and his quality of service is a rare find nowadays; especially in the Recruitment industry as I’ve dealt with them many times before. Oh, and he was willing to work over-time to accommodate my time schedule. Golden! Thanks for delivering a professional service… will most definitely refer you to friends and family. Kind Regards Wiehan

Wiehan

Testimonial Wiehan
Matt is amazing… he really got to know me. I got the most constructive criticism that I ever had. Matt focused me on the job search; it was a real collaborative effort…side-by-side, coaching, mentoring. I would not have gotten this job without him!

Stephanie Phillips

Testimonial Stephanie Phillips
Having worked with other recruiters gave me a credible reference point by which to compare the difference in service and support provided by Initiate International over other recruiters. The sheer time and effort Lois Bright put into working with me was far beyond my expectations. Lois’s highly personalised and holistic approach placed her in a different league. Lois was more concerned about finding the right opportunity for me. We sat together face-to-face on multiple occasions and had a number of long telephonic conversations with Lois and her team. By the end, she had worked to get to know me and my desired career path. This resulted in the right match between my career goals and my current employer. Initiate International really knows how to get it right.

Megan Easey

Testimonial Megan Easey
I have had a lot of experience in dealing with permanent and temporary recruitment agencies and have become cynical of the whole process. However, having been introduced to Initiate Recruitment after simply recieving a phone call in regard to a job advertisement, this changed. I have received outstanding service from Matthew Aylen who quickly gained an understanding of our requirements and took the time to understand how we work. I highly recommend Initiate Recruitment.

Werner Fourie – Head of Design – iProspect SA – South Africa

Testimonial iProspect South Africa
Initiate is one of the very few recruiting firms more interested in the ‘person’ than the ‘placement’. My recruiter Andrew Wicks had a number of meetings and conversations with me to better understand what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, and the steps I needed to take to get there. Andrew was especially interested in how I would fit in the culture of the company, not in the quick placement. It really feels as though Initiate takes a unique, specialised, and individual approach to finding the right role. I would recommend any top performer who is seeking a new opportunity to work with Initiate International.

Claire Moorhouse – Investec – South Africa

Testimonial Investec South Africa
Our collaboration with the Initiate Recruitment Group has been a key factor in securing the recruitment of high-quality candidates for our business. The Initiate Recruitment Group is our preferred supplier especially in providing innovative solutions with regard to attraction of candidates with foreign language skills.

Katrin Kokott HR Manager – Lufthansa – South Africa

Testimonial Lufthansa South Africa

Interview Tips South Africa: Most Popular Interview Questions For SEO Jobs

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