The average search engine optimization (SEO) manager salary in the United Kingdom stands at £39,440 per year. 

However, the article doesn’t end here. Below, we’ll talk about the responsibilities of SEO managers to justify their average salary, factors that affect the manager’s average total compensation, additional earning opportunities for this job title, and more. Let’s begin!

Understanding the Role of an SEO Manager

The primary goal of an SEO Manager is to increase a website’s ranking on search engines through strategic planning and execution of technical, analytical, and creative skills.

To achieve this, the manager must collaborate closely with marketing teams to ensure that SEO practices align with the company’s overall marketing goals. This person should also stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and algorithms, making continuous learning a key part of their role. Finally, the SEO manager needs to motivate team members to the best of their abilities and ensure the campaign’s success.

Doing all these allows the manager to help businesses achieve higher search rankings, increasing visibility and potentially more customers.

Factors Influencing SEO Manager Salaries

Before discussing SEO manager salaries, below are several key factors that affect the amount each manager receives.  

Location

SEO Managers earn more in UK cities with higher costs of living and the concentration of businesses seeking digital marketing expertise. According to Indeed, Hammersmith and Fulham pay SEO managers an average annual salary of £70,000, with Southwest London (£67,087) and Westminster (£55,524) offering the second and third-highest salaries, respectively.

Experience

Entry-level SEO Managers might start at the lower end of the salary spectrum. Still, they can expect increases as they gain years of experience and demonstrate their ability to increase business visibility through effective search engine optimization strategies. The leap in salary isn’t just about time in the role; it’s about the skills and results achieved. Total pay often reflects this, combining base salary with average additional cash compensation for reaching targets or overseeing significant projects.

Skills

Those who constantly update their knowledge about search engines, stay ahead of SEO trends and have a robust understanding of the role’s technical and creative aspects are often better positioned to negotiate higher pay. Equipping SEO strategy with overall marketing goals effectively and demonstrating a direct impact on business metrics can push total compensation higher.

Company Size

Larger organizations or those heavily reliant on online presence for revenue may offer more competitive salaries to attract and retain top talent. My constant objective is to stay aware of industry standards and anticipate which skills will be most valuable in the future, making it easier for me to adapt and ensure my salary reflects my value to the company.

International SEO Manager Salaries

Looking outside the UK, SEO managers with substantial experience have reported salaries close to $75,200 in the US (equivalent to almost £60,000). In Germany, an SEO manager makes €64,451 (EUR) (around £55,188.58). Finally, Indians have an average annual salary of ₹4,46,560 (approximately £4,268.26).

Additional Earning Opportunities

To help boost their earnings, SEO managers may generate additional cash compensation from various sources linked to the value they bring to their companies through increased search rankings and digital presence.

For example, they can perform freelance consulting as a side hustle and outside their full-time work. Many SEO managers take on freelance projects or consult for businesses by offering SEO audits, strategy development, and training sessions. But before jumping into this opportunity, they must ensure they’re not breaching their contracts with employers by taking on outside work,

Managers can participate as speakers in SEO events or gatherings. They either have to apply for the speaker role or wait for an organisation to invite them to speak on their topic of choice. Their eligibility and credibility as SEO professionals hinge on the results they’ve delivered through their employers and their connections with the SEO community.

Finally, SEO managers can build websites and make money via affiliate marketing, display ads, or selling products and services. Successfully implementing their SEO knowledge and skills should result in high organic search traffic, conversions, and commission sales, which only proves why they’re managers to begin with.

Future Outlook for SEO Manager Salaries

SEO Manager as a career is viewed positively since the demand for skilled SEO professionals is expected to grow. As more businesses focus on digital platforms and e-commerce, the need for SEO to drive organic traffic and improve online visibility becomes more critical.

Not to mention, the advancements in AI and machine learning pay the way for SEO managers to leverage these merging technologies to produce better campaign executions for the companies they work for. If they can incorporate ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney, and other AI content generators into their SEO workflow, they can justify their high salaries or even ask for a raise!

Finally, the constant core algorithm changes, especially the latest Helpful Content Update  (HCU), have shown a massive upheaval in search results. Sites that once ranked on top are no longer there, as Google seems to favour user-generated content (UGC) on Reddit and Quora rather than from niche or even authoritative sites.

This situation shows the need for an SEO manager who can take the initiative and understand the current search engine landscape. They need to get into why this is happening and how they can resolve the issues of ranking websites properly. Again, this is an opportunity for managers to show employers how real SEO is done.

Become a Highly Paid SEO Manager with SEO.Careers

Earning more as a manager than the average SEO salary requires not only skill and experience but also being hired by the right organisation. It should provide growth opportunities, compensation and benefits, and a clear path to showcase your expertise. So, you should always look for the best career opportunities out there.

SEO.Careers is here to help you achieve this for your career. We connect passionate and skilful SEO talents with great companies looking to ramp up their SEO efforts. We also screen both parties and match them together based on their requirements and qualifications to ensure you and the company you’ll work for will benefit greatly from your partnership.

Upload your resume here to get the most out of your SEO manager career.