Look at the numbers: 500,000+ people with "SEO" as their title in India alone.
Every SEO job posting shows "100+ applicants".
And believe me, in the past two years, I have looked at 5000+ job applications.
Everyone has the same "SEO specialist/analyst/expert with X years of experience" positioning.
And if you are looking for SEO jobs, what you are looking at is not just competition, it's market saturation.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: Being generally good at SEO isn't enough anymore.
The market doesn't reward generalists; it rewards specialists who solve specific problems.
You need to move away from the generalist mindset.
From a problem solver, you need to become a specific problem solver.
How do you do that?
2 ways.
Option 1: Focus on an industry (eg: SaaS)
Option 2: Focus on one specific skill within SEO (eg: technical SEO)
Once you choose a way, add measurable results to it. (Eg: “B2B SaaS SEO Strategist who's increased free trial signups by 67%” or “Link building strategist with 50+ DR80+ placements”)
What's happening here?
When you declare "I'm an SEO specialist with X years of experience," you're essentially saying "I'm exactly like everyone else."
But when you position yourself as "B2B SaaS SEO Strategist who's increased free trial signups by 67% " three critical shifts happen:
You instantly narrow your competition from thousands to dozens
You signal expertise that commands premium rates
You become memorable in hiring managers' minds
I know, it sounds counterproductive. I can hear you saying “But by niching down, am I not losing out on opportunities?”
No, and that’s the paradox.
By narrowing your focus and positioning, you actually expand your opportunities.
You stop competing on experience years (a losing game) and start competing on specialised expertise (a winnable battle)
So take 3 mins today and rewrite your professional identity using this formula:
"[Industry] +SEO Specialist with [Measurable Result]
Drop it in the comments, and I will let you know what I think.
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