SEO Seen as one of "Four Cutting Edge Jobs"

It's news that anyone already in the industry could have told you...search engine marketing is a hot industry. The potential for a skilled search engine optimization specialist is almost endless. There are quite literally more jobs than there are skilled marketers and salaries can skyrocket to almost embarrassing levels. It seems that with those things in mind, SEO has finally caught the attention of some more mainstream staffing firms. Andy Beal points to an article over at MSN Careers from Robert Half International Inc. staffing firm that includes SEO as one of "Four Jobs on the Cutting Edge."

From the article:

Search Engine Optimizer

Search engine optimizers (SEOs) increase a firm's Web site traffic by improving its search-engine page rankings. This is an especially important task in today's Internet-driven world, where many customers first learn of an organization and its products or services through the Web. Because of a shortage of experts in this relatively new area, many top SEOs receive multiple job offers.

SEOs typically supplement their knowledge of how various search engines operate and determine page rankings with strong marketing skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively and program using HTML. Most are self-taught, learning the trade by researching trends, attending conferences and seminars, participating in discussion forums, and experimenting with their own sites. Courses and certifications in this specialty are being offered by an increasing number of organizations; however, consensus on the value of these programs does not yet exist.