SEO Interview Preparation

Recruiter Interview Possible Questions

Strength/Weakness Questions

  • Leads with search systems which aligns with the role.

  • Includes user clarity, demonstrating product thinking.

  • Mentions structure, intent, and navigation, indicating seniority.

  • Strength Example: "My biggest strength is structuring complex information so search systems can clearly understand it, while also making it intuitive for the user. I focus on how content is organized—how topics are connected, how pages align with search intent, and how information is presented so it’s both discoverable and easy to navigate. That balance helps improve visibility while also guiding users through the content in a way that makes sense."

SEO Experience Questions

  1. Tell me about your SEO experience

    • What they’re screening for:

      • Actual SEO experience vs. adjacent roles.

      • Thinking in systems vs. tasks.

      • Match the level of the role.

    • Instant NO signals:

      • Responses like "I write blogs and do keywords".

      • No mention of structure, intent, or impact.

      • Responses sounding junior or scattered.

    • What they want to hear:

      • Structure (architecture, linking, intent).

      • Impact (traffic quality, engagement).

      • Some experimentation mindset.

    • Talking points:

      • How you got into SEO (Brief origin story):

      • "Most of my SEO experience comes from leading strategy for websites where organic search plays a big role in how the business is discovered. I tend to focus on the structural side of SEO—aligning site architecture, internal linking, and content with real search demand, especially for high-intent or solution-based queries, so users can find the right information more easily."

      • What kind of SEO work you focus on:

      • "From there, I use keyword and intent analysis along with competitive gap analysis to identify opportunities and guide improvements to how content is organized and surfaced. I also measure how those changes impact traffic quality and engagement to make sure we’re improving how users interact with the site."

      • What direction you’re moving toward:

      • "More recently, I’ve been really interested in how AI search is evolving, especially around AEO and LLM optimization. I’ve been researching and experimenting with how structured content can improve discoverability based on how those systems retrieve and present information."

Leaving Freelance Questions

  1. Why are you leaving freelance?

    • What they’re screening for:

      • Will you stick around?

      • Are you running from something or moving toward something?

    • Instant NO signals:

      • "Freelance is unstable"

      • "I want a steady paycheck"

      • "Clients are hard to deal with"

    • What they want:

      • Desire for depth, iteration, long-term impact.

      • Interest in collaboration with a team.

    • Talking points:

      • Interest in deeper product engagement:

      • "I’m really looking for a role where I can go deeper on a single product and see the long-term impact of the work. I’ve enjoyed freelancing, but a lot of that work happens in phases, and I’m interested in being able to continuously iterate and improve within the same system over time."

      • Desire for a collaborative environment:

      • "I’m also looking for a collaborative environment where SEO is part of a broader growth strategy, not working in isolation. I’ve found that I naturally think about how search connects to other parts of the funnel, so being part of a team where those conversations are happening is really important to me."

      • Continued development interests:

      • "And more broadly, I’m looking for a role where I can keep developing in areas like experimentation and AI-driven search, since that’s where I see the field continuing to evolve."

    • Why Odoo:

      • "I’m interested in SaaS platforms where search plays a big role in how users discover tools. Odoo’s modular ERP platform creates a lot of search-driven discovery around different business solutions, which makes SEO a really interesting growth channel."

Questions About the Specific Role

  1. Why this role / why Odoo?

    • What they’re screening for:

      • Did you apply intentionally?

      • Do you understand what they do?

      • Do you understand the growth + SEO overlap?

    • Instant NO signals:

      • Generic answers (e.g., "I like your company").

      • No mention of product or growth team.

      • Responses sounding copy-pasted.

    • What they want:

      • Interest in growth marketing team.

      • Understanding of product-driven search (ERP/CRM research).

      • Curiosity about AI search.

    • Talking points:

      • "What stood out to me about this role is that it sits within a growth marketing team. I’m really interested in environments where SEO isn’t just about rankings, but actually connects to acquisition and product discovery."

      • "In some of my projects, I found myself thinking beyond just rankings and more about how different channels work together across the funnel—from discovery through conversion. That’s what made me more interested in how SEO fits into a broader growth strategy."

      • "So this role feels like a really natural next step where I can continue building on that, while still focusing on SEO as a core strength."

Salary Expectation Questions

  1. What are your salary expectations?

    • What they’re screening for:

      • Are you within budget?

      • Are you going to be difficult to close?

    • Instant NO signals:

      • Asking way above range.

      • Being very rigid/inflexible.

      • Underselling yourself (indicates low confidence).

    • What they want:

      • Salary expectations within range.

      • Reasonable and flexible expectations.

    • Talking points:

      • "I saw the listed range and that seems aligned. Based on my experience, I’d likely fall somewhere toward the upper half of that range."

Experience with AI Search and Related Technologies Questions

  1. Do you have experience with [AI search / AEO / LLMO / experimentation]?

    • What they’re screening for:

      • Are you adaptable?

      • Are you curious?

      • Will you slow the team down?

    • Instant NO signals:

      • "I don’t have experience with that."

      • Overclaiming (e.g., "I’m an expert").

    • What they want:

      • Understanding of the fundamentals.

      • Some experimentation mindset.

      • Actively learning.

    • Talking points:

      • "Many of the same fundamentals that help search engines understand content also help AI systems retrieve it."

      • "I’d approach it as a testing process—making structured improvements to pages and then monitoring how they appear in both traditional search and AI-generated answers."

      • Acknowledge the shift in search: "I’ve been following how search is evolving as AI platforms become part of the discovery process. A lot of the fundamentals still overlap with SEO—things like clear structure, strong topical coverage, and content that directly answers user questions."

      • Connection to SEO experience:

      • "In my work, I’ve already focused a lot on structuring content so search engines can easily understand it—improving site architecture, internal linking, and creating pages that align closely with search intent. Those same principles tend to help with answer engine visibility as well, because AI systems still rely heavily on well-structured, authoritative content."

      • Experimentation approach:

      • "Where I’m especially interested right now is experimenting with how content gets surfaced in AI environments—looking at things like concise answers, entity clarity, and how pages are structured so they’re easier for AI systems to retrieve and cite. It’s still an evolving area, so I see it as a combination of strong SEO fundamentals and ongoing experimentation."

Bonus Question: Cultural Fit

  • What are you looking for in your next role?

    • This serves as a culture + retention filter. The recruiter is asking: "Will you be happy here?"

    • Key Points to Address:

    • Signs of engagement, team collaboration, and alignment with company goals.

Underlying Themes in Interview Questions

  • All five questions map to three major concerns:

    1. Competence: Can you do the job?

    2. Motivation: Do you want this job?

    3. Risk: Will you leave, struggle, or misalign?

Common Pitfalls of Candidates

  • Most candidates fail because they answer each question separately.

  • Strong candidates: Tell one consistent story across all answers, being cohesive in illustrating their identity and motivations.

Consistent Candidate Story Theme

  • "I’m an SEO strategist who thinks in systems, wants to go deeper on one product, and is excited about how SEO fits into growth and evolving search."

Final Cheat Sheet (Quick Reference)

  • If you blank out mid-call, hit these five signals somewhere:

    • Structure / systems

    • Intent / user discovery

    • Measurement / impact

    • Growth / collaboration

    • Curiosity / AI

Bottom Line

  • To successfully pass the recruiter screen, avoid "instant NO signals" and touch on the five main signals. The goal of the call is to advance to the next stage.