WTF Is an SEO Evangelist?

I guffawed in shock as Google Search Console (GSC) delivered my results. The number one search term I’m ranking for is “SEO evangelist.”

Let me be clear: I’m not ranking number one for that term. I’m just in the conversation…  but way, way in the background right now. But that term threw me for a loop and got me curious: 

What exactly is an “SEO evangelist,” and why are people using that particular search term? And what’s the intent behind it? 

I assume this person is either someone who’s an SEO expert, or someone trapped in the content marketing department of a company that doesn’t value of SEO.

Whatever the case, I thought I’d dig in and find out more about this curious term. 

What is an Evangelist?

In the Christian tradition, an evangelist is someone who shares the news of Jesus Christ with others. 

To me, there’s only one definition of evangelist that comes to mind. You see, I grew up in the South, near the Bible Belt. I’m used to seeing a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or non-denominational church every 1000 yards. 

So to me, “evangelist” calls up memories of the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I’ve never thought of associating that word with anything else or using it in any other way.

When I saw the term “SEO evangelist,” I immediately thought someone was using it as a catchy marketing term to make them stick out in potential client’s minds. 

You can imagine my surprise to find it being used as a search term.

Especially for me. 

I started thinking about this little quirk I was seeing in my GSC report. Using it as a search term means that users are specifically looking for that title.

Naturally, I went over to SEMRush and checked the search volume. 

Not high. 

20 searches a month. N/A for keyword difficulty.

Shit.

What do those low stats mean for me?

Where Did the Term Originate?

I guessed that this term was used for someone whose main role was convincing clients or internal teams that SEO was necessary.

I also noticed that all of the articles using the term are what content marketers would consider outdated. I think the newest one was from 2018. 

I used Claude AI to help me sum up the top ten search results:

1. The SEO evangelist’s main responsibility is to promote awareness and adoption of SEO across the entire organization, not just in the marketing department.
2. They need to have deep expertise and real-world experience in implementing successful SEO campaigns, including technical optimization, content optimization, and link building.
3. The SEO evangelist should educate employees in all departments about how their work impacts the website’s SEO and how they can contribute to improving organic search performance.
4. They need to be able to build relationships and influence people throughout the organization, not just with executives. This “grassroots” approach is key to getting SEO ingrained in the company’s culture.
5. The evangelist should use data and analytics to demonstrate the business impact of SEO, making a compelling case for increased investment and resources.
6. Overall, the role requires a combination of technical SEO skills, communication abilities, and change management expertise to transform the organization’s mindset around SEO.

I found an interesting article from 2015 titled “SEO Industry’s First “Chief SEO Evangelist” Appointed.”

It is basically a press release from seoClarity declaring they’ve hired the first-ever SEO evangelist who’s tasked with educating enterprises on improving the overall search experience. 

So just as I surmised.

It goes on to say that enterprise SEOs at the time were confused about who to listen to, what data was trustworthy, and whether SEO was relevant to their industries. seoClarity would use this person to answer the most challenging questions from enterprise SEOs.

When I read those skills listed, I felt they described a sales or business development role.

Funnily enough, those are skills I had to develop while freelancing. 

I found myself constantly educating and convincing potential clients that spending on SEO would deliver ROI, just not overnight, like they wanted to hear. 

“The Art of SEO Evangelism”

I also found this awesome article from way back in 2008, where a gentleman named Tony Adam wrote about “The Art of SEO Evangelism.” It’s an amazing read because it provides a look back into the SEO landscape from a B2B standpoint 16 years ago.

In the article, Adam warns of the difficulties of getting buy-in from organizations and SMBs who

• Have never heard of SEO.
• Don’t believe it’s important.
• Feel that SEO is “spammy.”

It’s freaking crazy because SEO has changed so much since 2008 (some claim it’s polluted the web), but also hasn’t changed at all… Read his entire article, and you’ll see what I mean.

Who Remembers Where SEO was in 2008? 

Personally, I had just learned the term myself and was wondering how I could apply it to the B2B world. It would be about four more years before I figured that out enough to begin freelancing in 2013. 

I was able to provide SEO as a service, but writing was my main offering. I unwittingly began learning SEO out of curiosity, not knowing that a writer in 2024 must have SEO knowledge to find success.

In 2013, I was ahead of the game and used it to market myself to agencies that did not yet have their own SEO team in place.

At that time (2013), I noticed that B2B companies began taking SEO more seriously. It increasingly became an in-demand service.

By 2017, I was hired at an agency to lead its SEO team (the team was me; I was the SEO team). 

Then March of 2019 hit. The Pandemic. The shutdowns. Online commerce EXPLODED. 

Suddenly, EVERYONE was clamoring for search engine optimization services to stay ahead of the competition. 

SEOs and content writers were in such high demand that I moved into two full-time content manager and editing jobs. Plus, I was writing for clients who returned to me after telling me that two weeks into March I was no longer needed.

Am I an SEO Evangelist?

I guess I am.

I had no idea.

I mean, here I am now, talking about SEO to you.

However, I believe that we are now beyond the point where there are people who have never heard of SEO. 

If you’re an SMB, you’ve heard of it and know you need it. 

If you’re on an enterprise marketing team, you’ve heard of it.

I’m wary of the term becoming a catch-all or slang for someone with the skills to execute a content strategy from ideation to success to maintenance.

I suppose there will always be businesses or business owners who are unfamiliar with SEO and its technical aspects and tie-in to content marketing. 

In that case, an SEO who can “spread the word” and show these folks what the benefits of SEO are will also always be necessary.

Keep in mind that SEOs will always be needed, despite the disruptions caused by generative search large language models (LLMs), and AI are taking us. When a question is asked, we’ll always need a way to obtain the best and most relevant information.

Questions About Where the Role Is Going

Generative search and AI have a lot of us on pins and needles, waiting to find out how SEO will change.

I also wonder what new skills we’ll have to develop. Off the top of my head, I think we’re all going to have to learn more about branding and brand messaging from an SEO perspective. 

If you have any thoughts or predictions, share them with me.