1) The Search Industry Is On Fire

The current first dot-com bubble grows bigger and stronger every day and learned from the burst bubble in the late 1990s. One reason for this dot.com boom is the growth of the search engine industry as searches exploded into the mainstream over the past few years. Commerce is bursting to get seen by online searchers. Search giants like Google, Yahoo and AOL can't fail to make money because everybody wants a bit of the search action. There's no denying, search has a bright horizon before it.

2) One of Four Cutting Edge Jobs

According to a recent article on MSN Careers, the position of Search Engine Optimizer is considered one of four jobs on the cutting edge. If you're unsure what a Search Engine Optimizer (SEO) does, below is a definition provided by MSN Careers: "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. Wikipedia defines Search Engine Optimizers as well.

3) The Pay is Great Money

A job in the search industry can give a big paycheck. Typical salaries in USD include: Entry level, $30-45K; Three to five years experience, $50-75K; Five years or more, $75-90K; senior management level to VP level, $70-315K.

4) Four Years of University Aren't Needed

Because the search industry is relatively young, there's a handful of online courses and certifications offered in the field of Search Engine Marketing. Most search engine marketing practitioners are self-taught, learning the trade by experimenting with their own sites, researching trends, attending conferences and participating in discussion forums and so employers don't generally require SEO / SEM certification or a tertiary qualification as a pre-requisite for a position in the industry. Candidates with a marketing degree or specific industry certification in Search Engine Marketing may have an edge over their fellow applicants when the interview selection process comes down to the wire.

5) SEO School Online

Everything you need to know to become a Search Engine Marketer, you can learn online. To become an expert in SEO / SEM, extensive research is vital. Read everything relating to search on a daily basis: books, magazines, articles, forums, e-books, blogs and newsfeeds—and Google search research on search engine maximizing. Experimentation with your own sites, or finding guinea pig sites to practice on such as those of friends, family or charity sites can aide until the methods that work for you yield the best results. Programming knowledge is not a pre-requisite for SEO jobs, but it does help to learn basic HTML. There are plenty of free HTML tutorials online. Consider taking an online certification course in one of the many Search Engine Marketing disciplines, too. These courses are usually tutor-led and designed to fast track your SEM training.

6) You‘re The Boss!

Because most of the work you'll be doing is online, Search Engine Optimizers and Search Engine Marketers often have the freedom of choice to work for an employer, work from home and/or freelance. Many SEO / SEM freelancers end up hiring workers and starting their own company due to the massive demand. This gives search engine marketing experts the work from home lifestyle that others only dream of.

7) Demand Didn't Downsize

As mentioned in relation to search engine salaries, there are virtually more jobs than skilled marketers to fill them. The growing demand means Search Engine Marketers can pick and choose their jobs and/or clients and the more skilled marketers are head-hunted regularly. For Search Engine Optimization firms, there are plenty of clients to go around and rarely a need to advertise for new business. Another indicator of high demand is the sheer number of search-related job postings seen on employment sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com.

8) It's About a Trend

There's something urbane and today about people in search that I can't quite put my finger on. There's a constant buzz around them. They seem to be in the know well ahead of the rest of us and incredibly enough, it's not only cool to be a technology nerd, it's hip to be square.

9) The Skills Are Global

Skills in search engine marketing are portable and global. You don't need to be at a desk, in an office or on the phone all day. You don't even need to meet your clients. You literally need a computer and an Internet connection. As the Internet is the universal equalizer, you can service clients in any country in the world and in many languages. You can compete with one-man operations and Fortune 500 companies on the same level playing field. The flexibility of the search industry is a huge advantage over other career options.

10) You Make the Trend Before The World Does.

Now, think about it. You're the Search Engine Optimizer getting paid ridiculous amounts of money to ensure a business's profileability, so of course your clients are going to have the heads up in what's coming around the bend for their potential and actual consumers. Since the Internet's a global powerhouse—and the latest news of the search engine giant Google no longer censoring Chinese content—clients seeing these trends and broadcasting them on their sites will pay the Search Engine Optimizers--i.e. YOU!—top dollar as their web traffic increases in placements. Like real time real estate in search engine layouts and content, it's all about “Location, Location, Location!”

11) The Work Can Be A Joy

Search is a fascinating industry. With all the hype, daily gossip, corporate take-overs, start-ups and geek toys, boredom is at a minimum. Flexible work hours, low start-up costs, ability to be your own boss and the excellent income, keeps job satisfaction high for Search Engine Marketers as a solid career option.