Remote work is not just a trend anymore — it’s a career shift world decided it’s not going back from. And honestly?
Most of us didn’t dream of spending our lives in traffic, sitting in grey cubicles, and drinking cold office coffee anyway.
Whether you're a digital marketer, a software developer, or someone from finance or sales, remote work is the reality — and the competition is real.
I’ve been on both sides:
- Applying for remote work using job Boards like Upwork, Fiver, Guru, Linkedin, Byat and the list goes on
- Hiring remote talent from same platforms like upwork, Fiver, Social media ads, Job boards like naukri, recruitcrm, Virtual Employees
- Running remote workflows by providing talent to MNC’s Globally for remote work online interviews, assignment, documentations, induction etc etc
I have done that all And here is what I learned — remote opportunities don’t always go to the best talent. They go to the best-positioned talent. After all it's all about how you present yourself, not what you know or think of yourself.
That’s where SEO comes in.
How SEO Helps You Land Remote Jobs
A lot of job seekers think SEO is only for websites. Nope. If employers search, you need to show up.
Two simple facts:
- 91% of online experiences start with search
- 69% of employers use LinkedIn to hire
Recruiters are literally googling things like:
- “Remote SEO specialist”
- “Freelance PPC expert India”
- “Content writer remote”
If your profile isn't optimized, you're invisible — even if you're brilliant.
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile Properly
This is more than connections, Posts and Applying Jobs. Think of LinkedIn as your homepage. Treat it like one. Just like when we click on a website the first thing that we see is a homepage. If it's impressive we go ahead otherwise back to google search engine.
Tips I personally use:
- Use keywords in your headline: “SEO Specialist | Content Strategist | Remote Growth Marketer”
- Add specific skills: SEO, PPC, content, CRM, email automation
- Write a bio that sound human, not like: “Experienced professional seeking opportunity to leverage skills…” Stop. That's LinkedIn 2014.
Say something real:
“I help brands grow through SEO, content and paid ads — and I prefer working remotely because focused deep work > office noise.”
2. Build an SEO-Friendly Personal Portfolio
If you don’t have one, build one. If you do, optimize it.
Add keywords like:
- “Remote SEO consultant”
- “Freelance marketing strategist”
- “Remote content marketing jobs”
And post mini case studies.
No one cares about buzzwords — show outcomes.
“Took SaaS brand from 0 → 25,000 monthly organic visitors in 6 months with topical authority strategy.”
3. Use SEO When Searching for Jobs
Everyone searches “remote marketing jobs” That’s why everyone sees the same jobs and applies, and the competition is thousands deep.
Use niche keywords:
- “Remote SEO freelancer”
- “Async content strategist roles”
- “No-meetings remote marketing jobs”
- “Remote growth marketer SaaS”
SEO isn’t just for getting clients. It’s for finding the right opportunities faster.
Top Remote Job Boards That Actually Work
There are ~100 remote job boards, but these are the ones I’ve personally found useful or seen candidates from:
- RemoteOK : Digital nomads tech-heavy roles
- We Work Remotely : Marketing, Tech, Support
- Remotive : Remote only hiring community
- DailyRemote : Constantly updated roles
- Jobgether : AI-powered remote matching
- JustRemote : Hidden job listings
- FindAsync : Async work (no fixed hours = dream)
- Working Nomads : Remote tech & marketing
- People-First Jobs : Ethical remote employers
Pro tip: Set alerts. Don’t manually refresh 12 platforms daily — that’s a job itself.
Where Freelancers Get Remote Digital Marketing Work
Platforms aren't created equal. My experience:
Upwork is great but only after you survive the first few dry months. Most people quit before that.
Contra a Premium, no commission just feels “consultant level”
Toptal its difficult to get in. Worth it when you get in.
Freelancer.com a Global mix of needs and filters. Some employers love it as you dont need to hire fulltime or dont want a Micromanage employees
Workana mostly used in LATAM market a high demand for marketers
Ureed / Bayt within MENA region a strong content/SEO opportunities
And yes clients do find you if your profile is SEO-optimized.
Top Remote-First Companies Hiring Marketers
Companies truly living the remote culture (not “remote… but come to office twice a week”)
- HubSpot — remote-first marketing champs
- Toggl — async work culture I admire
- Oyster — global hiring + remote hiring culture
- Circle — community-driven, fully remote
- ServiceNow — remote global marketing roles
- Spotify — “Work From Anywhere” policy
- Testlio — performance-driven remote team
- Crossbeam — collaboration + data startup
- LayerAI — modern AI-growth remote opportunities
There’s a difference between allowing remote work and believing in it.
These companies believe in it.
Proof That SEO Works in Remote Hiring
Look at RemoteOK.
They ranked for “remote jobs” and dominated the space using smart SEO.
Remote hiring + SEO = compounding growth.
For Remote hiring some weeks RemoteOK is gold. Some weeks it’s dead. That’s just how it is.
Now look at HubSpot.
Strong employer branding.
Keyword-optimized hiring pages.
Clear positioning.
Lesson?
Companies use SEO to attract talent.
You should use it to get hired.
Use HR Tools & Resume Optimization
A lot of candidates lose jobs not because of skills — but because ATS never showed their resume to a human. I once optimized everything perfectly and still lost a role because my resume didn’t pass ATS. That one hurt.”
Tools that actually help:
Jobscan — matches resume keywords to job descriptions
ATS-friendly resume templates
LinkedIn profile optimization services
Monk Interviews — solid for ATS-proof resumes + interview prep
Treat your resume like a landing page.
It doesn’t need to look fancy.
It needs to convert.
Final Thoughts
Remote roles go to visible experts — not silent talent.
The formula is simple (not easy):
SEO-optimized profile
Real case studies
Smart keyword strategy
Right platforms
Remote work gives you freedom —
no commute, your own space, flexible schedules, and geography that no longer limits income.
But it rewards people who understand the digital game.
If you want a remote career, stop treating it like a job hunt.
Start treating it like a brand.
Most of what I’ve learned about SEO and remote hiring came from testing, failing, and fixing things in real time.
I document those lessons on Linkrush — no fluff, no recycled advice.
