Hire an SEO specialist by defining the outcome - qualified organic traffic to a specific set of pages - screening on a real audit they have done, and testing with a short paid brief on your own site. The questions that expose a weak candidate are about what they would do first, what they would not do, and how they would know it worked.
TL;DR
- Define the outcome before the job description.
- Ask for an audit they did, not a certificate they hold.
- A two-hour paid brief beats a two-hour interview.
Define what you are buying
"SEO" is not an outcome. Qualified organic traffic to service pages, local pack visibility in three cities, or recovery of lost rankings after a migration are. Write the outcome down and the rest of the hire gets easier.
Screen on evidence
Ask for a technical audit they produced and what changed after it. Ask for a page they ranked and how. Ask what they would refuse to do, because good specialists have a list. Certificates prove interest; audits prove capability.
Test with a paid brief
Give them your site and two hours, paid. Ask for the three things they would fix first and why. You will learn more about method, prioritisation and communication than in any interview, and you will not lose the strongest candidates, who have other options and do not do unpaid multi-day tasks.
Where to find them
Verified pools compress screening: assessed skills, reviewed work and checked references before the shortlist reaches you. That is the entire premise of the NPDA talent pool, and the vetting standard is public.
Frequently asked questions
In-house, agency or freelance?
Freelance or a verified contractor for scoped work; in-house once search is a permanent channel; agency when you need breadth you cannot staff.
What does a good SEO specialist cost in Africa?
Contract rates typically from the mid-teens to sixty dollars an hour depending on market and evidence.