A CV tells you where someone has been. It does not always tell you what they can do on a Tuesday afternoon with a real website, a real tool and a real deadline.
That is why, at Feature Digital, we test skills. For most SEO and link building roles, we ask candidates to complete a short practical homework (part of our structured hiring process). It is how we find people who can do the work, not just describe it.
Why CVs are not enough
CVs are useful. They show experience, industries and tools someone has used. But in SEO, two people with almost identical CVs can work in very different ways.
One might have run real audits, built links that moved rankings and explained the results to clients. Another might have been close to that work without doing it hands-on. Job titles vary between companies, and responsibilities do too.
We also want to give a fair chance to people whose CVs are not polished. Some of the sharpest SEO minds we have met had unusual career paths. A practical task lets their work speak for itself.
What our homework looks like
Our homework is short and unpaid, so we keep it focused. It has three practical tasks based on everyday SEO and link building work, the kind of thing you would actually do in your first weeks with us.
After the tasks, there is a follow-up question round. This is where we ask candidates to explain their choices, go a little deeper on one answer, or tell us how they would handle a slightly different situation. It is not a trick. It is a conversation about how they think.
We do not share the exact tasks publicly, because we want every candidate to approach them fresh. But we are happy to describe what we are looking for.
How we score it
Every submission is scored against the same written rubric. That rubric covers things like accuracy, use of tools, quality of reasoning and clarity of communication.
Our HR team does the first scoring pass against the rubric, so each candidate is measured on the same standard. Then our founders review the score, read the work and make the final decision. A rubric keeps us consistent. A careful review keeps us thoughtful.
What strong answers have in common
Across roles, the strongest submissions tend to share a few habits.
They use real data. Strong answers pull numbers from real tools rather than guessing. If a question is about a website’s backlinks or traffic, a good answer shows where the data came from.
They include tool screenshots. A screenshot from Ahrefs, Semrush or Google Search Console shows us that the candidate actually ran the analysis. It also makes the answer easier to check and follow.
They explain the “why”. We care less about a perfect list and more about the reasoning. Why is this link worth pursuing? Why might this page rank, or fail to? What would you check next? Clear thinking about links, relevance, authority and rankings is what separates a good answer from a great one.
They are honest about limits. If data is missing or a tool shows something odd, the best candidates say so and explain how they would confirm it. That is exactly what we want on client projects.
They are clear and organized. Short sections, plain language, and a summary at the top. If we can understand an answer quickly, a client probably can too.
Why this is good for candidates
We know homework takes time, so we keep it short and relevant. In return, candidates get a few real benefits.
You get to show your actual skills, not just your job history. You get a clear sense of the kind of work you would be doing with us. And you are judged on the same rubric as everyone else, which makes the process fairer.
Whatever the outcome, every candidate hears back from us. If a homework submission is strong but the timing is not right, we keep the profile on file for future roles.
Why this is good for clients
Our clients trust us with their rankings, their links and their reputation. Testing skills before we hire is one of the simplest ways we protect that trust.
It means the person working on your audit or outreach campaign has already shown they can read data, use the tools and explain their reasoning clearly. That is the standard we hold every hire to, and it is the standard we bring to every client project.
Work with us
If you want an SEO and PR partner whose team was hired for what they can do, not just what is on paper, let’s talk.
Get in touch through our contact page. We will be happy to look at your goals and show you how we would approach them.