Kroll
It depends on how much work you have to do. While I find it's very hard to find a jack of all trades SEO person to do everything, if you have enough jobs you can hire someone to just do 1 thing and hire another person to do others. Focus more on them being good at one thing, and even more important make sure they have good work ethic, can solve problems, and are honest. Those kinds of people can be trained to do other things.
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Ader
For many it might be matter of interest thing instead of money. Many skilled SEO users enjoy their freedom, choosing clients and working on their own projects. Working in agency often means that project manager has promised something unreasonable to clients and choosing projects may not be an option.
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Waqar
So now the question arises!
Which type of SEO users do you want?
Whether, it is for Local websites? Is it for Affiliate Marketing? Is it for E-commerce Store?
Remember before hiring a person. Small Team of SEO will contain.
☑️Researcher and Strategist
☑️ Planning Manager of content Production.
☑️ Web Developer With SEO knowledge to play with the activities of On Page SEO.
☑️ The Two Persons in for Backlinks (Citations – If needed).
As saying because, If one says – I'm an expert, and will rank your or your client website. UNLESS, they don't have the trained stuff as mentioned above! Probably lying! 😑
❤️ In my opinion, Person who has the indepth knowledge of SEO can find you the person who's Qualitative in working.
😕Because you'll find Quantity every time and everywhere.
Hope that helps!
Missey
I have recruiters reaching out from two primary sources:
1) LinkedIn. I'd say around 1/3 of the messages I get are from recruiters looking to fill roles. Some LinkedIn searches might get you some decent candidate lists.
2) Recruiting companies/agencies. I have random recruiters email me directly quite often. I usually just delete those emails, though.
If I'm proactively job hunting, I use Indeed.
Be sure your jobs are posted where your talent might be looking & you'll improve your chances. Also post the roles to your own site and include the jobs markup so they have a chance of showing up in organic search.
Beaudry
Here's the job post on LinkedIn Check out this job at Avalanche Creative: Search Engine Optimization Specialist https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2494244735
Avalanche Creative hiring Search Engine Optimization Specialist in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | LinkedIn

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Guerguis
From my experience, really good talent won't work for an agency. They either work as consultants or in-house for a big brand.
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Licerio
Those who are really good at what they do don't have space for more clients, most will outsource work to less experienced SEO specialists just to take what big brands are willing to offer.
+ no one wants to work full time nowadays unless the pay is really really good.
I have lots of SEO clients because my key strength is whitehat linkbuilding. I get lots of invites from agencies that want to pay me $10 – $15 an hour for "expert" level / SEO manager posts. 😂
Another thing is that, working in an agency and dividing time to do Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for multiple client sites is not preferable for those who can get clients and work with business owners directly
You can get those who have experience but are willing to learn more and hone their skills.
I experienced working for agencies and man, I don't want to ever work for agencies again unless I'm a subcontractor.
Tripper
I think the biggest problem is right now is there are a ton of SEO type jobs that are paying in that range. Don't get me wrong the pay is better then some entry level jobs, but in par with a lot.
If it were me I would focus on what traits you want someone to have more then experience. At least if there is upward mobility. If there is I would advertise that also.
To try and weed out some indeed has tests you can add. LinkedIn has badges and several in the digital marketing world.
All in all as someone on the job hunt (more experienced position) there are more SEO jobs listed now then I have ever seen.
Chetraj
If you know or have at least one senior SEO with you – the next step is to hire people with creative and analytical minds, eager to learn. But if you find someone with some experience that's a bonus.
SEO agencies produce people with experiences, as they have a wide variety of projects for would be SEO users to learn from.
I have had the privilege of training some great minds and most of them started something of their after 3/4 years.
So Beaudry as others have suggested it's hard to find experienced SEO users but should be doing fine if you keep hiring new talents and have a robust in house structure/system to train them on hands.

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