How to Earn $15 per Hour as a Search Engine Evaluator

Author:
Kshitiz Gaur
Updated:
Mar 21, 2023

A Potential Source of Extra Income

If you are looking to work from home as a Search Engine Evaluator, then you are in the right place. Search engines are constantly evolving and getting better, but algorithms can't do everything humans can. That is why jobs like Search Engine Evaluator exist. Your job would be to rate the search results so that the best results are offered to the users. This way, you will not only earn money but also help in improving the search results.

This opportunity is perfect for those who want to work from home and avoid being paid peanuts for their work. The pay is not the best, but it is quite reasonable.

Why Do Search Engines Need Search Engine Evaluators?

As I mentioned before, algorithms can't do what humans can. Algorithms cannot understand the mistakes made in the text of a website, and they don't understand the relevancy of search results like humans do. An algorithm can cause content to be ranked on the first page even if there are mistakes in the content or even if it is not that relevant. Search Engine Evaluators look at the mistakes and make sure that all the guidelines are followed to rate the results.

They are a crucial part of making the search results better. Since there are a lot of search results that need to be rated, you can expect a good amount of work from this job.

Requirements

Here are the requirements for this job.

Research skills
Knowledge of current events and pop culture
Must be willing to work for a minimum of 10 hours per week in most cases
May require a college degree
Need to pass a test or an interview
Fluency in English

Search Engine Evaluators make sure that all the guidelines are followed to rate the results.
Benjamin Dada/Unsplash

What Does a Search Engine Evaluator Do?

You will most likely be rating search results from either Google or Bing. Most companies work with Google. You will just have to look at specific results and make sure that they follow the guidelines. You will be given a time limit to do certain tasks, and you will only be paid for the given time limit. If you spend more time working on a task, then you will not be compensated for it. It will pay off if you become more efficient at your work because slow workers will end up wasting their time.

Since you work as an Independent Contractor, you may be let go without any warning. You have to be careful and not rely on this job to be a source of full-time income.

Now let us talk a bit about the application process. You will have to submit your application with your resume, and then you will be contacted by the company if they are interested.

Once you receive confirmation that the company is interested, then you will have one week to prepare for the qualification tests. You will need to go through the Search Quality Evaluator guidelines to prepare for the test. You can find the guidelines by searching on Google. Obviously, you will not need to go through the guidelines from Google if you are going to work for Bing.

How Much Can I Earn?

You can earn in the range of $12 to $15 per hour in most cases. This is not the highest, but it is a reasonable amount. According to Glassdoor, the national average salary of a Search Engine Evaluator is $36,881 in the United States. This estimate is based on entries submitted by 240 evaluators. The pay is based on your country, so someone from India will earn less. In most cases, someone from India will earn half of what someone from the United States would earn.

Pros

You can do this job from the comfort of your home.
You don't need to have any specialized skills.
The pay is good.
You can work as per your convenience even though you may be required to work on certain days.

Cons

You have to work for a minimum number of hours.
It can be a little difficult to track your own hours.
Sometimes, you may not be able to find work.

Where to Find Search Engine Evaluator Jobs?

Here are some trustworthy companies where you can find evaluator jobs.

RaterLabs/Leapforce/Appen

Appen acquired Leapforce, which is another company that offered Search Engine Evaluator jobs. RaterLabs was a branch of Leapforce, so now the website of RaterLabs and Leapforce just direct you to Appen.

Appen provides you with opportunities in various languages and countries. You cannot work on English search results in all countries. For instance, you can only work on Spanish search results in Mexico. Job opportunities aren't available in most countries, only around 43 countries at the time of writing this.

You will need to pass a language assessment exam before working on assignments that require fluency in a language other than English. All the other requirements are quite common for such jobs, so I won't mention them here.

Lionbridge

Lionbridge calls Search Engine Evaluators Internet Assessors. Like Appen, the jobs are available in various countries and in different languages. You just have to select your country to see the available job positions. The application process will require you to submit your personal data and list the places where you have worked in the last five years. You will also have to provide information about your educational qualifications and upload your CV. Finally, after answering some questions and validating the version/model of your mobile, you can submit the application.

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The pay at Lionbridge is in the range of $13 to $16 per hour. The typical pay per hour is $15, which is a little better than some other companies. Theoretically, you can earn $16 per hour, but I don't think that you will earn that much in most cases. You should expect to earn $15 per hour if you live in the United States or some European countries.

iSoftStone

iSoftStone doesn't provide a lot of job openings. You may have to wait a while before you find a job opening in your country, sometimes years. The requirements are pretty much similar to other companies, but you have to work in a range of 10 to 25 hours per week. So, you will have to make sure that you have at least 10 hours of free time in any given week.

The big advantage of working for this company is that you will get training on the job. So, you will not need any experience to work for this company. The pay starts at $13 per hour, but it can increase. iSoftStone works with Bing, while the other companies work with Google. You will need a Windows-based personal computer or a laptop to work on this website.

Google

Google can provide internet assessing jobs, but you will not find such opportunities all the time. You will have to be patient and look at Google's career page from time to time. This job is called 'ads quality raters' by Google. The pay should be decent, but I don't have any exact numbers. You will also be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement and work a set number of hours in a week.

Important Tip

You cannot work for two companies that work with the same client. Because Lionbridge, Appen, Leapforce, RaterLabs and ZeroChaos work with Google, you can only work for one of these companies at any given time. I recommend Appen/Leapforce/RaterLabs because you should be able to find a job easily. You can work for iSoftStone while working for any of the above-mentioned companies because their client is Bing. You will not get into any trouble this way.

Final Thoughts

I honestly think that Search Engine Evaluator jobs are worth it if you are getting a job that pays well. You can work from home as one while doing a full-time job. This should only be a source of part-time income because it is too risky to rely on it full-time.

The first rule of working online is to avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. You need to have more than one source of income if you are trying to make a living working online.

I recommend starting a blog while you work as an evaluator or do other jobs like freelance writing. The advantage of blogging is that it can allow you to earn money without working every single day if you work hard in the initial months or years. There is no guarantee that you will do well, but it is possible to earn thousands of dollars per month if you are dedicated and smart.

This type of work requires you to apply your brain, so it should satisfy those who are looking for more challenging work. It can get boring when you look at the search results every single day. I recommend taking as many breaks as you need to keep things interesting.

If you found this article helpful, then please share it. If you have any questions, then let me know in the comments below.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Comments

fathima on August 09, 2020:

thank you so much very useful

Melanie Cabesas on August 03, 2020:

I need job badly

AMIT KAMBLE on June 06, 2020:

Very useful article.Thanks for elaborating on the details.

Clarity77 on May 14, 2020:

Are there any online courses for a Search Engine Evaluator or any courses that will help me by using a multiple of different courses that will help me. For free would be great if possible. I'd be really grateful

chavwko courage on May 13, 2020:

it's good I like it and I'd like to be an employee

Kshitiz Gaur (author) from Jhalawar on March 08, 2020:

Hello Daniel, you just have to join one of the websites that I have mentioned in the article.

Daniel Ukwe on March 07, 2020:

Sir how can I apply for the job

shah on September 02, 2019:

very nice and informative article

Kshitiz Gaur (author) from Jhalawar on August 13, 2019:

I will check them out, thanks.

MichMich on August 12, 2019:

Karmahub also hires for Search Evaluator along with Pactera