Search Engine Evaluator Jobs: What They Are and How to Get Them 

Searching for work at home jobs will inevitably turn up the position of a search engine evaluator at some point. 

It’s one of the most popular searches related to online jobs because of its flexibility. 

Most of these jobs tend to let you work a flexible schedule on your own time while staying remote, and they don’t require a bunch of extensive training or skills. 

But what, exactly, is a search engine evaluator, and what will you do at this job?  

We have the answers for you here so that you can decide if it’s an online job you want to tackle. 

What Are Search Engine Evaluator Jobs? 

Search engine evaluator tasks can vary based on the company you work with. 

However, over the years, Appen has become the leader for these jobs, buying out other companies that used to offer them. 

Because of this, many of the search engines evaluating jobs you’ll find belong to Appen. 

As a search engine evaluator, you’re responsible for deciding whether the results someone sees on Google and other search engines relate to the query they entered. 

A query is the search term or terms they use to find the information they need. 

Why do companies need people to do this? 

Although search algorithms have been fine-tuned and have become super complex and much more accurate over the years, they’re not perfect. 

No artificial intelligence is! 

Search engine creators like Google and Yahoo! want to make sure that people are getting the results they need when they type keywords into their search bars. 

To do that, these companies need to rely on people like you to help. 

Human eyes and brains are necessary to keep everything moving on the right track and ensure the relevancy of search results. 

Because these jobs don’t require you to show up in person at an office to do them, they’re typically perfect for those who want to work from home or remotely elsewhere. 

What Will I Do? 

Search engine evaluators usually get started with the job only after going through a comprehensive training course that includes a test of your skills. 

You’ll need to show that you’ve read through the guidelines and understand how to compare queries and their search results properly. 

As a search engine evaluator, you’ll start by reading a given query. 

It might be something like “barber shop Cleveland Ohio.” 

This is a real query that people have typed into a search engine search bar to find results. 

The query will come with a list of search results that would show when someone typed that into Google. 

It’s your job to determine if the results make sense based on the search term. 

For example, if “barber shop Cleveland Ohio” showed a top result for a popular barber shop in Cleveland Ohio, that would make sense for the query. 

If, however, you found a result for a barber shop in Cleveland Wisconsin, it’s safe to say that the result isn’t relevant to that person’s search. 

Using the information you provide based on what you know about a given query and search engine result relevance, the company you’re working with will send results to search engines to help them improve their algorithms. 

Many queries won’t be as cut and dry as the example I gave, though. 

There are times when you’ll need to use your best guess at a location if someone just enters a city without a state or country, for example. 

Or, you’ll need to do a little research to figure out what a term means if you’re not familiar with it, like terms that are used in specific hobbies or sports. 

The training you receive will help guide you through these situations, especially if you work with Appen. 

Appen provides a very thorough training manual for search engine evaluators to work with while they go through the training and evaluation process before coming on board. 

How Much Does It Pay? 

The pay for these gigs ranges, on average, between $12 and $15 an hour, but generally depends on how fast you can work and what company you choose to work with. 

In most cases, companies pay you a flat fee per project. 

If you are able to finish the project quickly, you’ll make a higher hourly rate. 

If, however, you spend a few hours on a project that pays $30, your rate will be lower than if you were able to complete that job in two hours. 

That’s why it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact rate because companies don’t tend to pay hourly for rating jobs. 

Your pay will also depend on how often you choose to work, as most companies let you pick how frequently you pick up jobs rather than giving you a set schedule. 

Appen, for example, offers part-time work for people who want to work about 10 to 25 hours per week. 

You can choose when to accept new search engine rating jobs when they’re available. 

But the more you work, the more you can make each week with Appen and other companies. 

Still, you shouldn’t expect to make a full-time income with search engines evaluating jobs alone. 

These are more for fill-in opportunities when you need a little extra money. 

Many people who work these jobs note that some periods are busier than others and that they sometimes go weeks to months without any jobs at all. 

Who Can Apply? 

Search engine evaluators don’t need any special education, training, or certifications to get started. 

They will, however, need to go through the company’s training process to be eligible for jobs. 

Appen won’t let you become a rater until you’ve completed training and receive a minimum score based on how well you followed the guide and answered questions accurately. 

The training and evaluation process includes questions that test your understanding of the company’s guidelines and how to complete evaluation jobs, as well as specific examples of search engine queries for you to evaluate using your new knowledge. 

If you do a good job on all of this, you can move forward as an evaluator. 

Companies do usually require you to commit to a minimum number of hours per week – usually 10 – to get started, too, because they want to make sure they have active people ready to pick up work. 

To do these jobs, you’ll also need to make sure you have access to a working computer and high-speed internet connection that’s reliable. 

Always check the company’s requirements of the people they work with before applying, but you can expect to qualify if you meet the above general requirements. 

The Best Web Search Evaluator Companies 

Want to know where to find these jobs so that you can start your work at home career? 

The following are a few places to find projects: 

Appen (Now Includes Leapforce) 

Appen is the place most people go to find search engine evaluator jobs. 

The company has acquired other big names in the business, like Leapforce, to become the leading provider of search engine evaluator jobs. 

Appen technically calls this position Internet Analyst. 

Reportedly, you’ll sign a six-month contract if you’re chosen to continue on with the company after you complete your training and evaluation. 

I’ve also read that you can retake the evaluation if you didn’t pass it, but you’ll need to wait a couple of weeks before trying again. 

Since acquiring Leapforce, it seems that Appen has cut the pay on these jobs for people in some countries, but many in the US are still reporting making between $12 and $15 an hour. 

Google 

Google also has its own version of a search engine evaluator job, technically known as an ads quality rater. 

Ads quality raters for Google will do very similar tasks as search evaluators, but they’ll focus on advertising results that pop up in Google for specific queries rather than search results. 

This gig is a bit different than others in that it does require a bachelor’s degree, but you won’t need to have one in any specific subject area. 

You’ll go through a training process, too, using Google’s manual for the job that teaches you everything you need to know about completing each task accurately. 

You’ll need to commit to a minimum of 10 hours per week for these jobs. 

Lionbridge 

Lionbridge offers several work from home gigs, depending on the needs of its clients at the time. 

Search engine evaluator jobs are common to find here, and Lionbridge has them in a variety of languages. 

You can work up to 20 hours per week on a schedule that fits your lifestyle. 

You’ll need to be bilingual in English and another language, have a laptop or desktop with Windows 10 installed, have a reliable broadband internet connection, and understand how search engines work. 

Once you submit an application, you’ll need to pass the training and evaluation portion to become a part of the team. 

Amazon Mechanical Turk 

Amazon Mechanical Turk is a division of Amazon where you can find quick tasks to complete. 

Many of the tasks only take a few seconds or minutes to complete, and they’ll pay a small amount for your time. 

If you can get several done quickly, your earnings can also add up quickly. 

Sometimes, you can find search result evaluation gigs here where you’ll rate how well a result matches its query. 

If you don’t have any of those tasks available to you, you can still use the platform for picking up other quick work when needed. 

Brafton 

Brafton is a content marketing agency that sometimes hires for paid search specialists. 

This job is a bit different than search engine evaluation, but it’s still one worth considering if you’re interested in this field. 

As a paid search specialist, you’ll help the company find relevant search queries for their clients who want to rank their ads in Google. 

You’ll need to have familiarity with Wordstream and how to use it, relevant work experience, and expert knowledge of Google tools, like Search Console and Keyword Planner. 

A bachelor’s degree is preferred but not necessary. 

Skyes 

Sykes provides various work at home opportunities, and a search quality rater is one of the jobs you can work remotely. 

You’ll work between 15 and 20 hours each week but can work on your own schedule as long as you meet those hours. 

The jobs here start at $10 an hour, but you can earn more by referring people to the jobs, too. 

One catch with these jobs is that you may sometimes run across mature/adult content when you’re completing tasks. 

Sykes requires that its raters are comfortable with this before they apply. 

Find a Paid Job as a Search Engine Evaluator Today! 

Now that you know how to find search engine evaluator jobs and what they entail, you can figure out which companies seem like the best ones for you to apply for. 

Note that each company may have a non-compete agreement you might need to sign, meaning that you can’t work with similar companies in a similar role. 

So, make sure you’re applying with the company that you think is the best fit for you. 

Also, remember that most of these positions are for independent contractors. 

As such, you’ll be responsible for paying your own taxes and detailing any expenses you have related to your job, so it’s a good idea to track the hours you work. 

Best of luck! 

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