Search Engine Marketing Specialist Job Outlook
As an industry, search engine marketing is escalating with double-digit growth rates. In turn, the search engine marketing specialist job outlook is anticipated to increase as well. According to the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization’s (SEMPO) Sixth Annual State of Search Engine Marketing Report, accessed November 2010, “the North American search engine marketing industry will grow 14% this year from $14.6 billion in 2009 to $16.6 billion by the end of 2010.” In April 2010, Efficient Frontier reported that, “In Q1 2010, the Search Engine Marketing (SEM) industry posted solid year on year (YoY) growth of 20%.” With this type of industry expansion during an otherwise rocky economy, the need for you as a qualified search engine marketing specialist will also continue to soar.
The State of Marketing Budgets
Budgets for other types of marketing and advertising, including print and radio, are on the decline as marketers reallocate those dollars to online efforts. In the Marketing Budgets 2010: Effectiveness, Measurement and Allocation report from Econsultancy and ExactTarget, they reported that “digital marketing will account for 24% of overall marketing spend this year, and 28% of firms are shifting at least some of their overall marketing budgets from traditional to digital channels.” Other key findings from this report include:
- 64% plan to increase budgets for search engine optimization.
- 51% plan to increase budgets for paid search marketing.
- 70% are planning to increase their budgets for off-site social media such as Facebook and Twitter, despite admitting to being “poor” at measuring social media return on investment (ROI).
- 46% of companies say they are planning to increase their overall marketing budget.
- 42% say they are planning to keep this budget the same as it was in 2009.
- 40% of company respondents stated that the biggest barrier to digital marketing investment is restricted budget for all types of marketing.
- 61% of companies claim to have a good understanding of digital marketing return on investment, with 22% saying their grasp of this is “very good” and 39% saying it is “good.”
Positive Signs for Search Engine Marketing
Spend growth continues to exceed expectations according to the Q1 2010 U.S. Search Engine Performance Report from Efficient Frontier. This report also states that, “Search query and click volumes are up substantially YoY while Cost per Click (CPC) remains relatively stable. Overall, ROI in search was up 4% YoY as consumers returned to purchasing with a more favorable economic outlook.” This report provided even more promising signs for the search engine marketing industry including:
- Spend in the retail sector grew 17% YoY in Q4 2009, while retail spend grew 32% YoY in Q1 2010.
- CPC grew 10% YoY after a 9% YoY decline in Q4, suggesting strengthening advertiser demand.
- Query volume was up 73% YoY in Q1 2010, clearly depicting that consumers’ shift to shopping online shows no signs of abating.
- Bing renewed its market share gains in Q1 2010 as it increased its click and spend share to 5.5% and 6.5%, respectively. These represent YoY gains of 45% in both click and spend.
- Google expanded its dominant position in Q1 2010, closing in on 75% share of both spend and clicks.
- Return on investment on Google is up 16% YoY, with clicks up 8% overall.
To further confirm the positive outlook for search engine marketing, SEMPO also found that the news was good by those they surveyed. According to MediaPost, SEMPO’s Sixth Annual State of Search Engine Marketing Report states:
- 52% of companies surveyed expect to spend more on SEO in 2010 than in 2009.
- 37% of companies expect to spend more on paid search in 2010 than they did in 2009.
- 53% of companies are not using third-party bid management tools for paid search, instead utilizing search engine tools and Excel.
- 74% of agencies are more likely to agree that “the rise of social media has had a significant impact on their search engine marketing”; only 52 % of company respondents say that social media has had a moderate or huge impact on search engine marketing.
What Does a Search Engine Marketing Specialist Do?
Search Engine Marketing, also known as SEM, is the process of using search engines for marketing purposes. The most common SEM strategies include Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. As a search engine marketing specialist, you will manage SEM campaigns and work to bring in new customers at a desirable cost. To make this happen, you will utilize SEM tactics, such as doing keyword research, writing ad copy, tracking campaign performance and testing. Search engine marketing professionals must have diverse skills sets that they can modify to accommodate the dynamic SEM industry. Essentially, a search engine marketing specialist must have excellent communication skills (especially written), solid quantitative and analytical capabilities, exceptional technical skills and a strong desire to continuously learn.
Solidify Your Expertise With 100% Online Internet Marketing Training
As a search engine marketing specialist you need to be adept to staying on the cutting-edge of the technologies used to perform your job. Attaining search engine marketing training and earning career-building credentials is more convenient than you may think. With the University of San Francisco’s Master Certificate in Internet Marketing you can enhance your expertise, as well as improve your job performance and marketability, when and where it’s convenient for you.
Designated as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report, the University of San Francisco has earned a reputation for academic excellence. Now you can access world-class Internet marketing training via a state-of-the-art e-learning system. Through USF’s proven, video-based platform, these essential Internet marketing classes give you the necessary insights and skills to:
- Develop and enhance a revenue-generating website that attracts new visitors, converts leads into sales and cultivates repeat business
- Promote your company, your clients or yourself through social media, viral video, affiliate networks, mobile media and other Internet marketing tools
- Drive more traffic to your site with advanced search engine marketing (SEM) techniques, including search engine optimization (SEO) to enhance organic search and paid search tactics that maximize promotional dollars
- Apply web analytics tools: Use tracking, reporting and testing to fine-tune your online strategy/messaging and boost conversion rates
- Adapt the best practices of successful Internet marketers for use in your own website or campaign
- Prepare for certification from Google Advertising Professionals and Web Analytics Association
For a more intensive exploration of four key aspects of digital marketing, USF offers these eight-week advanced specialized certificate courses:
Get more information on how you can gain the expertise you need to become a sought-after search engine marketing specialist.
