The search engine marketing (SEM) manager leads a team of marketing associates working to increase the use of the particular search engine their company has developed. There is a heated battle between different search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, so this industry is very competitive in battling for users so as to increase advertising revenue.
Companies that deal with search engines do not make their money from their actual search engine, but rather from companies that advertise on it. The more people use their search engine, the more companies pay for advertising. The SEM manager does not actually work to develop the search engine they work with, although for a search engine to be used a lot, it must be programmed to find the best and most numerous search results. This position involves presenting the search engine to the public and spreading information about it so that people use it. The SEM manager is like the marketing manager for any other company, except he or she deals solely with a search engine as the product. The SEM manager wants to develop and implement the best marketing ideas in order to make their product the most attractive to consumers. As a manager, these workers preside over a team of marketing associates, and they collect these associates' ideas, put them together, and improve them when needed.
The working environment for an SEM manager is an office building where they have an office and spend a lot of time in a conference room. Their working hours are the general business hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. SEM managers work with common office supplies such as a computer, telephone, and pen and paper. They generally report to the vice president or the general manager. Requirements for this position include a minimum of a bachelor's degree in marketing, computer science, business, statistics, or related fields. SEM managers must also have strong leadership abilities and several years of experience in marketing, preferably in a leadership role.
SEM managers must be both creative and great team leaders in making use of the ideas of their employees. They must be proficient in developing strategies to present their product's visibility in a positive light. Their basic function is to increase the amount of money their company receives by increasing the use of their product on the market.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Manager Tasks
- Build and implement online strategies and goals through web marketing.
- Manage budget and resources for online services.
- Collaborate with design and content staff to ensure projects are aligned with marketing objectives and expectations.
- Monitor and track utilization, performance and traffic analytics to optimize keyword efforts.