11 Reasons To Consider a Job in Search Engine Marketing

John — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:32:00 +0000

By Kalena Jordan

Are
you currently seeking employment? Looking for a new profession?
Considering a career change? Then a job in the field of Search Engine
Marketing should be at the top of your list. Here are 10 reasons why:

1) The Search Industry is HOT

The
first dot-com bubble may have burst 6 years ago, but the current bubble
is getting bigger and stronger every day. One of the main reasons for
the current dot-com boom is the skyrocketing growth of the search
engine industry. No longer the territory of geekdom, search has
exploded into the mainstream over the past few years and businesses are
falling over themselves to get seen by online searchers. And they’ll
pay big bucks to search engines for the privilege.

Have you
noticed that Google shares recently hit USD 500 EACH? It’s not a
coincidence. Search giants like Google, Yahoo and AOL can’t fail to
make money because everybody wants a bit of the search action. There’s
no denying it, search is HOT, HOT, HOT.

2) It’s Considered one of Four Jobs on the Cutting Edge

According to a recent article
on MSN Careers, the position of Search Engine Optimizer is considered
one of four jobs on the cutting edge right now. Who gave it this title?
A representative from the world’s largest specialized recruitment firm
– Robert Half International Inc.

Search Engine Optimization is
considered a sub-set of Search Engine Marketing. If you’re unsure what
a Search Engine Optimizer (SEO) does, below is a definition provided by
MSN Careers:

“Search
engine optimizers (SEOs) increase a firm’s Web site traffic by
improving its search-engine page rankings. This is an especially
important task in today’s Internet-driven world, where many customers
first learn of an organization and its products or services through the
Web. Because of a shortage of experts in this relatively new area, many
top SEOs receive multiple job offers. SEOs typically supplement their
knowledge of how various search engines operate and determine
page rankings with strong marketing skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively and program using HTML.”

Wikipedia also defines Search Engine Optimizers here.

3) The Pay is Fantastic

A job in the search industry can be unbelievably lucrative. As noted recently by Jennifer Laycock of Search Engine Guide, “There are quite literally more jobs than there are skilled marketers and salaries can skyrocket to almost embarrassing levels.”

Have
you seen the type of salaries that search engine marketing and search
engine optimization consultants are currently commanding in the US?
Clearly, the search industry is making some people rich. Here are some
typical salaries in USD:

Entry level SEO/SEM position = $30-45K
Three to five years experience / online account managers =
$50-75K
Five + years / organic SEO specialists = $75-90K
Senior management level = $70-120K
SEM Director = $95-150K
VP Level = $100-315K

Additional Salary links:

From ClickZ
From Search Engine Watch Forums

4) You Don’t Need a College Degree

Because
the search industry is relatively young, there are only a handful of
online courses and certifications offered in the field of Search Engine
Marketing (Search Engine College being one such training provider).

Most
search engine marketing practitioners are self-taught, learning the
trade by experimenting with their own sites, researching trends,
attending conferences and participating in discussion forums and so
employers don’t generally require SEO / SEM certification or a tertiary
qualification as a pre-requisite for a position in the industry.

However,
candidates who hold a marketing degree or specific industry
certification in Search Engine Marketing may well have an edge over
their fellow applicants when it comes to interview selection.

5) You Can Learn it all Online

Everything
you need to know to become a Search Engine Marketer, you can learn
online. All the information is out there, you just have to find it. To
become an expert in SEO / SEM, you need to do research, research and
more research. Read everything you can get your hands on relating to
search on a daily basis, including articles, forums, ebooks, blogs and
newsfeeds. Then you need to put this knowledge into practice by
experimenting with your own sites, or finding guinea pig sites to
practice on such as those of friends, family or charity sites until you
find the methods that give you the best results. Programming knowledge
is not a pre-requisite for SEO / SEM jobs, but it does help to learn
basic HTML. There are plenty of free HTML tutorials online.

If
you don’t fancy years of research or are in a hurry to jump-start your
career in search, consider taking an online Certification course in one
of the many Search Engine Marketing disciplines such as the Certification Pathways
provided by Search Engine College. These type of courses are usually
tutor-led and designed to fast-track your training and ensure you gain
the right type of skills to make you immediately employable within the
search industry.

6) You Can Be Your Own Boss

Because
most of the work you’ll be doing is online, Search Engine Optimizers
and Search Engine Marketers often have the freedom of choice to work
for an employer, work from home and/or freelance. Many SEO / SEM
freelancers end up hiring workers and starting their own company due to
the massive demand. This gives search engine marketing experts the work
from home lifestyle that others can only dream of.

7) Search Marketing Has the WOW Factor

Once
they know what they’re doing, it’s very easy for a Search Engine
Marketer to wow their clients. The difference that a successful SEO or
PPC campaign can make to a client’s bottom line is substantial. I’ve
seen online conversion rates for a client zoom from 1% to a massive 5%
after just two small tweaks to their web site. And although rankings
are not as important as actual conversions, clients still get very
excited to see their site listed in the top 10 search results for
certain keywords. It’s the WOW factor in action.

The Demand is Strong and Growing

As
mentioned in relation to search engine salaries, there are literally
many more jobs than there are skilled marketers to fill them. This
extreme demand means Search Engine Marketers can pick and choose their
jobs and/or clients. The more skilled marketers are head-hunted
regularly. For Search Engine Optimization firms, there are more than
enough clients to go around and rarely a need to advertise for new
business. That’s why you often find SEOs turning away clients or
recommending their competitors during extremely busy periods.

Experts
in select specialties such as Pay Per Click Advertising (a sub-set of
Search Engine Marketing) are currently enjoying even higher demand than
usual, as advertisers out-bid each other to have their site shown for
popular keyword searches on Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Another indicator
of high demand is the sheer number of search-related job postings seen
on employment sites such as those listed here.

9) The Industry is Hip and Groovy

There’s
something very trendy about people in search that I can’t quite put my
finger on. There’s a constant buzz around them. If you’ve ever been to
a search engine conference or to Google’s headquarters you’ll know what
I mean. Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve come from so many different
professions. Or that the age range of search marketers varies from
teens to Baby Boomers. Or their whacky dress sense.

Maybe
it’s the smell of money and happiness that they give off. Maybe it’s
the fact that they are constantly in the media. I don’t know. All I
know is that it’s no longer uncool to be a geek. In fact it’s downright
hip to be square.

10) The Skills Are Portable and Global

Skills
in search engine marketing are portable and global. You don’t need to
be at a desk, in an office or on the phone all day. You don’t even need
to meet your clients. Of all my clients, I’ve probably only met 20
percent of them and spoken to half of them on the phone or via chat.
You can be on vacation for six months out of the year in various
locations and still conduct business. You literally only need a
computer and an Internet connection. The Internet is the universal
equalizer. You can service clients in any country in the world, in many
different languages. You can compete with one man operations and
Fortune 500 companies on the same level playing field. The flexibility
of the search industry is a huge advantage over other career options.
Have laptop, will travel!

11) Job Satisfaction is High

Search
is a fascinating industry. With all the hype, daily gossip, corporate
take-overs, start-ups and geek toys, I can guarantee that you won’t get
bored. This combined with the flexible work hours, low start-up costs,
ability to be your own boss and the excellent income keeps job
satisfaction high for Search Engine Marketers.

So what are you waiting for? Go get a job in search!

—————————

The
above article may be re-published as long as the following paragraph is
included at the end of the article and as long as you link to the URL
mentioned below:

About the Author:

Article
by Kalena Jordan, one of the first search engine optimization experts
in Australia, who is well known and respected in the industry,
particularly in the U.S. As well as running her own SEO business,
Kalena manages Search Engine College
– an online training institution offering instructor-led short courses
and downloadable self-study courses in Search Engine Optimization and
Search Engine Marketing subjects.

More Information:

Here are some links to more information about careers in Search Engine Marketing:

If you enjoyed this post, please make sure you register to receive these posts via email. You can also follow me on Twitter, link to me on LinkedIn, or visit my other blog, at www.spendingless101.com.

John A Simpson » _Linkify

11 Reasons To Consider a Job in Search Engine Marketing

Related posts