What Skills Should Search Managers Have?
Search Managers must be masters of SEO and Search Advertising. High-level knowledge of digital marketing is also important. Tools like Google Analytics, Moz Pro, SEMrush, Majestic, Ahrefs, and DeepCrawl should be familiar to the Search Manager. They’ll also be working with Google Ads and other paid advertising platforms. Understanding of which paid advertising platforms are out there and how they work is important for any Search Manager.
Search Managers will likely find themselves doing search engine marketing (SEM), managing a budget for paid advertisements, and working on a digital marketing team. Some Search Managers might be expected to create copywriting or graphic design assets for their marketing efforts but most Search Managers work on a team with a Graphic Designer or Digital Marketer who will create those assets instead.
A Search Manager is expected to track their efforts, conduct A/B testing, and compile reports to show how effective their campaigns are. Search engine algorithms are constantly changing which means that all Search Managers must stay up-to-date with the latest trends and changes. They should be proficient in the most popular web analytics dashboards and if they’re working freelance, should know which one they would recommend on the projects for which they’ll be proposing their services.
Typical office skills like proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word or the Google Drive Suite are a must for any Search Manager. Knowledge of industry jargon like Google’s most important algorithms, paid advertising abbreviations or acronyms, and SEO concepts will certainly come in handy. Soft skills like communication, presentation, and the ability to educate a client on these concepts is generally expected.
Some Search Managers choose to maintain a high-level knowledge and work in management only capacities while others worked their way up from specialties like Organic Back-Link Specialist, SEO Specialist, PPC Specialist, or Digital Marketer. Specializations can be somewhat useful but managerial positions typically pay more. Management positions require a “T-shaped” skill set, meaning the manager knows a lot on a high-level but only specific things on a deeper level. While specialist positions work the opposite way. A specialist knows a lot about specific tools and techniques and only some about adjacent specializations.
Learn the Skills You Need to Become a Search Manager
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Digital Marketing
Digital marketing utilizes the internet and web based digital platforms to promote products or services. This includes the use of digital advertisements, social media, brand identities, and more.
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SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the practice of increasing both the quality and quantity of website traffic using tactics like keywords and backlinks to create organic, high-ranking search engine results.
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Google Ads
Google Ads is the new name for Google AdWords. It is an online advertising service that allows advertisers to pay for the display of brief advertisements, video content, listings, and calls to action within the Google Display Network (GDN) to web users. You'll see Google ads on the GDN which includes Google Search, YouTube, and over 2 million other sites.