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Regardless of your budget, website owners and marketers have an abundance of resources available when it comes to Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Maneuvering through those resources and determining what aptly works for your company is the tricky part.
Based on your resources, how do you determine the best fit for your business? Furthermore, what resources do you need before making a decision?
SEM calls for people, technology, and processes. While that may sound like a simple equation, it’s much more elaborate when scrutinized piece-by-piece. Finding and hiring skilled SEM labor, leveraging the appropriate technological tools, and staying updated on SEM developments require considerable resources. A company must clearly define its available budget to support SEM goals. If a company has a small advertising budget, the only choice a website owner may have is to leverage free publisher tools. As a company grows, the services desired may require outsourcing to an agency. Of course, a higher budget provides more options for SEM services, reduces agency dependency, and provides the financial and temporal investment needed to build an in-house team.
The time-tested debate of outsourcing SEM or bringing the function in-house continues to rattle online forums, editorial columns, and blogs. As Search Engine Marketing grows, businesses are becoming more proactive in evaluating the alternatives of bringing the function in-house. Others, after experimenting in-house, have decided to work with outsourced partners. In the middle ground, a pendulum or hybrid model exists where in-house employees work together with an agency. This white paper presents an overview of the applicable resources to implement Search Engine Marketing depending on a company’s SEM budget. Practical considerations, third party references, and testimonials are provided to help you decide what best fits your company’s budget and goals.
Resource Checklist
It’s easy to overlook key categories when SEM keeps evolving and new technology affects the industry’s practices. With so many competing priorities, it can be hard to sort out what really matters in SEM. Having a resource guide can be invaluable for small business owners, agency executives, mid-level marketing managers, and Directors alike. Beginning with Staffing SEM-Related Positions, the first half of this paper covers the resources Search Engine Marketers need to successfully put their strategy in motion.
People Resources – Staffing SEM-Related Positions
SEM professionals may be employed by an agency or for in-house work. The demand for qualified Internet Marketing specialists is on the rise and salary increases are outpacing most industries. Clients and agencies both want knowledgeable individuals who can roll up their sleeves and work. The skills desired extend to experience in building and optimizing campaigns, a sound understanding of offline and online customer behavior, and the ability to analyze data and draw conclusions.
According to SEM Times, some of the key SEM job roles include:
- PPC Campaign Executive
- PPC Campaign Manager
- PPC Account Manager
- Ad Writer or Copywriter
- SEO Director
- SEO Manager
- SEO Executive
- Content Writer and Editor
Besides the listed roles, companies also recruit web analysts, technical professionals, and web designers for successful SEM implementation and service. Given the industry is constantly developing, job responsibilities also change and new positions may be created. For example, the online public relations (PR) category has experienced significant growth over the last year resulting in a greater need for online PR writers and managers. According to MarketingSherpa’s Search Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008, filling SEM-related positions, particularly SEO specialists is one of the biggest challenges companies face. Almost a third of respondents say it is “very difficult” to attract these employees.
In her DM News SEM column dated October 15, 2007, SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) board member Sarah Holoubek says, “Given the extremely high turnover of SEM staff, the years of experience tend to be within managerial staff, and not the day-to-day account managers.” For any company, finding talent with a mix of skills – strategic, creative, technical, and organizational – can be extremely difficult. A fairly young SEM industry combined with complex skill sets and a lack of industry standardization has made hiring qualified SEM staff a challenge for organizations across the board. In addition to hiring complexities, retaining talent adds to the challenge. Significant salary increases, flex-time, and other hiring bonuses keep many SEM professionals on the move.
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