How To Become A Search Marketing Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a search marketing manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Ahmad Asady

Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo - you know how to wield any search engine to get your brand noticed. You're an expert on search words and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In your role as a search marketing manager, you work to optimize your company's search engine marketing.

You research keyword data, quality ratings, and other related reports to understand how different websites - for example, Google - rank pages. You execute different tests that collect data to identify and analyze different trends, and you study competing products and their advertising techniques. These insights help you make recommendations to the company for different digitial marketing campaigns. You maintain the budgets for particular campaigns and for paid keyword discovery.

You need analytical skills and strong interpersonal communication to work as a search marketing manager, and you like to stay up-to-date with the latest trends. To qualify for this position, you need a bachelor's degree in marketing or a similar field. Certifications in fields such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and other related disciplines are bonuses, and knowledge of software languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is advantageous.

The average hourly pay for this position is approximately $45, which amounts to more than $89,000 annually.

What general advice would you give to a search marketing manager?

Ahmad Asady

Assistant Professor of Management Faculty Scholar, Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth, North Dakota State University

The role of a Marketing professional is as rewarding as it is demanding. On one hand, it offers the chance to unleash creativity, see the direct impact of your work, and enjoy a variety of experiences across different projects and industries. On the other hand, it comes with its fair share of challenges, such as the pressure to perform under tight deadlines and budgets, the constant need to stay ahead in a fast-evolving field, and the stress of quantifying the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Despite these challenges, the role remains appealing for those drawn to a career that demands both strategic thinking and creative innovation, underscored by the powerful tool of persuasion to shape consumer behavior and drive business success.

ScoreSearch Marketing ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $80,550

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 33.33%

male 66.67%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a search marketing manager

Explore search marketing manager education requirements

Most common search marketing manager degrees

Bachelor's

82.6 %

Master's

10.0 %

Associate

4.8 %

Start to develop specific search marketing manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Paid Search	12.70%
Digital Marketing	11.12%
Google Analytics	6.94%
Google Adwords	6.08%
SEM	6.04%

Complete relevant search marketing manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New search marketing managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a search marketing manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real search marketing manager resumes.

Research search marketing manager duties and responsibilities

Manage display campaigns on CPM across ad networks.
Manage more than 2,000 ad campaigns in Google, MSN adCenter and Facebook.
Manage developers and designers on company and e-commerce websites.
Conceptualize and manage introduction of Eloqua progressive profiling form and DemandBase analytics API to website.

Prepare your search marketing manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your search marketing manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a search marketing manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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