Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

Sem specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Carrie Trimble,

Dr. Carrie Trimble

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical sem specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for sem specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.4% of sem specialist resumes contained digital marketing as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a sem specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 sem specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Digital Marketing

Here's how sem specialists use digital marketing:

Create, implement, and present digital marketing plans and strategies.
Perform quality assurance across website and all digital marketing programs to ensure ideal user experience, with accurate and consistent information.

2. Paid Search

Paid search is a form of marketing that is done online on the result pages of search engines, also known as SERPS (Search Engine Result Pages). Renowned search engines like Google and Bing are famously practicing paid search. However, paid search is different from the conventional form of advertising and only requires customers to pay for each click that takes place.

Here's how sem specialists use paid search:

Used proprietary Geneva platform and automated bidding algorithms to manage/optimize online marketing and paid search campaigns.
Maintain strong knowledge of online advertising, the paid search landscape and industry tools specific to the daily execution of campaigns.

3. Google Analytics

Here's how sem specialists use google analytics:

Generate and implement Google Analytics and provide analysis.
Analyzed past data using Google Analytics to project campaign performance and forecast trends.

4. Keyword Research

Keyword research is the process of finding commonly used words and phrases used on search engines like Google, YouTube, Bing, etc. It's a critical part of SEO and content marketing, and it's especially helpful for freelance writers, publishers, and bloggers relevant to getting their content to appear higher on SERP - a search engine results page.

Here's how sem specialists use keyword research:

Perform keyword research and create content for SEO pages and landing pages.
Perform Keyword Research using Google Keyword Planner and SEO Book.

5. Search Engine Marketing

Here's how sem specialists use search engine marketing:

Perform search engine marketing and tracking performance metrics to refine PPC bids and budgets.
Implement and maintain Search Engine Marketing campaigns for all clients.

6. Google Adwords

Here's how sem specialists use google adwords:

Reviewed and optimized Google AdWords accounts for medium to large businesses.
Prepared weekly and monthly Google AdWords data analysis reports.

7. Marketing Campaigns

Here's how sem specialists use marketing campaigns:

Manage relationships with search engines and agencies to further optimize Hotels.com's search marketing campaigns.
Designed and uploaded Pay Per Click marketing campaigns.

8. Search Campaigns

Here's how sem specialists use search campaigns:

Planned and executed paid and natural search campaigns for Fortune 500 clients.
Create search campaigns, ad groups, ad copy, and keyword bids.

9. A/B

A/B is a type of testing that compares the original version, A, to a variants, B. There is normally some metric attached to the test that is then monitored to determine which variant, A or B, should be used after the experiment ends.

Here's how sem specialists use a/b:

Implemented A/B testing and optimized landing pages to constantly increase conversions
Condensed email setup and send schedule while simultaneously developing A/B tests yielding up to 43% lift in CTR.

11. ROI

Here's how sem specialists use roi:

Provided troubleshooting and restructured campaigns to increase QI scores, ROI, conversions and leads while lowering CPC and overall costs.
Analyzed SEM campaigns and vendor reports to increase quality in clicks and conversions for improved ROI.

12. Bid Management

Here's how sem specialists use bid management:

Executed landing page testing and optimization, creative testing & rendering and bid management best practices.
Deliver SEO/PPC campaign and bid management research and analysis to help make market decisions.

13. Campaign Management

Campaign management is a collective term for work or activity that is used to plan, execute, monitor, and analyze all the factors of a standard marketing initiative and develop profitable sales direction. It allows one to monitor a marketing campaign and make the necessary changes to attract more customers and meet the objectives of the campaign.

Here's how sem specialists use campaign management:

Execute campaign management tactics for the US POS.
Provided exceptional customer service, optimal campaign management, as well as efficient billing management to develop customer retention.

14. Analyze Data

Analyze data or data analysis refers to the practice of studying, organizing, and transforming data to make it more useful. It also includes the cleansing of non-useful information which helps in better decision making regarding any particular matter. Analyze data is a practice that is used widely in the field of business, social sciences, and science.

Here's how sem specialists use analyze data:

Analyze data to identify areas of opportunity.

15. WordPress

Here's how sem specialists use wordpress:

Administer website through moderating comments, updating news, sending newsletters, installing and configuring Wordpress plug-ins.
Generated compelling marketing content and executed website modifications using a WordPress platform.

What skills help SEM Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on sem specialist resumes?

Dr. Carrie Trimble

Associate Professor of Marketing, Millikin University

Marketing applicants must demonstrate that they understand the nature of an employer's business and how marketing can help the employer achieve its objectives.

That means key skills include:

-customer problem-solving--how can the business help?
-communication--can I share relatable and actionable information with clients?
-and data analytics skills--can I measure the impact of the marketing efforts & use that insight to inform our future efforts?

Nothing about the pandemic has changed that, but now you must add the ability to work independently and remotely as well.

What soft skills should all sem specialists possess?

Dr. Carrie Trimble

Associate Professor of Marketing, Millikin University

Communication skills and problem-solving top this list. When less is done face-to-face, businesses and their customers have new problems at hand and fewer communication methods at their disposal. Customers have also been dealing with a high level of stress for over a year now, so applicants who can empathetically, reliably, and efficiently communicate via e-mail and phone will rise to the top.

What sem specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Career Committee

Endicott College

Solid work can be made with small or large crews, and small or big budgets. Be flexible. Develop several essential skills, not just one. If you can write and edit, operate a camera and direct, or toggle between full-time and contract work, then you stand a better chance of adapting to change.

What hard/technical skills are most important for sem specialists?

Charles Gamble

Adjunct Professor, Southern Connecticut State University

-Data Analysis
-Google Adwords
-SalesForce.com
-Photoshop
-HTML
-Hubspot, Pardot, Eloqua (or similar MAP)
-WordPress (or similar web platform)

Do you want to know more?

List of sem specialist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a sem specialist resume and required skills for a sem specialist to have include:

Digital Marketing
Paid Search
Google Analytics
Keyword Research
Search Engine Marketing
Google Adwords
Marketing Campaigns
Search Campaigns
A/B
Social Media Marketing
ROI
Bid Management
Campaign Management

Analyze Data
WordPress
HTML
Data Analysis
B Testing
Email Marketing
YouTube
Yahoo
Keyword Discovery
CSS
Copywriting
Link Building
Campaign Strategies

CMS
Lead Generation
Identify Trends
Content Creation
Facebook ADS
Client Websites
Pinterest
Conversion Rates
Website Traffic
Content Marketing
Account Performance
CPA
Campaign Performance

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs