Search Marketing Strategists: Job Description
Employ search marketing tactics to increase visibility and engagement with content, products, or services in Internet-enabled devices or interfaces. Examine search query behaviors on general or specialty search engines or other Internet-based content. Analyze research, data, or technology to understand user intent and measure outcomes for ongoing optimization.
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What Tasks Do Search Marketing Strategists Perform?
The core tasks performed by search marketing strategists cover:
- Manage tracking and reporting of search-related activities and provide analyses to marketing executives.
- Optimize digital assets, such as text, graphics, or multimedia assets, for search engine optimization (SEO) or for display and usability on internet-connected devices.
- Collect and analyze Web metrics, such as visits, time on site, page views per visit, transaction volume and revenue, traffic mix, click-through rates, conversion rates, cost per acquisition, or cost per click.
- Participate in the development or implementation of online marketing strategy.
- Optimize Web site exposure by analyzing search engine patterns to direct online placement of keywords or other content.
- Coordinate with developers to optimize Web site architecture, server configuration, or page construction for search engine consumption and optimal visibility.
- Assist in setting up or optimizing analytics tools for tracking visitors' behaviors.
- Identify appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and report key metrics from digital campaigns.
What Search Marketing Strategists Need to Know
Effective search marketing strategists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Customer Experience Strategist
- Digital Marketer
- Digital Marketing Strategist
- Digital Media Planner
- Digital Strategist
- E-commerce Strategist
- Electronic Commerce Specialist (E-Commerce Specialist)
- Experience Planning Strategist
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 184,628 search marketing strategists working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +8.2% over the projection horizon.
Search Marketing Strategists Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $85,177 |
| Hourly median | $40.95 |
| 10th percentile | $50,149 |
| 25th percentile | $67,663 |
| 75th percentile | $102,690 |
| 90th percentile | $120,204 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Search Marketing Strategists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Delaware | $98,650 |
| Washington | $94,300 |
| Massachusetts | $93,430 |
| California | $92,770 |
| New York | $91,840 |
| New Jersey | $85,190 |
| District of Columbia | $83,340 |
| Oregon | $82,600 |
| Minnesota | $81,460 |
| Colorado | $80,670 |
| Virginia | $79,840 |
| Rhode Island | $77,630 |
| Florida | $77,490 |
| North Carolina | $77,360 |
| Georgia | $75,490 |
| Connecticut | $75,320 |
| Vermont | $74,340 |
| Maryland | $73,560 |
| Illinois | $72,840 |
| Maine | $72,690 |
| Michigan | $68,120 |
| Ohio | $67,850 |
| New Hampshire | $67,590 |
| Iowa | $67,300 |
| Montana | $66,840 |
| Arizona | $66,750 |
| South Carolina | $66,110 |
| Hawaii | $65,870 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,190 |
| Wisconsin | $65,000 |
| Utah | $64,900 |
| Texas | $64,900 |
| Arkansas | $64,830 |
| Tennessee | $64,720 |
| Missouri | $64,280 |
| Indiana | $63,380 |
| Alaska | $62,960 |
| Nevada | $62,590 |
| Kansas | $62,230 |
| North Dakota | $62,230 |
| South Dakota | $61,720 |
| New Mexico | $60,200 |
| Kentucky | $59,420 |
| Oklahoma | $59,330 |
| Idaho | $59,010 |
| Mississippi | $57,520 |
| Louisiana | $57,300 |
| Wyoming | $57,040 |
| Nebraska | $55,630 |
| Alabama | $55,390 |
| West Virginia | $50,290 |
| Virgin Islands | $50,130 |
| Guam | $43,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,410 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for search marketing strategists shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $90,779 | 17.8% | 1.10 |
| New England | $86,429 | 6.7% | 1.55 |
| Middle Atlantic | $83,639 | 17.3% | 1.19 |
| Rocky Mountains | $74,066 | 5.7% | 1.59 |
| Southeast | $72,929 | 21.7% | 0.93 |
| Plains States | $70,643 | 7.1% | 1.13 |
| Great Lakes | $68,473 | 13.2% | 0.94 |
| Southwest | $64,689 | 10.3% | 0.83 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Search Marketing Strategists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $139,140 | 12,240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $124,840 | 23,560 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $102,390 | 19,720 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $97,360 | 75,190 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $95,930 | 30,540 |
| Bloomington, IL | IL | $92,570 | 560 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $92,570 | 2,840 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | NC | $92,110 | 2,760 |
Top Industries Employing Search Marketing Strategists
The largest employers of search marketing strategists work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 237,340 | $78,030 |
| Information | 82,830 | $100,300 |
| Finance and Insurance | 82,040 | $84,990 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 72,390 | $98,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 65,680 | $77,870 |
| Manufacturing | 51,460 | $81,590 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 46,590 | $62,230 |
| Retail Trade | 43,000 | $53,990 |
Below are examples of industries where search marketing strategists work:
Software Search Marketing Strategists Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Elasticsearch (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Data mining software: Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Sales and marketing software: HubSpot software (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Sales and marketing software: Marketo Marketing Automation (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Microsoft ASP.NET (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for search marketing strategists reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
How to Become Search Marketing Strategists
Typical search marketing strategists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Online Merchants (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Supplemental)
- Computer Programmers (Supplemental)
- Software Developers (Primary-Long)
- Web Developers (Primary-Long)
- Web and Digital Interface Designers (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Aspiring search marketing strategists typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
12 programs across 2 majors
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
2 programs across 2 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
Social Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1161.01 (Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists).
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