What is a Paid Search Manager? Explore the Paid Search Manager Career Path

The Day-to-Day as a Paid Search Manager

Paid Search Managers lead search marketing campaigns to increase sales or engagement for a company. They often work solo on a contract basis but can find positions at larger companies on a marketing team. When they work on a team, Paid Search Managers collaborate with Digital Marketers, Designers, Data Analysts, and Digital Analysts. They work a typical 40-hour workweek.

A Paid Search Manager’s day-to-day tasks will depend on the size of the company they work for and the campaign they’re working on but will probably include campaign strategy sessions, analyzing and reporting their findings from a campaign, optimizing a paid search campaign, updating bids, adding and removing keywords based on testing, A/B testing, monitoring profitability and returns on investment (ROIs), and working with their team to develop omnichannel marketing campaigns.

What Skills Should Paid Search Managers Have?

The Paid Search Manager should be able to communicate clearly to both business owners, digital marketers, and designers to bring their vision for a campaign to life properly. They should also have solid data analytics skills, presentation and reporting practice, understand how to execute A/B testing, and have an adaptable approach to campaigns in order to create the optimal campaign configuration for their client.

They’ll need a deep level of search engine optimization (SEO) knowledge and they’ll need to keep up-to-date with the latest search engine algorithms and changes. They should also have at least some experience with search engine marketing and social media marketing. Choosing the right platforms or channels for each campaign and company will hinge on a familiarity with the culture and etiquette of each platform.

They should be proficient in at least Google Ads but some companies will also require Bing Ads skills. Google Analytics and keyword tools like Moz and Ahrefs will also be expected for a position in a Paid Search Manager position. On top of these basic SEO skills, Paid Search Managers will probably be managing a budget or at least requesting money for their campaigns. They will need to stay on top of industry trends for bids, profitability, and popular channels to maximize their budget.

Any Paid Search Manager must be intimately familiar with both digital marketing terminology and business management lingo. Everything from search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) to pay per click (PPC) in digital marketing to return on investment (ROI) and key performance indicators (KPIs). Knowing the lingo and the concepts behind it will be necessary to pass even an initial phone screening interview in this field.

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Learn the Skills You Need to Become a Paid Search Manager

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 Analytics

Google Analytics measures your advertising return on investment while tracking your video, Flash, social networking, and applications. Google Analytics works by tracking website activity through a block of JavaScript code that the web developer, designer, or website owner, embeds within pages on a website.

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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.

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Paid Search Manager Salaries

A Paid Search Manager in the United States makes, on average, $73,342 annually, according to Indeed.com.

Salaries for Paid Search Managers vary by region within the the United States. Listed below are some Paid Search Manager salaries for specific areas with the United States compared with the average national salary:

U.S. Average $73K source n/a
Alexandria, VA $100K source
+36.35%
Houston, TX $87K source
+19.53%
Orange County, CA $86K source
+18.3%
New York City $85K source
+15.93%
Chicago, IL $84K source
+15.85%
Los Angeles, CA $78K source
+7.4%
U.S. Average $73K source n/a
Dallas, TX $71K source
-2.24%
Washington, D.C. $70K source
-4.2%
Miami, FL $62K source
-14.35%
Fairfax, VA $50K source
-31.51%

Typical Qualifications to Become a Paid Search Manager

Most employers looking to hire a Paid Search Manager full-time will expect you to have either a bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, business or a similar field; at least 3 years of experience; or an internship. They usually expect Paid Search Managers have a Google Ads Certification and some will also require a Bing Ads certification.

Searching for Paid Search Manager Jobs

Paid Search Managers can find careers at companies both large and small. There are many remote and freelance opportunities for this position as well as full-time jobs. A Paid Search Manager can find a job in nearly any industry but will probably have the best luck starting with small businesses and startups, corporations, tech companies, and retail companies. The possibility for upward mobility and a higher salary is quite high in full-time positions at larger companies and in the freelance realm.

Paid Search Managers can look for jobs on these sites:

Paid Search Managers can find freelance and remote positions on these sites:

Tips to Become a Paid Search Manager

Experience is absolutely essential in this field and must be demonstrated either through freelance experiences, internships, or practice projects from school. If you’re having a hard time landing your first Paid Search Manager job, try out freelancing for a bit! Freelance platforms like Upwork or Freelancer are great places to start. You’ll be able to apply for and execute gigs on a contract basis through their platform, get reviews from your clients to add to your LinkedIn, and add to your experience with fewer interview hurdles upfront. Plus, you’ll be earning money straight away.

Paid Search Managers who are serious about a long career should definitely consider creating a website for themselves. It should rank in searches, have a portfolio with strategy notes for each campaign you’ve done, and have your contact information easily available. For an extra boost in the eyes of potential employers or future clients, feature testimonials from the campaigns you’ve worked on. Try to collect testimonials at the end of every single campaign and get permission from your clients to share their experience or only share it anonymously. Sharing with the client’s name or company attached certainly carries more weight, though.

Get certified in Google Ads before you start applying for jobs. This will show you where your weak spots are in your skills and get you more credibility on your resume. Be sure to add your certification to your LinkedIn. Then, brush up on those weak skills. If you take any classes to strengthen your skillset, which is a great thing to do at any point in your career, add those to your LinkedIn as well! Employers love to see Paid Search Managers who stay up-to-date on their skills and industry trends, which are constantly changing.

Lastly, get networking! Connect with anyone you’ve worked for freelance on LinkedIn, connect with recruiters and potential future coworkers, set up informational interviews, attend meetups, and get to know other people who are taking the same online courses or workshops as you–if you choose to take them. Networking is the best way to get a job in almost any industry, but especially marketing. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there when you’re first starting out and ask for advice or referrals!

What Job Titles Would a Paid Search Manager Hold?

Paid Search Manager is a relatively niche position within the digital marketing world. For more variety of job opportunities and more upward mobility chances at a corporation, Paid Search Managers can broaden their skills through and beyond these positions. On the other hand, a freelance Paid Search Manager should continue to remain within this niche and even narrow their work to a single industry or a few specific platforms to become a trusted expert.

A Paid Search Manager can look for the following job titles:

Paid Search Manager
PPC Manager
Manager of Global Search Engine Marketing
Paid Search Advertising Manager
Search Advertising Manager
Online Marketing Manager

The Day-to-Day as a Paid Search Manager

What Skills Should Paid Search Managers Have?

Learn the Skills You Need to Become a Paid Search Manager

Digital Marketing

SEO

Google Analytics

Google Ads

Paid Search Manager Salaries

Typical Qualifications to Become a Paid Search Manager

Searching for Paid Search Manager Jobs

Tips to Become a Paid Search Manager

What Job Titles Would a Paid Search Manager Hold?

Related Careers

Salary Comparison to Paid Search Manager

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