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Searching for a Career – Eight Skills for
Entry into SEM
By Jim Hedger, StepForth News Editor, StepForth Placement Inc.
September 13, 2005
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I have recently learned that students as young as grade 6 and 7 are being
pressured to declare career interests in order to best direct the limited
public education resources after years of funding cut-backs. I don’t
recall that sort of pressure in school twenty years ago. I completed my
schooling in the days before the Internet existed in the public realm.
Things seemed a little less focused back then though I must admit the
core curriculum placed in front of today’s students is much more
challenging than those placed in front of my generation. There is simply
far more knowledge to share today then there was when I was a public
school student, especially in math and the myriad science-based specializations.
Personally, I couldn’t imagine making such a difficult life decision
so early on, before many even know what an independent life is like. Given
the sad fact that for the vast majority of us, adult life does not often
mimic Hollywood and most of the time it is not very glamorous, the best
advice is to adopt a career that is bound to keep things interesting. While
I did not choose this career as much as it seems to have chosen me, I have
an almost certain faith that my decision to work in search engine marketing
will prove to be the best one I could have possibly made. Students from
a wide range of academic disciplines can forge a rewarding career somewhere
in search marketing. Not only is there rarely a dull moment, the trajectory
of the entire sector is pointed in the right direction with a seemingly
unlimited ceiling.
Entry into the search marketing sector is still fairly simple especially
as the field is growing so rapidly. There are however a few basic skills
required beyond knowing one’s way around Dreamweaver.
Eight skills needed for entry into the SEO or SEM sector. (Ed. Note: In
order of Jim’s perceived level of importance.)
First of all, this might seem a bit basic but knowing how computers work
is fairly important. Believe it or not, most SEM firms are small businesses
and don’t have a maintenance department. As with other small businesses,
the staff is forced to wear two or more hats and some of the staff will
double as the IT department from time to time. The person who knows how
to network the computers, build and maintain a central file server, troubleshoot
anything, and keep the Internet and Intranet connections constant is always
a highly valued team-member.
Second, good search marketers are comfortable working with a wide range
of software in order to perform a wide range of services on a client’s
website or account. In their first week, new SEO or SEM practitioners will
be asked to work with spreadsheets, spider tracers, rank checking tools,
client management tools, bid management tools, and other pieces of software
designed specifically for the search marketing industry. The ability to
intuitively work one’s way through new pieces of software is highly
valued by employers in the search marketing industry.
Third, search marketers should have a slightly better than average command
of the English language, even if they are marketing to non-English speaking
users. English is the unofficial language of the Internet and the unofficial
language of global business. Code is programmed using English language commands
and the vast majority of discussion surrounding search, search engines and
the search marketing industry is conducted in English. Seasoned search engine
optimizers understand that SEO relies on well written page and document
content. Being able to produce dozens of pages of original, well written
content per day is a highly valued skill among search marketers. Being able
to write short, concise product descriptions and headlines is also important
for creating and tweaking PPC ad-copy. It should be noted that other languages
will become much more prevalent on the Internet over time.
Fourth, a person looking for an entry level position in search marketing
should possess well developed interpersonal skills. Even if the majority
of SEOs spend most of their time staring at their monitors, the best SEOs
and SEMs make the time to discuss technique and campaign progress with their
clients. Discussing search marketing with clients often takes a great deal
of clarity and patience, especially considering most clients have different
knowledge and expectations around the search marketing industry. The ability
to simplify, explain, educate, gently correct and comfort clients is critical
for success and sustained sanity in this industry.
Fifth, a strong working knowledge of how ISPs work is important. Search
marketers spend a good deal of time interacting with their clients’ Internet
Service Providers. One of the hallmarks of a well thought through search
engine marketing plan is a quick assessment of the host server and how the
site is set up. Being able to talk-tech with the client’s ISP is critical
when you need them to install software or modify the client’s account
in one way or another.
Sixth, search engine marketers need to have and maintain a high level of
web design skills. There are a number of obvious reasons web design skills
are important for search marketers. In the course of a year, most SEOs make
on-site alterations to dozens of different websites, each of which pose
unique challenges in one way or another. SEOs must be able to approach a
wide variety of sites, styles and programming languages with confidence
while working under the weight of knowing that mistakes are rarely forgiven
and never overlooked in this environment. SEOs and SEMs have to be able
to develop or customize landing pages for certain aspects of various campaigns.
There are also times when SEOs need to communicate with the original site
designer. Speaking the same technical language as the site designer helps
work through whatever issues might arise when providing a third party service.
Though it is sixth on this list, a strong background in web design is one
of the most crucial skill sets to cultivate.
Seventh, search engine marketers need to be able to think like traditional
marketers. While we work in a technical environment and thought of more
as techies, advertising and marketing are the heart and soul of our industry.
The clients who hire us expect us to provide top-notch marketing advice
in relation to the search engine medium. This means SEOs and SEMs must have
a basic to advanced understanding of traditional marketing, sales and advertising.
Eighth, search engine marketers need to be efficient researchers. In the
course of a year, most search marketers will be required to become instant
experts in a number of fields, some of which they might never have previously
considered. Throughout my career I have had to study such diverse topics
as artificial sports surfacing, real estate in Virginia, South African tourism,
aromatherapy, the production of steel buildings, the history of home heating
products, and the technical specifications regarding dozens of different
outboard boat motors. In order to properly serve clients, a good SEO or
SEM takes the time to learn as much as possible about their products or
services. At the same time, if an SEO or SEM is good, chances are they have
a number of clients to learn about within very short time periods. Developing
and fostering research skills will go a long way to building a successful
career.
There are obviously more skills required for a long-term career in search
marketing but if students today cultivate the eight mentioned above, they
will find themselves on much stronger footing when it comes time to apply
and interview for jobs in the field. One of the most compelling reasons
to cultivate a career in the search industry is that it provides a front
row view of the immense economic and intellectual forces that are rapidly
changing the ways the world works. Over the past decade, the Internet has
rewired the planet, allowing skilled workers from any part of the globe
to participate in an economic system that can stretch anywhere wires, radio
or satellite signals do. Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are literally changing
the ways we communicate and these changes are coming more rapidly and affecting
more people than any other evolution in human history. In one short decade,
we have seen the major search engines replace venerable institutions and
communications networks that served countless generations before ours. This
is the ground floor; the elevator can only go up.
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