5 Steps To A Successful Career In Search Engine Marketing

by Vikalp Malhotra Digital Marketer

5 Steps to A Successful Career In Search Engine Marketing

In today's time search engine marketing is the core part of marketing. It has become an important aspect of every online business and has been increasingly growing at an incredible pace. In this phase of life, it is the best time to be an SEM professional. Choosing the right career is complicated and it also depends on the market demands. A career in search marketing requires skills and knowledge. Choosing SEM as a career option you need to understand specific terms such as PPC, SEO, CTR, CPC and many other terms and what roles they play all together. Even for an entry level SEM job during the interview you can’t just show your familiarity with the terms and know their full forms, you need to put your best foot forward and explain in detail the requirements of each by giving few company examples which have implemented the terms. Most of the digital companies are looking for experienced candidates because there is a responsibility to show return on investment. If you have the passion and interest in choosing search marketing as a long-term career and want to do wonders in the online business, but due to certain constraints you are not acquainted with the basics of search marketing you can join courses to cope up with the field. There are many digital companies in India that are offering cutting edge online courses and training programs in search marketing and few of them are also offering internship programs to enhance one’s skills and knowledge. Showing up with your online training program certificate is not sufficient to get the job. During the interview you will have to give an online test to prove your skills and experience. Search engine marketing is a growing field, to have a successful career in SEM just follow these simple steps which will help you to enhance your skill sets.

1. Excess Reading & Research: The most important step in SEM is to read, read and read. Start with a basic layout foundation of SEM, there are so many worth reading material on many online sites. Most SEM professionals are self taught, there are many SEM industries that share their knowledge and insights through their website, blogs, RSS feeds, case studies and forums on various SEM campaigns. To read more download free e-books, PDF files and watch videos. All you have to do is research on the information with a wider mindset.

2. Participate in seminars and workshops: The next step is to attend seminars, events and workshops that are taking place in your city. Actively participate and recommend them to your friends as well. If you are not able to attend any of the above mentioned you can get engaged in discussions and share valid information on forums, blogs and social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Keep yourself engaged in all the social platforms.

3. Networking: Find and build contacts during seminars and workshops. In this business networking is very important you can network with professionals on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and various forums. You can register yourself on sites to receive the latest articles and question & answers on search marketing topics.

4. Keep practicing: Don’t just obtain theoretical knowledge, understand SEM better and put it together practically. Practice makes everything perfect. Read a lot and then practice by creating your own blog, or by creating your own website, build up the contents, plan out an ad campaign and find whom do you want as your target audience and then generate your own keywords. You can take online classes from the top digital marketing institutes available.

5. General Skills & Technical skills: One needs to have excellent written and oral communication skills and a continuous urge of reading and learning. The SEM industry is dynamic one need to be aware of the changing trends. Understanding your target audience is a plus point it will help you better in forming your keywords. One must have the ability to think creatively and have a good customer relationship. In technical part one must have a sound understanding of computer and internet skills. Wi-Fi connection 24/7 is also a must. Knowing carious tools is a plus point Google tracker, Google AdWords, Google Analytics and how to function on the search engine sites as Yahoo, Google and Bing. Do possess the basic knowledge of programming and scripting skills such as HTML, CSS, basic Java, PHP, WordPress editing and other relevant technical skills.

If you think you are passionate and will really enjoy choosing an SEM as a career option, you could either join a course or start up with an internship and then get into a higher level post by gaining experience.