Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for SEM Manager

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires a highly skilled and analytical SEM Manager to join our dynamic marketing team. In this role, you will be the driving force behind our paid search strategy and execution. You will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of our SEM campaigns, from strategic planning, keyword research, and ad creation to bid management, performance analysis, and continuous optimization. Your expertise will be critical in driving qualified traffic, generating leads, and maximizing our return on ad spend (ROAS). This is a pivotal role that requires a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on technical execution, and a deep understanding of the ever-evolving digital advertising landscape.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

SEM Specialist / PPC Analyst
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Analyst with a focus on paid media

Advancement To:

Senior SEM Manager / Head of SEM
Director of Performance Marketing
Director of Digital Marketing

Lateral Moves:

SEO Manager
Marketing Analytics Manager
Programmatic Media Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, execute, and continuously optimize comprehensive paid search campaigns across platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising to meet and exceed key performance indicators (KPIs) such as ROAS, CPA, and lead volume.
Conduct in-depth keyword research and competitive analysis to identify new opportunities for growth and inform campaign structure and targeting strategies.
Manage and strategically allocate substantial monthly and quarterly paid search budgets to ensure optimal performance and efficient spending across all campaigns.
Write compelling, relevant ad copy and collaborate with design teams on creative assets for display and video campaigns, running rigorous A/B tests to improve click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates (CVR).
Implement and manage sophisticated bidding strategies, including automated and manual approaches, to maximize campaign effectiveness and achieve business goals.
Perform daily account management and monitoring of paid search accounts, including campaign pacing, performance auditing, and proactive issue resolution.
Analyze campaign performance data using platforms like Google Analytics (GA4), Search Ads 360, and internal dashboards to derive actionable insights and inform future strategies.
Develop and maintain detailed performance reports and dashboards for key stakeholders, clearly communicating campaign results, trends, and strategic recommendations.
Own the campaign testing roadmap, consistently experimenting with landing pages, ad formats, targeting parameters, and beta features to drive incremental gains.
Collaborate closely with the SEO team to create a synergistic search strategy, aligning keyword targets and sharing insights to improve overall search engine visibility.
Manage and optimize shopping campaigns (Google Shopping/PMax), including feed management, product grouping, and bidding to drive e-commerce sales.
Stay at the forefront of the SEM industry, keeping up with the latest trends, algorithm updates, platform changes, and emerging technologies to ensure our strategy remains competitive.
Implement advanced tracking and tagging strategies using Google Tag Manager to ensure accurate data collection for conversion tracking, audience building, and attribution modeling.
Build, manage, and segment remarketing lists and customer match audiences to re-engage users at different stages of the funnel.
Oversee the health of our advertising accounts, ensuring compliance with all ad platform policies and best practices to prevent account suspensions or ad disapprovals.
Mentor and potentially manage junior members of the SEM team, fostering their growth and ensuring executional excellence.
Forecast performance and budget needs, providing strategic input for annual and quarterly planning cycles based on data-driven projections.
Collaborate with the content and web development teams to ensure landing pages are optimized for conversion and provide a seamless user experience.
Manage relationships with external partners and vendors, including agency partners and technology providers, to ensure they meet performance objectives.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues related to campaign performance, tracking discrepancies, and platform-specific technical challenges.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer critical business questions.
Contribute to the organization's broader digital marketing strategy and roadmap by providing expert SEM insights.
Collaborate with other marketing channels (Social, Email, Content) to ensure an integrated and cohesive customer journey.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the marketing team to ensure timely project delivery.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Paid Search Platform Proficiency: Deep, hands-on expertise in Google Ads (Search, PMax, Display, YouTube) and Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads).
Web Analytics: Advanced proficiency with Google Analytics (GA4) for performance analysis, goal tracking, and audience segmentation.
Search Engine Marketing Tools: Experience with advanced SEM tools such as Search Ads 360 (SA360), SpyFu, SEMrush, or similar platforms.
Bid Management Technology: Familiarity with automated bidding strategies and third-party bidding platforms.
Advanced Spreadsheet Skills: Mastery of Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets, including pivot tables, advanced formulas, VLOOKUPs/XLOOKUPs, and data visualization.
Tag Management Systems: Hands-on experience with Google Tag Manager (GTM) for implementing conversion tracking, pixels, and event tags.
A/B & Multivariate Testing: Strong understanding of testing methodologies for ad copy, landing pages, and campaign variables.
Data Visualization: Experience creating reports and dashboards using tools like Looker Studio (Data Studio), Tableau, or Power BI.
Feed Management: Knowledge of managing product feeds for Google Merchant Center and Shopping campaigns.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): Foundational knowledge of CRO principles and landing page optimization best practices.

Soft Skills

Analytical & Data-Driven Mindset: Ability to translate complex data sets into actionable business insights.
Strategic Thinking: Capacity to see the big picture and develop long-term plans that align with business objectives.
Strong Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to present complex information clearly to diverse audiences.
Problem-Solving: Proactive and resourceful in identifying and resolving challenges.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous approach to campaign setup, budget management, and data analysis.
Project Management: Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively.
Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced environment and can quickly adapt to industry and platform changes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a relevant field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Marketing or Advertising
Business Administration or Economics
Statistics or Data Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

4-7+ years of dedicated, hands-on experience managing SEM/PPC campaigns.

Preferred:

Experience managing large-scale budgets (e.g., $100k+/month).
A proven track record of driving significant growth in traffic, leads, or revenue through paid search.
Experience in both B2B and B2C environments.
Prior experience working in a fast-paced agency or high-growth tech company.
Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising certifications are highly desirable.