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Career overview · SOC 13-1161

Search Marketing Strategists

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.

Also called: Digital Marketing Strategist · Digital Media Planner · Internet Marketing Specialist · Marketing Consultant · Online Marketing Consultant · Paid Search Consultant

Median pay (national)
$76,950
$42,070–$144,610 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
861,140
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.7%
~87,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for search marketing strategists shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $144,610 versus $42,070 at the bottom 10% — 3.4x. The median of $76,950 leaves roughly 88% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.7% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 87,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, Delaware pays the most for this role (median $98,650, +28% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $38,410 — a 157% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Adobe Analytics, Ahrefs Site Explorer, Bing Ads, Cascading style sheets CSS as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Monitoring
  • Learning Strategies
  • Mathematics
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • 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.
  • Create content strategies for digital media.
  • Combine secondary data sources with keyword research to more accurately profile and satisfy user intent.

Tools & technology

  • Adobe Analytics
  • Ahrefs Site Explorer
  • Bing Ads
  • Cascading style sheets CSS
  • Content management systems CMS
  • Google
  • Google Ads
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Looker Analytics
  • Google Tag Manager
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • JavaScript
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Moz search engine optimization SEO software

Knowledge areas

  • Sales and Marketing
  • Computers and Electronics
  • English Language
  • Communications and Media
  • Mathematics
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administrative
  • Psychology