STEP 1
Build the Ideal Candidate Profile
To find the best person for the role, you need to understand what the role involves. You can complete this with the hiring manager to define the role, its contribution, and the skills needed.
How To Hire a Senior SEM Manager
MarketingComplete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this Senior SEM Manager hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.
SENIOR SEM MANAGER RECRUITMENT GUIDE
What does a Senior SEM Manager do?
A Senior SEM Manager is the lead developer of search engine marketing tests and regularly reports on the impacts and results of search engine marketing programs as well as strategic recommendations that improve the overall SEM performance and results.
The Senior SEM Manager leads and oversees the day-to-day SEM processes for various marketing search engine campaigns and implements new or revised keywords, copy, bid, landing pages, and other related SEM approaches and strategies.
Day to day tasks of a Senior SEM Manager
- Using Segment, Amplitude, Google Analytics, Tag Manager & other SEM tools/integrations.
- Develop and implement Google and Facebook/Instagram ad campaign
- Create, insert, optimize and manage tracking ensuring clean data can be analyzed from GA, Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, and other tracking sources
- Strategically plan, budget, execute and measure paid search marketing strategy on a national and/or global scale.
- SEM reporting, budgeting & forecasting.
- Manage and develop the search marketing team (or contractors) to hit agreed KPIs.
SENIOR SEM MANAGER DEFINITION
A Senior SEM Manager is tasked with the monitoring of SEM campaigns. They perform advanced research and analysis on search performance metrics such as quality score and competitive analyses after which they make recommendations on tracking and data improvements.
HIRING PROCESS
Senior SEM Manager Hiring Process
STEP 2
Write A Job Description Based On Skills
Once you understand the requirements for the role, you’ll need to understand the skills for success. You can then write an effective job description to promote your role.
STEP 3
Selecting The Ideal Candidate
See which applicants have the right skills for the role. Send all your applicants a Vervoe skills assessment from the expert library, or customize one for your organization.
STEP 4
Interview Top Performers
Your skills assessment results will identify top performers. Focus your time on interviewing those that have met or exceeded your requirements. Assessment results will also help guide which skill areas to focus on in the interview.
STEP 5
Making An Offer
Once you assess your candidates against these skills, you’re ready to offer the top performer(s). You should base your offer on the value that the candidate would bring to your team and your business as a whole. It is also important to ensure your compensation and benefits packages are competitive in the industry and help you attract and retain the top talent.
BUILD THE IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
Skills needed for a Senior SEM Manager
A Senior SEM Manager must be data focussed and understanding running end to end campaigns, utilizing in depth marketing analysis metrics.
- Marketing Analytics
- SEM
- Campaign Management
WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION BASED ON SKILLS
How to write a Senior SEM Manager job description
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position. Here’s what to include in your Senior SEM Manager job description:
- Job Title
- What position are you hiring for?
- Summary
- What makes your company unique? What would it be like to work for you?
- Responsibilities
- An overview of the role’s day-to-day activities, and how the position contributes to the organization
- Requirements
- Skills a candidate must have to perform the job successfully
- Benefits
- Details of compensation, benefits, and any perks on offer
SELECTING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sample skill tests for a Senior SEM Manager
Create a free account today to access the full assessment and more from our library
Question 1
SEMQuestion Type: Audio
What is SEM's role in an integrated, multifunctional marketing plan?
Question 2
Campaign ManagementQuestion Type: Video
Describe a situation where you have used tested and proved hypotheses to recommend performance optimizations.
Question 3
Marketing AnalyticsQuestion Type: Text
Below are the stats from the previous month and halfway through the current month for a SaaS company that you are working with. What high-level conclusions can you draw from this data, and what would be an achievable number of new customers for the full month?
INTERVIEW TOP PERFORMERS
How to interview a Senior SEM Manager
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The interview should focus on any skills that require development that were highlighted from the skills assessment.
Now you know that candidates can do the job, the interview becomes more of a relationship building exercise where you can get to know the candidate on a more personal level, understand their motivations, and how they would fit in with the team.
MAKING AN OFFER
How much does it cost to hire a Senior SEM Manager?
The US average for a Senior SEM Manager according to Indeed amounts to $70,571. According to ZipRecruiter, the majority of Senior SEM Manager salaries currently range between $56,000 (25th percentile) to $82,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $101,000 annually across the US.
United States
Senior SEM Manager salaries in the United States range from $48,933 - $66,754 (USD). SEM Manager salaries in the U.S will vary depending on the location and scope of the role.
Source: Source: Salary.com
United Kingdom
SEM Manager salaries in the United Kingdom range from £27,500 - £80,000 (GBP). SEM Manager salaries in the UK will vary depending on the location and scope of the role.
Source: Source: Hays UK Salary Guide 2020
Australia
SEM Manager salaries in Australia range from $94,000 - $111,000 (AUD). SEM Manager salaries in Australia will vary depending on the location and scope of the role.
Source: Source: Glassdoor