Life as a Paid Search Specialist

Have you ever wondered what life in paid search is really like? What does it take to break into the industry and to stay top of your game?

As part of our “Life as a” series, we caught up with Michael Walker, Paid Search Manager at OutSearch Ltd & British Corner Shop to give you a little more insight. If you’re considering a career within Digital Marketing or are planning on adding a paid search expert to your team – you can find some first-hand knowledge right here.

ADLIB: In approx. 30 words what does your role as a Paid Search Manager involve?

Michael: My main roles as a Paid Search Manager is data analysis, campaign building, keyword research, liaising with clients and ensuring targets are exceeded or hit for all of my clients.

ADLIB: In a nutshell, what is a typical day like for you? (…if there is such thing)

Michael: I wouldn’t say any day is ever the same for myself as PPC is always growing and ever-changing, there’s so much you can do with PPC that I don’t think you will ever have a campaign that is 100% finished, I’m constantly looking and finding new ways to improve my clients accounts/campaigns performance.

Also, every business is different, and objectives/ targets can change dependent on the clients’ needs and it’s my job to tailor their PPC strategy around their specific business goals.

However, daily tasks are always needed such as reviewing performance on existing client’s accounts/ campaigns, adding/ reviewing negative keywords, analysing current/ previous data, running split A/B tests, updating ad copies, etc… I like to call these micro optimisations and they keep the account/ campaigns and data in good health.

ADLIB: What do you like most about your role?

Michael: My favourite my part about working in Paid Search is by far how tangible the results are, you can clearly see what is working and what is not, then measure the impact any changes you make to a client’s campaigns have had, be that negative or positive.

PPC I find for all my clients is also their top digital marketing channel, bringing in the most revenue or conversions for their business, on average between 35% – 50% of all total sales.

It’s nice to know you’re providing a valuable service for your clients and able to provide a definitive result.

ADLIB: What do you see as the top 3 skills it takes to become a Paid Search Manager?

Michael: I personally believe the top 3 skills needed to become a Paid Search Manager would be.

1. Data Analysis
2. Full understanding of Google’s Attribution Models/ how Google’s Tracking Scripts work.
3. Campaign Architecture

ADLIB: And finally, what top tip would you give someone to ensure that their skills and knowledge within Paid Search remain top-notch?

Michael: Obviously, keeping up to date with all Google’s new and wonderful/ sometimes not so wonderful developments.

Start using Google Analytics and Google Ads data together to make better data-informed decisions.

Start learning JavaScript and create your own custom Google Ads Scripts for your clients.

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, Michael!