Digital Marketing job descriptions and roles – PPC (Google Ads) Search Manager (or Digital Acquisition Manager)
What’s the aim of these 15 templates?
This are practical templates to support managers when recruiting digital marketing specialists to resource digital marketing activities within their team structure.
The job descriptions in this template are intended to help identify the right type of role and the right type of person to improve digital marketing’s contribution within an organisation.
By defining clear competencies required by an organisation, we intend to save you time when creating job descriptions to advertise for new recruits or recruiting into existing digital marketing roles.
The role descriptions may also be useful for updating existing employee job roles. In some companies, HR training plans are created against job skills. These are linked closely to performance objectives, and the focus is to retrain current marketing staff through CPD (continuing professional development), courses, exhibitions or external courses. Where companies are under-resourced in digital marketing or current staff do not have the motivation to upskill, then the company will need to recruit externally and employ those who can literally ‘hit the ground running’!
We have identified 15 of the most important roles based on an analysis of advertised roles across a range of recruitment agencies and direct from employers. The roles are focused on key digital marketing skills, including CRM, Analytics, Search, PPC, Social Media, Social Media Platform Development and the management of digital platforms and tools across agencies and client-side.
Candidate selection criteria covered within the job descriptions
The templates provide the following sections: variation of job titles, junior roles to support this role, location, industry, client/agency-side, summary scope, main duties, person specifications (soft and hard skills), and current average salary.
When companies are aiming to recruit staff in these roles, we believe this is a useful framework to apply in both writing the job specification and to help with scoring key desirable and essential skills during the interview stage. It may also be useful to check if anyone currently in the organisation has these skills. If so, and if there is room to up-skill and the structure is right for the new role, pitching it internally to this candidate at the right salary can be a great move.
From a candidate’s perspective, or someone seeking a new role, the detailed criteria will help them highlight key skills on their CV which employers are looking for or even show skills which they are aiming to develop.
Job description for PPC Search Manager
A Pay Per Click Search Manager’s main responsibility is for PPC Google Ad campaigns (and other paid search engines where those are important) and generating leads through Google. It is clear that agency roles tend to focus purely on this and the management of PPC campaigns for their clients.
Within some roles, it is also focussed on driving new leads for the business through maximizing a range of paid media digital channels used within the business to generate income. They tend to be responsible for managing Google Ads (PPC) search network and re-targeting on the Google Display Network, paid prospecting and paid social media advertising. They may potentially also have responsibility for organic search i.e. improving the search engine optimization (visibility) of the company’s website, landing page optimization and for some it may include email marketing and mobile marketing campaigns. See Search Manager.
The technicality of the roles varies across the job roles advertised. Some are looking for technical managers with relevant skills to oversee other PPC staff or Developers, others are more focused on campaign management, planning and reporting.
1. Role:
The variation in job titles includes: PPC Search Manager, Paid Search Manager, Biddable media manager, Digital Account Manager – PPC, SEO, Head of PPC, PPC and Performance Manager and PPC International Manager. There may also be a broader Digital Acquisition Manager role that will include Google Ads alongside other paid media where relevant, such as paid social, affiliate marketing and programmatic.
2. Junior roles within the team
The more junior roles PPC (Account) Executive, PPC Campaign Executive, Senior Account Executive – PPC, Digital Marketing Executive – PPC, SEO, Email, PPC Analyst, PPC Senior Executive and Search Planner/Executive.
3. Location
4. Industry sector
5. Client/agency side
6. Summary/scope of role
7. Main duties/areas of responsibility
- Define Ad campaign optimization strategy
- Liaise and build relationships with creative teams and key stakeholders.
- Responsible for managing and implementing successful paid campaigns, demonstrating reaching revenue and ROI goals i.e. volume and efficiency
- Responsible for Ads budget allocation and planning.
- Keyword research including competitor research.
- Understand and apply targeting strategies for short- and long-tail keywords.
- Understand and manage creative campaigns to improve ad performance and quality CTRs across desktop and mobile.
- Liaise with Designers or Developers to optimize landing pages for optimum quality scores and create branding of banners etc. for key data capture.
- Responsible for bid management, keyword research and specific country targeting. Optimize campaigns with text for ads etc.
- Ensure evaluation and tracking is in place to monitor campaigns.
- Identify opportunities to grow leads and improve profitability of campaigns.
- Recommend and execute strategies for keyword opportunities in accordance with company goals.
- Understand display advertising on new networks, outside of Google/MSN.
- Co-ordinate and plan digital campaigns for new customer acquisition, including other marketing channels such as SEO, Affiliate, Display, TV etc. (for some roles and not all).
- Maintain a high level of product knowledge to ensure that the organization remains well positioned amongst competitors and monitor web analytics in accordance with internal goals.
- For agency roles, to liaise with clients through planning and providing key reports, with recommendations to improve campaign performance.
8. Person Spec: Skills and Experience
Management/Softer Skills
- Passion for online marketing and thrives from result-driven success.
- Passion for PPC campaigns.
- Budgeting and financial planning.
- Keep up to date with PPC and search industry developments.
- Strong communication skills and ability to communicate strategies for clients, in agency roles.
- Project management skills.
- Strong presentation skills.
- Ability to work independently and build strong relationships with stakeholders.
- “Breathe” Yahoo, Google Ads, Bing, PPC campaigns.
- Analytical and critical attention to detail.
- Agency roles; experience in account management, client relationship building and presenting findings.
Technical/Specific experience
- Experience or understanding of Display or Content Network Management.
- Proven track record of similar PPC role or PPC campaign management and SEM and can demonstrate improving performance and ROI.
- Experience of natural search planning and implementation.
- Sound SEO knowledge.
- Google Analytics and advanced Ads Editor knowledge.
- Some roles ask for Dart/Atlas and keyword research tools.
- Advanced Excel skills. Some roles ask for Kenshoo, Marin and DS3 platform experience for more junior roles.
- Understanding of the wider digital marketing landscape (Affiliate, SEO, Paid Social and Programmatic channels).
9. Core competencies
These tend to be required for public sector roles and private companies can interview candidates based on competencies. Some may include leadership, communication, creativity, project management, financial and problem solving.
10. Professional qualifications and associations
- Google Ads/Bing Certified.
- Degree educated or strong academic background.
- Some roles ask for two to three years’ PPC experience.
- Some roles which are more Junior Analysts role ask for ranking algorithms experience and experience of HTML, JavaScript and PHP for link building strategies.
List of Roles
- Analytics Manager
- Content Manager/Content Marketing Manager
- CRM Manager (Incorporating Email Marketing and Marketing Automation)
- Digital Account Manager/Sales Director (Agency Role)
- Digital Director/Head of Digital
- Digital Copywriter Digital
- Marketing Manager or Web Manager
- E-commerce Manager
- Marketing Director
- Marketing Executive
- Marketing Manager
- PPC (Google Ads) Search Manager (or Digital Acquisition Manager)
- Search Manager
- Social Media Manager including Community Manager
- Web Developer/Designer
How can Emarkable help:
- Digital Marketing Team Structuring: Emarkable offers expertise in evaluating options for structuring digital marketing teams, including the establishment of a centre of excellence, and defining roles within larger organizations.
- Employee Development Learning Path: Emarkable provides comprehensive training to help marketers assess their learning requirements, whether they are seasoned professionals or new to their roles. Our resources support annual development or performance reviews between managers and team members, fostering continuous growth throughout the year.
- Recruitment Support: Emarkable offers assistance in the selection and recruitment process for assembling high-performing digital marketing teams.
- Onboarding Assistance: Emarkable facilitates a seamless onboarding process for new recruits, ensuring they integrate smoothly into the team and understand their roles and responsibilities.
- Ongoing Support: Through our Evolve programme, Emarkable collaborates with your company to develop a detailed activity plan aligned with your business strategy. We provide ongoing support to implement the plan, ensuring sustained growth and success.
