Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Customer Journey • Marketing Stack • Customer Acquisition

SEM

Term from Marketing industry explained for recruiters

SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is a way companies advertise their products or services on search engines like Google and Bing. It's different from regular SEO (Search Engine Optimization) because companies pay for these ads to appear at the top of search results. Think of it like placing a billboard where you know your customers will see it, but online. When someone searches for something related to your business, your ad appears above the regular search results. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, which is why it's also called "pay-per-click" (PPC) advertising. This is a key part of modern digital marketing and helps businesses get immediate visibility online.

Examples in Resumes

Managed SEM campaigns that increased website traffic by 150% in 6 months

Led successful Search Engine Marketing projects with budgets over $50,000

Optimized PPC and SEM strategies resulting in 40% lower cost per acquisition

Typical job title: "SEM Specialists"

Also try searching for:

PPC Specialist Digital Marketing Specialist Paid Search Manager Google Ads Specialist Digital Marketing Manager Search Marketing Manager Paid Media Specialist

Where to Find SEM Specialists

Online Communities

Professional Networks

Events & Conferences

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you handle a client whose SEM campaigns are getting clicks but no conversions?

Expected Answer: A senior specialist should discuss analyzing landing pages, reviewing keyword relevance, checking audience targeting, testing different ad copies, and using conversion tracking to identify bottlenecks in the customer journey.

Q: How do you allocate budget across different campaigns and platforms?

Expected Answer: Should explain how to analyze performance data, understand customer behavior patterns, test different channels, and make data-driven decisions about where to invest more budget based on ROI and business goals.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What strategies do you use to reduce cost per click while maintaining quality?

Expected Answer: Should discuss improving quality scores, refining keyword targeting, writing compelling ad copy, and using negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic.

Q: How do you structure an SEM campaign from scratch?

Expected Answer: Should explain researching keywords, organizing ad groups, writing effective ad copy, setting up proper tracking, and establishing clear goals and budget allocation.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What's the difference between broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords?

Expected Answer: Should explain how different keyword match types control when ads appear and demonstrate basic understanding of when to use each type.

Q: How do you measure the success of an SEM campaign?

Expected Answer: Should mention key metrics like click-through rate, conversion rate, cost per click, and return on ad spend, showing basic understanding of campaign performance measurement.