Senior Paid Search Strategist
As the Senior Paid Search Strategist, you will own the creation, execution, and optimization of paid search campaigns, acting as a strategic SEM lead and advisor for enterprise-level brands. This role works as part of an integrated SEO / SEM team to develop holistic search strategy. You'll provide leadership and expertise in account structure and setup, ongoing budget and bid management, and continuous performance optimization. You'll collaborate across multiple teams and disciplines, present data-driven insights, and deliver actionable performance reporting to clients. You'll be responsible for defining and communicating SEM goals, maintaining client satisfaction, and educating both internal and external teams on the evolving SEM landscape and its opportunities.
You Will :
- Drive the ongoing development, implementation, and optimization of SEM strategy for national brands with $1M+ budgets
- Work as part of an integrated SEO / SEM team, aligning paid and organic search strategies to reduce costs while maximizing holistic search performance
- Translate business goals to SEM platform activation strategies / tactics
- Own the hands-on execution and management of day-to-day performance for multiple campaigns, including budget pacing, campaign setup, account structure, targeting strategy, bid strategy, platforms, data usage, performance optimizations, testing strategy, troubleshooting, and downstream client funnel optimization
- Be the SEM point of contact and trusted advisor for clients
- Clearly communicate paid search best practices and strategies, both internally and externally
- Create and share search POVs and case studies across the agency
- Develop consistent account processes and procedures
- Craft compelling ad copy and guide CRO strategies to drive high-quality traffic and conversions
- Deliver actionable insights to clients through insightful, visually compelling reports (including analysis and strategic recommendations)
- Identify market and consumer trends, telling a story with search data
- Run iterative testing strategies to drive incremental performance lifts
- Map out search tactics and strategies on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis
- Conduct regular SEM audits and competitive analyses to identify net-new opportunities
- Provide data-driven insights and recommendations to refine our strategy and improve campaign performance
- Stay on top of the latest trends in the SEM landscape, keeping clients educated and adapting our search strategies as needed in response
You Have :
5+ years of hands-on experience managing and optimizing paid search campaigns with large spendsExcellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly and persuasively articulate paid search strategiesStrong presentation and storytelling skills, with an emphasis on data visualizationHigh attention to detailProven success in optimizing SEM campaigns and achieving substantial improvements in performance over timeHigh proficiency in industry-standard SEM tools (e.g. SA360, Google / Microsoft Ads, GA4, Google Tag Manager, and Google Ads Editor)Ability to react quickly, assess, and implement solutionsExcellent data analysis and problem-solving skillsA passion for testing and learning and a proactive approachAbility to mine search data for campaign performance insights, uncovering opportunities to drive ROIPassion for staying current in a rapidly evolving digital environment, leveraging new AI tools and techniques to gain a competitive edgeExperience with other Google campaign types (e.g. Discover, Video, Display, Shopping / Merchant Center, etc.) and social campaigns a plusExperience with local or state-level paid search campaignsWhat We Offer :
Global maternity and parental leaveCompetitive benefits packagesVacation, compassionate leave, wellness days, and flex daysSummer Fridays (off at 3 : 00 PM local time every Friday)Diversity and Inclusion Board with 13 affinity groupsEnterprise-wide employee discountsThe Talent Team at Critical Mass is focused on ensuring we provide the best training, onboarding, and employee experience possible! Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from our Chicago office 3 days a week.
Salary Range
$90,000 - $100,000 USD