ElevatED (S2:Ep6) Career Chat: Search Engine Marketing

By Danielle DeGroot, University College Writer

Search engine marketing is a broad concept. Many terms get thrown around in the marketing world, and it can be hard to know what they are. How does search engine marketing, including search engine optimization (SEO) and organic traffic versus paid search, affect an overall marketing strategy?

This episode of ElevatED dives deep into the search engine world with marketing industry expert, author, national speaker, trainer, digital marketing strategist, founder, and CEO of Market Mindshift, Mindy Weinstein. Weinstein is co-author of “The Marketing Avengers,” holds a Ph.D. in general psychology with an emphasis in technology, and serves as an adjunct instructor in University College’s communication management program, helping others gain insight into this valuable and fast-growing sector of search engine marketing.  

“The simplest definition I can give is that it is the process of getting traffic to a website from a search engine,” Weinstein said about search marketing. People use a search engine, such as Google, because they are looking for a solution to a problem, and it is the marketer’s job to ensure that people find and use their site to find the answers.

“A big part of search marketing is how can we help people? How best can we help people find what they are looking for when they are doing a search? What is it that they truly need or want to solve the problem they are facing?” said Weinstein.

For those in the career, understanding the psychology of what people are looking for and what the intent behind a search is, plays a huge role in search marketing. There are some very deep psychological concepts that are at play in search engine marketing, it is not simply about writing catchy ads or being an amazing salesperson. It is vital to understand what people are doing in the online space and what they want from that experience.

Understanding one’s audience and predicting their needs is among the search engine marketing and optimization skills that are in high demand in the job market. And thanks to the combination of technology, psychology, research, and creativity, search engine marketing is a wide landscape that can appeal to many different people. Weinstein suggests that people delve into their own strengths to identify those skills they enjoy or want to sharpen, and then use those to move them forward in the growing industry.   

“As long as there is a search engine, there is going to be search marketing because there has to be. This job is not going to go away anytime soon…I constantly get asked at conferences if I know someone who is looking for a job in SEO.”

Tune in here to listen to the full podcast and learn more about how search engine marketing and SEO might be the right career path for you! Or listen to it below.

Interested in learning more and advancing your career in SEM? The Search Marketing course, taught by Weinstein and offered through the Communication Management graduate program at University College, will train you in the skills that are in demand.

This class will provide deep insight into the tools and tactics of search marketing. Students will learn what makes search marketing demanding and how to overcome the challenges presented by regular search engine algorithm updates, increasing mobile device usage, and the influence of social media. The course will focus on two key techniques of SEM: search engine optimization (SEO) to improve results from the natural or organic listings, and paid search marketing, or pay-per-click (PPC), to deliver results from the sponsored listings within search engines. A variety of search practices, including mobile and local, will be also be explored.

You can enroll in the course before you apply and get started in March! Learn more at ucollege.du.edu/sem.     

Catch up with the entire ElevatED Podcast.

The ElevatED podcast is a space for conversations around the intersection of industry and higher education for adult learners. Brought to you by the University of Denver’s college of continuing and professional studies, University College.