How to carve a successful career in Search Marketing by Distrelec's, Matt Holmes

Matt Holmes has taken the marketing industry by storm by working on search campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands! As search marketing becomes more and more vital to businesses, we asked Matt to talk to the team about the characteristic of a successful search marketer!

Matt Holmes has nearly a decade’s worth of experience within the industry and having worked for Latitude, Emirates and now Distrelec, he’s certainly the right person to share his knowledge on all things search marketing.

We sat down with Matt to get the inside knowledge on what employers look for in a successful search candidate.

What is your advice for someone who’s looking to kick-start their search career?

‘If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them – day in and day out’ – Chuck Noll (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a massive fan of American Football and even though the quote above is used to talk about football, it’s also extremely relatable to search marketing because in order to be a success, you need to be able to demonstrate your ambition and curiosity. People who are starting off in the industry, shouldn’t be afraid to experiment – nothing great every came from a comfort zone.

What are the stand out characteristics of a successful search marketer?

Someone who’s graduated from university with, or is highly skilled in Economics, Maths or Physics degree would certainly thrive within a search role as it’s easier to train an analytical mind to be creative, rather than the other way round.

A strong interest in consumer psychology would also be advantageous when understanding and acting on consumer needs within search campaigns. It’s important for search marketers to understand their customers so they can be tuned in to issues which could affect performance of their campaigns.

Finally, an individual who can clearly exhibit a positive mentality, who’s quick-thinking, curious, and is ready to make a difference will certainly have the ingredients needed to have a long and successful career in search marketing. When hiring, I look out for people with self-awareness of their strengths and weaknesses – it makes them more coachable and open to development.

What are the challenges of working in search?

One of the key challenges that the industry is finding, is the lack of technical SEO individuals on the market because it’s such a niche set of skills that make a successful Technical SEO Manager/Executive. 

Another challenge to take notice of is the pace of change and innovation within the search industry. The things that worked last month may not work today so it’s important to question everything and be constantly testing and evolving – but that’s what makes it so fun! International search amplifies the complexity because different cultures and countries search and shop in different ways. It’s exciting to face these challenges every day and one of the coolest things about working in search!

Why do you choose to work with The Candidate on you search roles?

Let’s be honest, our company may seem less ‘exciting’ than the likes of the many fashion business’ based in Manchester, which makes it harder for us to find someone who has the right skillset and passion for our brand but The Candidate are able to find these gems! The Candidate and Distrelec have a strong connection, the team clearly understands our needs, culture, and values and are able to find individuals who are the perfect fit. I’ve worked with The Candidate on many roles and they’ve earned my trust by finding me great people every time.

If you’d like The Candidate’s help in finding your next search role, call our team today on 0161 833 1044 or email us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

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