PPC Vs Paid Search Jobs: What’s the Difference?

For candidates and hiring managers alike, understanding the distinctions—and overlaps—between PPC and Paid Search jobs is essential. Before we start to list the skills that can make you shine in a paid search marketing career, it’s important to note that, in some companies, there’s no clear differentiation between paid search careers. The list of desired skills in PPC and Paid Search job descriptions can be significant for other companies. Let’s break it down.

What’s the Difference Between PPC Jobs and Paid Search Jobs?

PPC jobs focus on managing advertising campaigns where businesses pay each time someone clicks on their ad. PPC campaigns typically involve platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and sometimes social media advertising platforms like META Ads (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok Ads and LinkedIn Ads, even though these aren’t strictly search-focused.

Paid Search jobs, on the other hand, are a subset of PPC that specifically focus on search engine advertising. Paid Search roles deal exclusively with managing campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads to appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).

In simpler terms, all Paid Search jobs are PPC jobs, but not all PPC jobs are Paid Search jobs. PPC can encompass a wider range of platforms and strategies beyond search engines, such as display ads, video ads, and social media campaigns.

Most Common Paid Search Job Titles

Paid Search encloses a range of marketing roles, each with its own responsibilities and focus areas. Below are some of the most common paid search jobs you might see on the jobs boards:

• Paid Search Managers oversee strategy, execution, and optimisation of paid search campaigns. Paid Search Managers focus on maximising ROI through keyword research, bid strategies, and ad copy testing.
• Paid Search Analysts focus on data analysis, reporting, and insights to improve campaign performance.
• SEM Specialists is another common term for Paid Search Specialists. In their day to day, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Specialists handle campaign setup, optimisation, and performance monitoring.
• PPC Executive is a more generalist role. As mentioned above, PPC marketing roles often involve paid search and broader PPC tasks like display and social media ads.

Career Development Opportunities in Paid Search

Paid Search offers a clear career path. You might start your career with entry-level roles such as PPC Executive or Paid Search Assistant, which can lead to mid-level positions such as Paid Search Specialist or Analyst, and eventually, after years of experience, to senior roles like Paid Search Manager or Head of Paid Media.

Certifications like Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising and even Google Analytics can accelerate career growth and help you stand out from other marketers when looking for a job in Paid Search.

Depending on your skills and experience, you might want to branch out into related fields such as Content Marketing, Social Media, or CRO to land a job in Digital Marketing Strategy, Programmatic Advertising, Social Media Advertising or E-commerce Marketing.

Why Work in Paid Search?

If you’re wondering why someone might want to start a career in Paid Search, you should know that this can be a rewarding career path for those who love numbers but want to work in a creative role. Paid Search roles combine both creativity with data-driven decision-making. Think, for instance, of the copy of the ads you get when you perform a quick search on Google or Bing. It’s not all about the numbers, although those working in Paid Search must be able to read and understand spreadsheets and real-time paid search auction bidding systems.

• There’s a high demand for Paid Search Managers and PPC Managers right now as businesses across diverse industries struggle to drive organic traffic and rely more than ever on paid search to drive traffic and sales.
• You can measure the impact of your paid search campaigns and see the direct results of your work through analytics and ROI/ROA, which is more difficult in other professional areas of marketing.
• From crafting compelling ad copy to testing keywords, there’s always an opportunity to be creative and innovative in this area.
• There’s excellent growth potential, as digital marketing budgets for paid search are increasing, and there are plenty of opportunities for career advancement for those with the right skill set and experience.

Who Works with Paid Search Managers?

Paid Search Managers rarely work on their own. Whether they work as part of a marketing agency or an in-house marketing department, Paid Search marketers often collaborate with a wide range of professionals to ensure campaign success, including:

• Content writers and copywriters work closely to create ad copy and landing page content.
• SEO Specialists make sure paid and organic search strategies are aligned.
• Designers create the visuals for display ads or landing pages.
• Data Analysts can be brought in to interpret campaign performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Account Managers are often involved in the communication process with clients and stakeholders, especially in marketing agencies.

PPC Vs. Paid Search: Is There a Real Differentiation?

If you’ve made it this far, you might be asking yourself if there’s a clear distinction between PPC and Paid Search roles in all companies. The truth is, it depends! In some organisations, there’s no real differentiation, and a PPC Manager might handle everything around Paid Search and Paid Social, from Google Ads to display campaigns or social media campaigns. Meanwhile, a Paid Search Manager working in another company might be laser-focused on search engine advertising alone.

If you’re a marketing student or an experienced marketer exploring new opportunities, it’s always a good idea to clarify the scope of the role during the application process to avoid wasting your time.

Our Team can Help You Find a Paid Search Marketing Specialist

Understanding the skills and experience you need for your paid search job will help you attract marketing candidates who align with your desired skills and your company’s values and goals. If you’re expanding your digital marketing department and you’re unsure if you need a PPC specialist or a Paid Search marketing specialist, our team can help.

We’ll analyse your current talent and work with you to find the right talent to fill your talent gaps. Reach out to our team to book a call and start the search.