There are three main roles in the search marketing industry: you can work in-house, at an agency, or as an independent consultant. What role are you in today, and is it the right one? How can you be sure you’re following the right path to achieve search marketing nirvana?
Like me, there are many search marketers who have worked in all three sectors. I tracked a few of them down for interviews on the topic and have included the most inspiring bits in this post.
Before we dive in, let’s take a look at what Internet Marketing roles the respondents to the 2012 SEOmoz Industry Survey are in today. The 5000+ respondents shake out like this:
Take a peek at the unsimplified details here.
In-house roles represent 46% of respondents, agency roles have 22%, business owners represent 19%, and independents took the remaining 13%. You’ll notice that I didn’t specifically cover the business owners category in this post. That is because a business owner can, and likely does, overlap quite a bit with the other three role types. Agencies are often led/owned by a powerhouse search marketer, so that would land them in two categories, therefore skewing the data.
Now that you have an idea of the distribution of roles in our industry, maybe you’re thinking about opportunity. “Look at all those in-house jobs! Sweet, I’m jumping in that pie.” Or maybe, “Man I’d love to make a go independent. I’ll show that boss of mine.” It is so easy to make a leap into a new role without really knowing what your in for. You’ve done it. I’ve done it. Hold your horses.
What strikes me about the jobs I’ve held in an agency (SEOmoz), in-house, and as an independent (Keyphraseology) is how incredibly different they are from each other. Culture, day-to-day duties and tasks, income, purpose… everything is different! You’ll be miles ahead if you know the differences and know what is best for you.
Lets take a peek!
In-house
Commonly described as: rewarding & limited
You might do well in-house if you are diplomatic, detail-oriented, and value stability. An in-house job can be very rewarding but you’ll have to be patient. It takes time to educate your colleagues, champion your cause, negotiate for resources, and see your projects to completion. Your in-house job may be limited to one or a few websites, but you will go deep into the details with them and see projects through from beginning-to-end.
Let’s take a look at what some seasoned veterans have to say about in-house search marketing gigs.
Agency
Commonly described as: fun, exhausting, & rewarding
You might do well at an agency if you hunger for a fun and fast-paced environment where collaboration and continuous learning are valued. You’ll be challenged with a wide-variety of project types and clients to keep you on those multi-tasking toes of yours. The environment can be exciting, but also exhausting. Be prepared for some long hours and late nights.
Lets see what our friends have to say.
Independent
Often described as: exhausting, lucrative, rewarding, & unrestricted (free)
Done well, independent search marketing work can be lucrative and rewarding. You’ll be the boss, the owner, the search marketer, and more, so it can also be exhausting. If you’re eager for the freedom to choose your projects and clients, the flexibility to set your own hours, and the responsibility of doing it all, an independent gig might be right for you. The lack of coworkers can make this option a lonesome one.
Check out these bites from those who have been there.
How about you? What roles have you held and what were your experiences? Don’t be shy!
