WebProNews

The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) published its first survey of in-house SEM compensation. They found healthy salaries for SEM pros, but the six-figure salaries ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 remain out of reach for newbies.

WebProNews chatted with Duane Forrester, co-chair of SEMPO’s In-House SEM Committee. He recently joined Microsoft as Lead SEO Program Manager, moving from Nova Scotia to Seattle as he traded in Canadian snowfall for Pacific Northwestern rainfall.

He said some aspects of the survey's results surprised him. Topping that list: the budgets being managed by in-house SEM pros. SEMPO thought they would see $100,000 as a ceiling for monthly spends, but about a third of those pros manage in excess of $200,000 in spending per month.

As SEMPO projects SEM spending hitting over $18 billion by 2011, the $200k monthly spend "is a healthy barometer of the search marketing industry," Forrester said.

The survey distilled the answers received by 656 in-house SEM pros. "Lots of agency people wanted to fill it in," said Forrester, but SEMPO wanted to keep this survey focused on the staff search marketing managers.

Those SEM pros range in experience, with a majority having zero to three years in practice. Forrester said this meshes perfectly with the state of the industry right now. About 64 percent of those surveyed have five years or less experience.

Inside the business, SEM pros will likely fall under a marketing umbrella. 78 percent of the survey cited that as their place in the organization. 7.5 percent were under IT departments, while the rest were under other sections.

About a third of the SEM pros have senior manager titles, with other holding titles as high as director in a company. For those looking for positions, Forrester noted the faster returns a smaller company can provide, but pointed out the bigger, established firms have the clout to bring in people with specialized skillsets.

Someone with a solid track record in SEM and some experience needs to have a quality online brand if they want to attract the attention of a desirable employer. Online networking is key here. People have to know about a candidate in order to consider them for a position.

Forrester's story is a case in point. His body of work, along with authoring a book, "How to Make Money with Your Blog," likely helped him draw Microsoft's attention.

Since it's going to take a few years to get the experience that draws the premium salaries, SEM pros will do well to look over their online identity and networking efforts today. They could lead to a lucrative tomorrow.