Hiring a dedicated pay-per-click marketer is tough.

Just about every two- and four-year university in North America offers a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and some even offer the opportunity to minor or specialize in digital marketing.

But you can’t get a degree in the disciplines that correspond to an actual job — PPC, AdWords, Facebook Ads, online ad design, interactive ad copywriting and so on.

How to improve your PPC skills

Voice and visual search

Whilst there are no immediate opportunities for paid campaigns to take advantage of, we have seen voice search emerge.

This has brought full sentences to both the way we query and the responses we receive from the engines. With a visual search, for example, Pinterest Lens and Google Lens, we query with our cameras.

Automation management

We can program the algorithms, we provide the structured data from which the machine can learn from. AdWords Quality Score only works because of all the manual ads we’ve created thus allowing a benchmark to work from.

We should be aware of new automation opportunities and keep on testing until we find a formula that works best for our clients.

Fluency in visual language

For example, once an advert is clicked on Google AdWords it will lead to a landing page – there should be a fluid relation as to not surprise or upset the potential customer.

If they leave the website without connecting or interacting then remarketing adverts will need to display a different language, perhaps an emotional or time-related message which aims to re-engage.

Structured data

Used in the past primarily for optimising SEO campaigns, the structured snippets will play a massive part in the effectiveness of PPC campaigns as mobile first index rolls out.

Fast and effective landing page tests

Anyone using Google or Bing AdWords can send as many people as you want to any landing page on your website. But – and it’s a big BUT – does that landing page work?

A PPC manager worth their weight should be continually testing and developing landing pages to make sure that visitors take the action you want them to take, like a phone call or fill out a contact form.

We listed five ideas which PPC marketer can test and improve their skills. But also, PPC marketer should have some soft skills.

In continuation you can find also five soft skills on which you, or your PPC marketer can work.

5 skills that differentiate you from the everyday PPC marketer

Organization and Time Management

PPC managers need to be organized and have good time management skills to ensure they are using their time effectively. Most PPC managers make to-do lists, others go as far as creating a weekly planner.

Communication

Every marketer needs solid communication skills to survive. This includes: Verbal and written communication, curiosity, willingness to ask questions, ability to listen.

Desire to Learn

The desire to learn should be a prevalent part of any digital marketer as marketing is constantly changing. PPC managers need to be willing to learn and passionate about learning.

Storytelling

One overlooked still in search marketing is the ability to tell the story of performance and what we are doing and infusing it with data.

Storytelling isn’t just for your brand or your content marketing team.

Willingness to Try

PPC specialists need to be eager and willing to try new online advertising campaigns. Without this eagerness to try new campaigns or strategies, PPC managers will be unable to find out what works best.

Short conclusion

Is that it? Is that really the full list of essential skills that a search manager should have?

No, there could be more essential skills.

The skills you need are more than just a mile deep understanding of all of the technical aspects of paid search – those details can be taught.