Search Engine Optimizer Salary???

[Webdango]

I was in consideration for a Search Engine Marketing Manager position, but it was ultimately decided I didn't have the industry and 'big account' experience they wanted in the person they are going to stand up in front of million dollar clients and pitch their services.

The company likes me, however, evidently quite a bit, and has decided to 'create' a position for me in their IT department (as opposed to their Marketing department). Basically what they want me to do is guide their web developers through proper website/page level search engine optimization implementation at the coding level: i.e. integrate SEO into the development process with the intent of being positioned for better organic results down the road once the site launches.

The company considers this to be more of a technical position than a marketing position, though of course I will be working closly with the SE Marketing guy to compliment organic optimization with PPC campaigns.

They have yet to mention any sort of compensation for either position. They are also telling me that their aim is to 'groom me' for a second SE Marketing Manager position they anticipate needing in 6-9 months by putting me alongside the SE Manger working on some accounts. So it's sort of half technical, half marketing.

That said, and for the sake of argument, let's assume the SE Manager position pays 83K (a grab of the median for Ecommerce Site Marketing Manager off Salary.com for my area). What sort of compensation should I be looking for in the role they want me to play? Caveat this with the fact that I'm currently employed full-time as a web/database application developer making 59K a year.

Interesting to note that it was my own affiliate marketing and site building/design efforts that primarily got me the interview. You can't argue with results. I gave them a list of targeted keywords and showed them the top positions to back it up.

Anyway... I've searched, but can't seeem to find any good resources for figuring out what the technical side of SEO pays, though I can find plenty of listings for the marketing side. SEO as a 'real job' is a very new thing and it's hard to find numbers on it. I think initially people are lumping it under Marketing, even though it's a far cry different from traditional marketing enterprises. The two aren't mutually exclusive, but website/page code optimization for organic results is definitely more technical than the marketing side.

Any ideas?

[jestep]

Anyway... I've searched, but can't seem to find any good resources for figuring out what the technical side of SEO pays, though I can find plenty of listings for the marketing side. SEO as a 'real job' is a very new thing and it's hard to find numbers on it. I think initially people are lumping it under Marketing, even though it's a far cry different from traditional marketing enterprises. The two aren't mutually exclusive, but website/page code optimization for organic results is definitely more technical than the marketing side.

I think the reason you haven't been able to find any resources on some type of pay amount, is because there just isn't any. SEM is not new, but it is just now exploding as a job opportunity. Traditionally an organization would have a firm do any search engine marketing, vs. and in-house employee. So, I would say you should base your income requirements off of what you think your services are worth.

Obviously taking a pay cut isn't going to work, unless you know that you are going to have a significant salary increase in a reasonable amount of time, so I think the method you were using would be the best to negotiate a salary.

Determine the percentages of tasks that would be considered technical, marketing, design, etc. Then take the industry medium pay for these and calculate the weighted salary from these. Then put in your personal experience, and expertise, and education and come up with something reasonable.

Its obvious you know what you were doing, especially if they came to you, so don't under value your abilities. But, don't be like many people who extensively over value their own ability. Also, make sure that you are comfortable delivering the desired results for the salary that you want. 100k/year would have to be a damn good SEO, and most people that I know would be very uncomfortable saying that they can deliver 100k worth of results.

Just my Opinion, I'm probably just taking you around in circles, but I hope it helps a little.

Jamie

[Webdango]

Thanks jestep-

Good advice about glomming the variety of tasks I'd perform to figure a baseline.

Although SEO has been around a few years, I think we are just now reaching a point where some of the larger companies are realizing how important it is.

Interesting to note this hob is with a marketing company. They've been around a while doing traditional print, tv and radio, and just this year decided to create an Internet Marketing department. They are staffing it up now.

I think we will see Internet Marketing becoming much more integrated with traditional marketing efforts.