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What you read here is written by our experienced in-house team, and subject matter experts from leading brands and agencies.
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The latest jobs in search marketing
Land your next job in SEO or PPC. These brands and agencies are hiring to fill open search marketing positions right now.
New to PPC? 7 tips to build skills and confidence fast
Cut through PPC complexity with practical tips on testing, AI, and reporting so you can make smarter decisions from day one.
7 lessons from moving from agency to in-house SEO
Owning performance means turning analysis into action, navigating internal teams, and answering for results when things don’t go as planned.
5 lessons from delivering bad SEO news to executives
Executives don’t need SEO jargon. They need clarity, diagnosis, and direction. Here’s how to deliver all three when results fall short.
The new PPC playbook: From media buyer to profit engineer
Platforms run the tactics. Your value now comes from data strategy, business alignment, and owning performance beyond the ad account.
PPC salaries are splitting: Which side are you on?
Mid-career PPC roles are under pressure as top earners pull away. New salary data shows what’s driving the divide.
HubSpot rebrands its flagship conference from Inbound to Unbound
After declaring inbound dead last year, HubSpot is renaming its annual conference to something less limiting.
Audit your agency: 6 questions to find a true growth partner
Most agencies sound the same. The real differences show up in how they optimize, measure, and scale. This is how to uncover them.
Build your marketing ark: A framework for AI, empathy, and design
Customers are overwhelmed and teams are burned out. Here’s how to use AI to simplify decisions and improve marketing performance.
SEO’s biggest threat in 2026? Your own organization
From AI overreliance to fragmented data and poor collaboration, internal issues are quietly undermining SEO performance. Here’s what to fix.
AI is squeezing marketing agencies from both sides
Agencies embraced AI to cut costs, but clients did the same. Now expectations are rising, budgets tightening, and value under scrutiny.
Your SEO maturity score doesn’t measure what you think it does
VGMM scoring reveals governance gaps, single points of failure, and whether your SEO can scale beyond individual expertise.
How to avoid 11 common SEO interview mistakes and land your next jobÂ
What hiring managers notice in SEO interviews — and how candidates can present their projects, knowledge, and experience more effectively.
Why tomorrow’s media leaders must think like product managers
Campaign optimization isn’t enough anymore. Today’s media leaders must think like product managers and own the entire user journey.
Why PPC teams are becoming data teams
Automation and AI are changing PPC roles. Winning teams now control data infrastructure, measurement, analysis, and experimentation.
How to become an SEO freelancer without underpricing or burning out
Specialize, productize, and price your services strategically. Here’s how to build a freelance SEO business that scales without chaos.
8 tips for SEO newbies
Early-career SEOs should prioritize business context, search intent, technical basics, and hands-on research before relying on AI tools.
How to build AI confidence inside your SEO team
From shared tool selection to celebrating wins, here are four practical ways to reduce fear and turn AI into a strategic partner.
How to work with your SEO agency to drive better results, faster
From kickoff to technical execution, learn how to remove bottlenecks, empower cross-functional teams, and prove ROI from your SEO investment.
Why AI makes agency-client relationships matter more than ever
AI may optimize PPC, but it can’t replace empathy, listening, or trust. Four relationship fundamentals still set agencies apart.
10 salary negotiation tips for search marketers
Marketing roles lack clear salary standards. These tips help you assess your value, benchmark pay, and negotiate with confidence.
10 keys to a successful PPC career in the AI age
The best PPC marketers use AI with intention, skepticism, and context. Here’s what separates them from the rest.
Help us shape SMX Advanced 2026. You could win an All Access pass!
Tell us what you want to learn about and who you want to hear from at SMX Advanced taking place June 3-5 at the Westin Boston Seaport.
What successful brand-agency partnerships look like in 2026
Agency roles differ by company size, from execution-first to integrated partners. Here’s how to align structure and accountability.
What 15 years in enterprise SEO taught me about people, power, and progress
SEO careers stall more from people and process than algorithms. Learn the skills that build influence and long-term enterprise success.
The AI gold rush is over: Why AI’s next era belongs to orchestrators
Why the 'more is better' era of marketing technology is officially over, and what actually works instead.
How to document your SEO strategy
Learn what makes a successful SEO strategy and why documenting it can help you gain buy-in, set realistic goals and streamline your efforts.
How to build and lead a successful remote SEO team
Whether you’re managing an agency or an in-house team, make remote SEO work with the right tools, culture, and leadership practices.
SEO stakeholders: Align teams and prove ROI like a pro
SEO strategy needs buy-in. Learn how to manage SEO stakeholders, secure budgets, and communicate performance to execs, devs, and content teams.
How to produce a better PPC QBR for your stakeholders
Don’t settle for another dull recap. Deliver PPC QBRs that highlight impact, engage stakeholders, and drive next-quarter strategy.
Agency-grade PPC audits: How to turn reports into growth roadmaps
Want PPC audits that actually move the needle? Front-load insights, add context, and end with an action plan that clients act on.
How to build a paid media team in the AI age
Most hiring checklists are stuck in 2017. Here’s how to spot marketers who can outpace algorithms and rivals alike.
Becoming AI-native: The next leap for SEO professionals
Your SEO career depends on more than tool usage. Find out what it takes to become an AI-native SEO and lead the future of search.
How to master the client call: Agency edition
Your deck won’t save you. Your data won’t speak for itself. Learn how small agencies can turn client calls into their biggest retention tool.
Want to present at SMX Next? Now’s the time to submit a pitch!
There is more change than ever in search. If you’re on top of how AI is affecting search marketing and have a vision for what’s to come, submit a pitch to present at SMX Next.
How to stay grounded (and inspired) as AI changes search and SEO
Traffic's down. Clients are nervous. But SEO isn’t over – it’s just evolving. Here’s how to keep up without burning out.
3 soft skills that are critical for SEOs in 2025
With AI and data everywhere, SEOs must adapt. Learn why soft skills like storytelling and audience empathy matter more than ever today.
Confessions of a PPC-only agency: Why we finally embraced SEO
SEO used to feel like guesswork. Not anymore. Here’s how a PPC-first agency turned it into a performance machine.
Stop sabotaging your PPC success: 13 traps that kill growth
Scaling too fast, hiding help, micromanaging teams – break these bad habits and build a smarter, scalable PPC operation.
Why SOPs are the secret weapon for small SEO teams
SOPs aren't just for big teams. Discover why smart, streamlined systems are essential for small SEO operations – and how to build your own.