The Search Marketing Job Market in Canada: Scarcity of Talent in the Horizon

I want to talk about the Search Engine Marketing job Market in Canada because I feel I need to clarify a few things. I have seen too many companies lately who are looking to hire a Junior Search Marketing Specialist with 2 years of experience (or so) or freshly out of school and expect to pay them $25-35k a year. If you are one of those, I have some news for you: that person does not exist. Why? Because there are simply no school that teaches Search Marketing. Demand for serious Search Marketing Specialists at all levels keeps increasing and there is a scarcity of talent in this field, which does not yet regenerate itself. In desperation, and after they have been searching for months to fill positions, business owners are calling me and ask if I know anyone. They are telling me that their job posting on Craigslist is not generating anything. Strange isn’t it? The gap between offer and demand keeps growing and the situation is alarming.

Therefore, I think there are misconceptions that would need to be broken here. Unfortunately, and I have met a lot of people that were *somewhat* interested in Search Marketing, I don’t know anyone remotely as passionate about search as I do. Hands on SEO with the motivation that leads to results can only come from 2 places (as far as I know): the owner of a company, a professional self-taught Canadian SEO such as Chris Breikss, Darcy Foster, Chris Genge, Ross Dunn, Jim Hedger, Ken Jurina, Andrew Goodman, Andrea Hadley and a bunch of others in their respective teams. That being said, what puzzles me here is that business owners are looking for SEO talent in the wrong places with unreasonable expectations with respect of the current job market. Proof? In all honesty, it does not seem normal to me to post an SEO job on craigslist and not receive anything back, especially when the job has been posted for months. If you are looking for a junior SEO, which seems to be the brand of choice these days, you are not the only one in that boat. A lot of business owners are going fishing for SEO pros that will work full time for us but those who have the knowledge already have their plate full with their own business.

The main issue here is that there is no Search Marketing education program nearby to fill the accrued needs. Since this is a new market, it is currently filled with disconnects and the sooner business owners will acknowledge the state of search marketing in Canada, the sooner we will be able to elaborate solutions.

Recommended Solution:
If you represent a University, a College, a School or everything in between, I seriously recommend that you start developing search marketing programs so that people in your community can learn about it. SEMPO Institute will help you. I will help you. The only program in Canada that has been brought to my attention lately was one from Fanshawe College in London (Ontario) with only one search marketing course and only as part of a full-on marketing degree. Universities want to position themselves as online & web savvy but most don’t have a search marketing program in place, which is the basis of any online promotion. They pretend but they don’t walk the talk. Maybe their Ad Agency can help. I doubt.

Other Solutions:
Take Action: Join SEMPO Canada sempo.ca and start beating the drum locally. We need help to fill the growing demand of search marketing specialists of the canadian business community.

If you don’t do any of this, you have no right to complain that you can’t find the people you need.

Permalink /// Comments (24)

Comments

1. Well said Alex. 

   Currently there are only two ways to learn SEO.  Spend hundreds of hours figuring it out on your own - usually for your own web business, or get hired by a search firm which will give you exposure to most techniques and the experience of working on all kinds of different client problems.  I guarantee the second method is much faster. 

   As always - we are looking for new people who want to learn SEO.  Long ago we realized these people have to be trained from the ground up, there just isn’t any qualified candidates sitting around looking for work.  So if you think you want to learn the business please give us a call.

   Posted by Darcy on 09/19 at 06:11 PM

2. Thanks Darcy! I am glad we are on the same page.

   Posted by Alexandre Brabant on 09/20 at 07:39 PM

3. SEO seems to be the new best thing for young programmers that want to win some money applying what they know. It’s also good for the PR of a firm!

   Posted by new mexico helicopter tours on 01/14 at 02:52 PM

4. In desperation, and after they have been searching for months to fill positions, business owners are calling you and ask if you know anyone to help them...how laim

   Posted by Technology Transfer Company on 02/01 at 08:55 AM

5. Couldn’t agree with you more. I worked my way into search marketing after uni but it wasn’t because i was qualified. I just had an interest in it and could show some knowledge of it in an interview and the rest they say is history

   Posted by Job Center on 02/20 at 12:59 PM

6. Just one draw back in offering Search Engine Marketing programs at universities or colleges that there are no teachers available. Its a fact no Search Engine Marketer will share his secrets with others. Its a self taught trail & error art which requires time and patience.

   Posted by Brewery lofts on 04/18 at 05:09 AM

7. There aren’t any University courses in SEM because SEM is itself part of a bigger field of E-Maketing or Digital Marketing. What I know is that Oxford Brookes in UK has started offering a MSc in E-Marketing. This is seriously a nice option for someone who wants to take up Web Marketing as his career.

   Posted by Seo on 05/01 at 12:37 PM

8. The demand for top talent outstrips the supply today. There’s a great demand for development and investment professionals. There’s an extraordinary demand for ?nancial professionals, particularly very senior-level accounting and reporting executives, like CFOs and chief accounting of?cers. This has been fueled by Sarbanes-Oxley and the extreme additional reporting that has emerged on the public companies’ side. But it has also spilled over to the private side.

   Posted by offshore solutions on 05/06 at 12:11 PM

9. I’m sure that in time the educational systems will start to recognize SEO and other online channels as proper careers and provide courses accordingly.

   One of the problems educational institutions will face is the ever changing SEO landscape.  I highly doubt any academic course could ever keep up with Google.

   Posted by SEO Jobs London on 08/13 at 04:53 AM

10. I’m with Alexandre, thank God we are doing exactly the same thing.

    Posted by Mac @ Motorcycle Fairing on 09/15 at 03:54 PM

11. There is a world of posibilities by doing and learning to do some SEO.

    Posted by Ray Ban Aviator on 10/02 at 08:09 AM

12. isn’t learning search engine strategies and SEM a better option than SEO going by the recent trends?

    Posted by search engine optimisation on 10/20 at 10:34 AM

13. I think introducing search marketing programs would be a great idea for more people to learn about seo & sem.Since its such an important aspect for advertising & marketing of new websites, but there are very few people who are aware of such seo strategies.Most dont even know about it.So it would be a great step, if implemented.

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    Posted by Internship on 10/31 at 01:43 AM

14. I may not be experienced as this company would want me to be but I am interested in getting such a job. I do have marketing experience as I’ve been working for five years in an advertising company. What do you think my real chances are?

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16. I disagree with the above remark.  I think in these tough economic times we need to rethink our old ways of thinking.

    Posted by Cover Letter on 12/18 at 09:31 PM

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