A guide to hiring an SEO and PPC specialist
Organic search and paid search answer the same question: what does someone type when they need what you sell? Many companies split the two between different people or agencies, and then find the plans do not match. The SEO side targets a phrase the ads team is already paying for, or the ads send visitors to a page nobody has improved. A single specialist who understands both can plan them together. This guide explains what to look for, how to test candidates and how to set up the work.
When one person is the right fit
One SEO and PPC specialist suits a business with a focused set of services, a site that is not huge and a Google Ads budget that one person can manage well. It also suits a team that wants to learn quickly which searches bring real enquiries. If you have a very large site, many markets or very high ad spend, you will likely need dedicated people for each channel.
How this role differs from the single-channel roles
An SEO specialist goes deep on organic search: technical health, content and links. A Google Ads specialist goes deep on paid campaigns, bidding and tracking. The person on this page works across both, with the aim of making the two support each other. If you need a wider plan that also covers email, social and content, a digital marketer is the closer fit.
What to test
- Keyword thinking: how they split searches between pages and ads.
- Technical SEO: how they find and rank the issues on a real site.
- Google Ads: how they structure campaigns, write ads and use negative keywords.
- Tracking: how they count leads and avoid counting the same lead twice.
- Honesty: whether they say what one person can and cannot cover.
Interview questions to try
- How would you decide which searches to target with pages and which with ads?
- Our ads cost more each month. Where do you look first?
- A page ranks well but gets no enquiries. What do you change?
- How do you stop paid and organic reports from double counting leads?
- Which tasks would you hand to a second specialist as we grow?
Listen for examples from their own accounts, with what they changed and what happened. Doubt anyone who names a ranking or a cost per lead before seeing your site.
Run a small paid sample
Ask each finalist for a plan that covers both channels: five pages to build or improve, a first campaign layout with negative keywords, and a way to track leads. Pay for the time. Compare how well each plan fits and how clearly it is written.
Match seniority to the job
Someone newer can take on page fixes, ad copy tests and reports if a lead reviews the work. A specialist with years of experience can own the full search plan and the ad budget. Job titles differ, so ask which accounts they ran and what changed.
Give them access and a rhythm
Give your specialist logins for your website, analytics, Search Console and Google Ads, with careful permissions. Keep the ad account in your own name. Talk once a week in the first month. After that, a brief note each week and one results review a month will do.
What the first three months can look like
The first weeks are for an audit of your site, tracking and ad account, followed by quick fixes: broken goals, wasted search terms and pages with missing titles. Next your specialist builds a shared keyword plan, launches or reshapes the first campaigns and improves the pages those campaigns and your organic traffic land on. By the third month you should see which searches bring enquiries through each channel and have a plan for the next quarter. Ask candidates how they would run this path for your business.
Working with sales and the rest of your team
Search work improves when sales tells the marketing side which leads were good. Share that feedback every month so campaigns and pages aim at the right buyers. Agree who can approve new pages, ad copy and budget changes so work is not held up. Those small agreements often matter more than any tool.
Splitting the budget between the two
A common question is how much to put into ads and how much into organic work. There is no fixed split. A new site with little organic presence often leans on ads at first, so it can learn which searches bring enquiries. A site with good content can lower ad spend on terms it already wins. Ask your specialist to review the split every month using lead data, and to explain each change in plain words.
Mistakes to avoid
- Running ads on phrases you already rank for without checking whether you need to pay for them.
- Sending paid visitors to pages that were never built to convert.
- Judging SEO by rankings alone or ads by clicks alone.
- Expecting organic search to move as quickly as paid search.
- Letting an agency or freelancer own your ad account.
Looking for broader help? See our digital marketing outsourcing service.