About the Marketing Department:
The Marketing Department is a highly collaborative, creative, data-minded team. They work exceptionally hard and fast, constantly producing engaging, brand-appropriate content that is focused on meaningfully engaging with and growing the Backroads audience. They seek to better understand our market, guests, and trips so we can clearly articulate the unique value of what Backroads offers. They care about their teammates, and make time to celebrate, support and laugh with each other.
About the Role:
The Search Marketing Specialist is a key member of the Performance Marketing team at Backroads. In this role you will be responsible for developing and executing strategies to improve our visibility on search engines through both organic (SEO) and paid (SEM) tactics, including keyword research, website optimization, content creation, and managing pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns, to drive relevant traffic and maximize return on investment (ROI). You will be a great fit for this position if you are results-oriented, data driven, eager to learn and constantly seek new solutions to stay ahead.
What you'll be doing:
Keyword Research: Identify and analyze relevant keywords to target in organic search and paid advertising campaigns, considering user intent and search volume.
On-Page SEO Optimization: Optimize website content, meta descriptions, and HTML tags to improve search engine ranking.
Technical SEO: Analyze website structure, site speed, and other technical factors impacting search engine crawling and indexing.
Content Strategy Development: Work with the writing team and web team to create high-quality content that aligns with target keywords and user needs to attract organic traffic.
Link Building: Implement strategies to acquire backlinks from reputable websites to enhance website authority.
PPC Campaign Management: Develop, manage, and optimize paid search campaigns across platforms like Google Ads and MSN Ads, including budget allocation, A/B tests, ad copywriting, and bid strategies.
Campaign Analysis and Reporting: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost per lead (CPL) to measure campaign effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Understand tracking protocols and ensure that all parameters are consistent and accurate; flag and resolve errors with urgency.
Competitive Analysis: Monitor competitor search marketing strategies and identify opportunities to gain a competitive advantage.
Knowledge Sharing: Work collaboratively within and outside of marketing to share your expertise and recommendations for Paid Search/SEO in support of business goals.
Stay Updated: Keep abreast of the latest search engine algorithms and best practices to maintain optimal search performance.
Other duties as necessary and assigned
What you'll need to be successful:
Technical Skills: Proficiency in SEO tools (Google Search Console, SEMrush, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs), web analytics platforms (GA4, Power BI), and PPC ad platforms (AdWords, MSN). Knowledge of Meta Ads, Salesforce, PowerBI, Jira and HTML a plus. Proficiency in Microsoft Office
Data Analysis: Ability to interpret complex data to identify trends and make informed decisions; Ability to think creatively while being analytical
Content Writing: Strong writing skills to create engaging and informative content
Marketing Strategy: Understanding of overall marketing goals and how search marketing aligns with broader marketing initiatives
Communication Skills: Effective written and verbal communication to collaborate with cross-functional teams and present findings to stakeholders. Able to distill technical content into simple and easy-to-understand messaging
Project Management. Skilled at planning, project management, time management, and decision-making. Able to manage multiple projects at once, resolving competing priorities, working swiftly under pressure, and meeting project deadlines
Detail Oriented. Ensures accuracy of communications and their delivery
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Digital Marketing, or related field
Proven experience in managing successful SEO and PPC campaigns
Familiarity with travel industries and target audiences
Work Environment:
About Backroads:
At Backroads we’re passionate about connecting our guests with so many of the most beautiful places in the world. We use our four-plus decades of expertise to create exceptional biking, hiking, and multi-adventure trips in over 50 countries for people wanting a deeper and richer travel experience. We travel on land as well as by small luxury ships on active river and ocean cruises. Our trips are for all ages – including dedicated itineraries just for families. We are known for our unwavering attention to quality. We have a dynamic work environment and a strong company culture.
Why Backroads:
At Backroads, we value every single member of our staff, and we’re proud to offer a dynamic work environment that enables growth. Your colleagues will be some of the most dedicated, competent, active, and fun people you will ever meet. A job at Backroads is unlike any other job you will ever have – you will be challenged, you will be inspired, and you will be gratified. No matter what you do here, you will be part of something that makes us all proud – delivering authentic, enriching, and often profoundly life-changing experiences. On top of all that, we have some pretty great benefits and perks! For example our US office employees receive:
At Backroads, we uphold a commitment to transparency and fairness within our hiring process, particularly regarding compensation. The salary range posted for each role applies to both employment offers and employees actively working in the role.
New hires are typically offered a starting salary between the minimum and midpoint of the range to ensure there is continued opportunity for salary progression during your employment at Backroads, reflecting our commitment to rewarding ongoing dedication, high performance, and significant contributions to our team. This approach not only supports our budgeting strategy but also our intention to foster an environment that encourages long-term growth and strong relationships between Backroads and our valued employees.
Our office roles are onsite in our Berkeley headquarters, unless specifically noted as 'available for remote'. We do allow one work-from-home day a week, as well as one work-from-anywhere week per year. This pay range is intended for in-person work in our Berkeley, CA headquarters. Pay ranges for remote-eligible roles will be subject to adjustment based on the geolocation of the employee.
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Masters of Marketing
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HR factory GmbH
Masters of Marketing
