SEO/SEM Specialist

MSD Careers • Rockville, MD

18h • $78,100 - $116,200

About The Position

The SEO/SEM Specialist is responsible for building and maintaining the company’s search engine strategy—both organic and paid programs—to grow qualified traffic, MQLs, and pipeline. This position leads technical and on-page SEO, keyword strategy, landing-page conversion rate optimization, and paid search programs, collaborating with Product Marketing, Marketing Communications, Information Systems, and Commercial Operations to convert scientific interest into measurable demand.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent work experience.
• A minimum of four years of hands-on SEO and SEM experience in B2B.
• Experience running structured A/B tests for landing pages (VWO/Optimizely/Convert).
• Proven track record of improving organic visibility and scaling paid search with efficient CPL/CPA and pipeline impact.
• Fluency with Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, GA4, GTM, Google Search Console, and Looker Studio (or similar BI).
• Proficiency with SEO tools (e.g., Ahrefs, Semrush, Screaming Frog, Sitebulb); familiarity with schema, HTML/CSS basics.
• Strong quantitative skills with ability to query data, spot causal vs. correlative changes, and recommend appropriate next actions.
• Excellent written communication skills for advertising copy and Meta elements; comfortable translating scientific concepts into clear value propositions.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-energy, demanding and deadline driven environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively as well as independently.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as the ability to handle complex situations and demonstrate sound judgment and problem solving.

Nice To Haves

• Life Sciences, Medical Technology, or Complex Technology preferred.
• Google Ads and GA4 certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• SEO (Organic)
• Strategy and Research: Build keyword portfolios (core, long-tail, non-brand vs. brand), topic clusters, and content briefs by buyer persona.
• Technical SEO: Run audits and fixes for crawlability, indexation, site architecture, internal linking, redirects, canonicals, Core Web Vitals, structured data/schema, and hreflang (as needed).
• On-Page Optimization: Manage metadata, headers, copy guidance, alt text, schema, and interlinking to improve relevance and CTR.
• Off-Page and Authority: Partner on digital PR/Backlinks with reputable scientific publishers, KOLs, and partners; manage link risk and disavow when necessary.
• Monitoring: Manage Google Search Console and log-file insights; track rankings, impressions, share of voice, and non-brand traffic mix.
• SEM (Paid Search)
• Planning and Build: Architect campaigns and account structure (SKAGs/intent clusters as appropriate), keyword/match strategy, negatives, geo/dayparting, budgets.
• Execution: Launch and optimize RSA ads, extensions/assets, and experiments across Google Ads; ensure Performance Max use is effective for B2B.
• Bidding and Optimization: Use tCPA/tROAS and portfolio bidding with guardrails; optimize for CVR, CPC, CPA, and pipeline impact.
• Retargeting & RLSA: Deploy audience layering (remarketing lists, customer match, similar audiences where allowed).
• Landing Pages/CRO: Partner with IS/PMM to align offers and copy; run A/B tests (VWO/Optimizely/Convert) to lift LP CVR and reduce CPL.
• Measurement, Attribution & Operations
• Conversion Tracking: Manage GA4 + Google Tag Manager configurations, event naming, and conversion actions; validate pixels and dedupe.
• Dashboards and Reporting: Build Looker Studio (or BI) dashboards; report weekly/monthly on CTR, CVR, CPC, CPA, ROAS, assisted conversions, and pipeline/revenue influence.
• Attribution and Hygiene: Maintain UTM standards, campaign taxonomy, and lead routing with Commercial Ops (Salesforce/Marketo/Eloqua/HubSpot).
• Compliance: Ensure claims, keywords, and ad copy align with regulatory/brand guidelines relevant to life-science markets.

Benefits

• At MSD, we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees' well-being and financial security.
• In addition to competitive salaries, our benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with prescription benefits.
• We provide a 401(k) plan with company matching, flexible spending accounts, and company-paid short- and long-term disability insurance as well as group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
• Our offerings also encompass paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid holidays, and paid parental leave, along with an employee assistance program.
• Additional voluntary perks include a fitness club membership contribution, pet insurance, identity theft protection, home and auto insurance discounts, and optional supplemental life insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level