Paid Search Specialist — Cybersecurity/AI - 18425 P-AS

Position : Paid Search Specialist — Cybersecurity/AI

Work Hours (Client) : 9am-5pm PST, Monday-Friday

Pay Range : 2500-3500USD/month (varies based on skill set and experience level)

Location of Search : South Africa, Philippines, Latin America, or Eastern Europe

Work Location : REMOTE

Type of Contract : Independent Contractor
 

Company/Client Overview:

Our client is a fast-growing cybersecurity company hiring an experienced Paid Search Specialist to build and lead a high-performance paid acquisition function from the ground up. 

This is not a generalist PPC role. The primary goal is to design, execute, and continuously optimize paid search programs that drive qualified pipeline from enterprise buyers: CISOs, IT leaders, security architects, and practitioners across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and emerging AI-driven ad platforms. You will help with the full paid search lifecycle, from keyword strategy and audience segmentation to ad copy, landing page alignment, and revenue attribution.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategy & Campaign Architecture 

• Develop and own the overarching paid search strategy aligned to pipeline and revenue targets, not just traffic or impression share 
• Architect full-funnel campaign structures across branded, non-branded, competitive, and RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads) segments 
• Build and manage campaigns across Google Search, Google Performance Max, Microsoft/Bing Ads, and YouTube (TrueView for Action) 
• Map keyword targeting to buyer journey stages — awareness, consideration, and decision — with distinct messaging and landing page strategies for each 
• Identify and pursue whitespace opportunities in the cybersecurity/AI paid search landscape through competitive intelligence and SERP analysis 

Keyword Research & Targeting 

• Conduct deep keyword research using tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Semrush, and SpyFu to identify high-intent, commercially relevant terms 
• Build and maintain comprehensive negative keyword lists to eliminate wasted spend and improve signal quality 
• Segment keyword sets by intent tier (informational, navigational, transactional) and audience persona
• Monitor and adapt to keyword trends specific to the cybersecurity and AI sectors, including emerging threat categories, product categories 

 

Ad Copy & Creative 

• Write compelling, persona-specific ad copy tailored to enterprise security buyers, emphasizing technical credibility, urgency, and ROI 
• Develop and manage A/B and multivariate ad copy tests with statistical rigor, iterating based on CTR, Quality Score, and conversion rate data 
• Collaborate with design and content teams to ensure landing page messaging is tightly aligned with paid search ad copy and keyword intent 
• Leverage ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, lead forms) to maximize SERP real estate and improve click quality 

 

Bid Management & Budget Optimization

• Own budget allocation across campaigns, ad groups, and channels, making data-driven decisions to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS) and cost per pipeline (CPP) 
• Manage automated and manual bidding strategies (Target CPA, Target ROAS, Enhanced CPC, Max Conversions) and adjust based on performance signals 
• Conduct regular search term report analysis to refine match types, identify new keyword opportunities, and eliminate inefficient spend 
• Monitor auction insights and competitive positioning to inform bid adjustments and strategic pivots

 

Analytics, Attribution & Reporting 

• Implement and maintain conversion tracking across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot) to ensure accurate pipeline attribution
• Build and maintain dashboards in Google Looker Studio, HubSpot, or equivalent tools that tie paid search activity to MQL, SQL, and closed-won revenue  
• Deliver weekly performance reports and monthly strategic reviews to marketing leadership, with clear insight into what is working, what is not, and recommended next actions 
• Partner with marketing ops and revenue ops teams to ensure UTM taxonomy, lead scoring, and attribution models are aligned across the funnel 

 

Testing & Continuous Improvement 

• Maintain a structured, ongoing testing roadmap covering ad copy, keyword match types, bidding strategies, landing pages, and audience segments 
• Document test hypotheses, results, and learnings to build an institutional knowledge base 
• Stay current on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads product updates, betas, and best practices — particularly as AI-driven features (Smart Bidding, Demand Gen, Performance Max) evolve

 

Minimum Requirements:

 

Language requirement: Excellent English Communication Skills

Education: Bachelor's Degree (ideally)

Experience: 5+ years of related experience 

Industry: technology/cybersecurity industry

 

• 5+ years of hands-on paid search management experience, with a proven track record of driving measurable pipeline and revenue outcomes.
• Deep expertise in Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising, including Search, Display, YouTube, and Performance Max campaign types
• Experience marketing B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, or enterprise technology products strongly preferred; familiarity with cybersecurity buyer personas (CISOs, SecOps, IT

Directors) is a significant advantage

• Strong command of keyword research, match type strategy, Quality Score optimization, and auction dynamics
• Proficiency with Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, and CRM-based attribution (Salesforce or HubSpot)
• Experience with paid search tools including Semrush, Ahrefs, SpyFu, or similar  competitive intelligence platforms
• Demonstrated ability to manage and optimize six-figure monthly budgets with accountability to pipeline and ROAS targets
• Exceptional analytical and data interpretation skills — you make decisions from data, not intuition alone
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to craft ad copy that resonates with technical enterprise audiences
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment, manage multiple campaigns simultaneously, and communicate proactively with stakeholders

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Google Ads certification (Search, Performance Max, Measurement)
• Experience running paid campaigns alongside an organic/SEO content strategy, with an understanding of how paid and organic search interact
• Familiarity with intent data platforms (6sense, Bombora, Demandbase) and how they can inform paid search audience segmentation
• Experience with ABM (Account-Based Marketing) frameworks and running paid search in support of targeted account lists
• Background in or understanding of AI-driven ad products and how emerging platforms (Perplexity Ads, AI Overviews) are reshaping paid search discovery