Matt Ott

Matt Ott

2016, Psychology with Environmental Studies Minor, 2017 MSM

Credit Karma, SEO Growth Marketing Associate II

 

As a search engine marketer, it is my responsibility to ensure our organization’s website is set up in a way to show up in Google’s search results. I explore the data behind our website’s performance and work with engineers and product teams to design and implement strategies that would enhance our ranking within Google search.

What advice would you give students who have an interest in marketing/advertising?

Poke around on the internet to see what interests you the most. Digital marketing is a large and ever growing field. In my short time in this career, I’ve experienced paid search on Google and Bing, paid social in Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and Pinterest, and now organic search on Google. I would highly recommend taking the time to speak to different individuals across functional roles within digital marketing.

What WFU career resources did you utilize that were most helpful to you?

Unfortunately, while at WFU undergrad I did not yet realize that I wanted to pursue marketing. After graduating in 2016, I enrolled in the MS in Management program at our Business school and realized there that marketing was something I was interested in.

What courses, activities or experiences gave you an edge in the job search process?

My analytics background through experimental/data intensive psychology classes. The role in digital marketing that I have chosen deals with making decisions based on data.

What specific advice would you give regarding effective networking?

Be yourself and don’t be afraid to reach out to people on Linkedin for “informational interviews”. It can be intimidating at first but it’s important to realize that everyone has been in your shoes.

Are there any books, magazines, websites, etc. that you would recommend to students who are interested in marketing/advertising?

For my specific role, Moz has been a very helpful resource. Search Engine Land and Marketing Land are also good websites to see what’s new in digital marketing.

Any additional insights?

Ask a lot of questions and follow up with those you’ve spoken to. I’ve found people within the industry to be kind and helpful.