As Organic Marketing Evolves, Semrush Is Staying Ahead With Fresh Talent — And Is Hiring Now

In the world of search engine optimization, everything is beholden to Google’s deified algorithm. Discoverability on the world wide web makes or breaks many online businesses today, and the rise and fall of digital empires hinge on what new metrics the mighty algorithm will extoll in its next update. 

Though only Google’s engineers are privy to the man — or machine — behind the SEO curtain, a new field of translators and analysts was born in response to the guarded secrets of the tech giant’s search engine. Chief among these firms is Semrush, a marketing tech company with a data-backed platform that helps businesses research SEO, content, advertising and social media strategies. 

As multichannel marketing for digital enterprises continues to grow, Semrush’s tools become all the more valuable in determining the success factors for online visibility. Google’s algorithm is both kingmaker and executioner for the livelihood of many traffic-based business models, and this reliance helps companies like Semrush scale with demand, which necessitates a growing team of talented staff to make sure it’s up-to-date on the volatility of organic marketing. 

“We’ve developed new processes, broken things, fixed things and made huge leaps in our productivity and impact,” Kyle Byers, director of organic search, said of his time at the company. 

With a robust system of feedback and encouraged autonomy, employees at Semrush feel as if they’re constantly progressing towards more ambitious goals even as they continue to hire. “Instead of aiming for a 20 percent improvement, we’re encouraged to figure out what it would take to achieve 200 percent,” said Byers.

Semrush is boosting its headcount to keep pace with the ever-shifting landscape of marketing visibility, so Built In Austin sat down with Byers on how the company’s cultural foundations support the success of a growing team.   

Kyle Byers

Director of Organic Search • Semrush

Autonomy and ambition: “Semrush trusts you as a professional to get the job done while presenting countless opportunities for you to grow and develop. Teams at Semrush have a lot of autonomy to set their own goals and execute on them. So, as someone with an entrepreneurial background, it’s the perfect fit.

“Our CMO, Andrew Warden, always challenges us to think bigger — he encourages us to be assertive. I’ve needed to expand my thinking of what’s possible, and that’s led to a ton of personal and professional growth for me in a very short amount of time. 

“Feedback is also a huge part of Semrush culture. Not just from managers to their direct reports, but also the other way around, as well as among peers and teams. I think this is core to Semrush’s success because your rate of improvement is so much faster here than it would be in an environment without that communication. Personally, I’ve been able to improve both as a team member and a leader.”

I’ve been able to improve both as a team member and a leader.”

An evolving culture: “At Semrush, we move fast, test new things and follow the data to improve our results. It’s really invigorating, and my team is a great example of that. When I joined Semrush in March, the organic search team consisted of six people. By the end of December, we’ll have 18 incredibly talented people on our team. Each member of the team has contributed their own unique experience, and many times they’ve pointed out much better ways to do things than I could have thought of myself.”