Hire SEM Experts

Hire the Top 3% of Freelance SEM Experts

Hire SEM experts, on demand. From paid search campaign management and keyword optimization to ad copy testing and conversion rate optimization, Toptal SEM experts craft data-driven strategies that maximize visibility, drive qualified traffic, and improve ROI.

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No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Clients rate Toptal SEM experts 4.8 / 5.0 on average based on 264 reviews.
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Hire Freelance SEM Experts

Elise Stone

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC-06:00
United States
Toptal Member Since July 25, 2024

Elise has over 15 years of analytics experience, specializing in performance marketing with a focus on digital and paid social media, earned media program evaluation, influencer program reporting, and experiential marketing analysis. She excels in data storytelling through compelling visuals and robust analysis. Elise is passionate about understanding client challenges and enhancing efficiency through innovative reporting and performance evaluation techniques.

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Chad Richard

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC-05:00
United States
Toptal Member Since August 13, 2024

Chad is a Fortune 500 executive with 30+ years of business experience leading world-class brands ranging from high-tech startups to Fortune 500 companies, including 20+ years in VP and CMO roles. He has launched, managed, and grown world-leading brands, including Procter & Gamble’s Olay, ADT Security Services, Squeeze.com, and Talkmap. Chad has an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in marketing and finance.

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Irshad Daftari

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC-05:00
Canada
Toptal Member Since November 8, 2024

Irshad is a curious, data-driven marketing leader with 17+ years of experience. He loves connecting the dots between users, data, and technology and discovering the what and why. His expertise spans B2B SaaS and B2C, leading paid acquisition, GTM, CRM, SEO, content strategy, email marketing, and marketing analytics. Irshad has successfully executed marketing campaigns to drive revenue and acquire and retain users for audiences of 30+ million and for 0-1 startups to establish product-market fit.

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Antonio Rodríguez Galicia

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+01:00
Spain
Toptal Member Since November 16, 2022

Antonio has master's degrees in digital marketing, psychology, and business administration. He is passionate about technology, marketing, privacy, digital behavior, and psychology. Antonio has a peculiar mix of expertise, being a digital native with a background in psychology and marketing and deep knowledge of front-end development and how browsers work.

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Remi Soubigou

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+01:00
France
Toptal Member Since July 29, 2024

With 8+ years of experience in digital marketing and technology, Remi is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and teams achieve their growth and innovation goals. As the founder of Seagull Studios, he provides tailored solutions for online visibility, branding, and customer acquisition, leveraging his expertise in search engine advertising (SEA), web design, and search engine optimization (SEO). A dedicated professional, Remi is eager to apply his skills and knowledge to new challenges.

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Ravi Shankar Mishra

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+04:00
United Arab Emirates
Toptal Member Since September 23, 2024

Ravi is a product and digital marketing leader with 18 years of experience across Europe, India, and the US. With over seven years of entrepreneurial experience, including founding his angel-funded healthtech venture, he's led product and marketing functions at Zalando and Amazon. Ravi is an SEO expert who has scaled organic traffic to millions of global users for various projects and startups.

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Yusha ul Hasan

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+05:00
Pakistan
Toptal Member Since June 25, 2024

Yusha is a growth marketing specialist with over six years of professional experience. He has focused on conceptualizing and executing full-funnel marketing engines. Yusha has a strong background driving pipelines, demand, brand awareness, and sales for a diverse portfolio of international clients.

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Janelle Dominique Swing

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+08:00
Philippines
Toptal Member Since August 8, 2024

Janelle is a dynamic fractional CMO with over 10 years of digital marketing expertise. She specializes in crafting tailored strategies that drive sustainable growth and leveraging data-driven insights to optimize campaigns and enhance brand presence. With a proven track record in lead generation, social media engagement, and content marketing, Janelle is dedicated to helping businesses achieve and surpass their growth targets. Discover how Janelle can elevate your brand today.

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Kevin Rounsley, PhD

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+10:00
Australia
Toptal Member Since March 11, 2025

Kevin is a marketing data expert who has led the development, execution, and measurement of digital marketing campaigns for eCommerce, B2C, and B2B organizations. Experienced in agile, high-growth environments, he drives data and analytics solutions for social media, digital marketing, and tech products. A BigInsights Data Innovation Awards winner, Kevin excels at data storytelling and visualization, creating clear insights that answer key business questions and inform strategy.

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Daisy Kelly

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+10:00
Australia
Toptal Member Since October 7, 2024

Daisy is an experienced marketing and communications professional with over a decade of experience in strategy, brand and creative, and digital optimization. With roles spanning private, not-for-profit, and government sectors, she has consistently distilled effective marketing strategies and campaigns across various industries. Daisy additionally brings expertise in communications, content, and advertising to ensure a cohesive and resonant brand identity across channels.

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Emiliano Giovannoni

Freelance SEM Expert
Verified Expert in Marketing
UTC+10:00
Australia
Toptal Member Since September 5, 2024

Emiliano is a global-minded marketing executive and former APAC region head of Microsoft's social media marketing (SCC). With over twenty years of experience running marketing functions in leading organizations ranging from Fortune 100 multinationals to VC-funded start-ups in the technology and eCommerce sectors, Emiliano is excited about his next challenge.

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Toptal in the press

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Despite accelerating demand for coders, Toptal prides itself on almost Ivy League-level vetting.

Our clients
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Testimonials

How to Hire SEM Experts Through Toptal

1

Talk to One of Our Client Advisors

A Toptal client advisor will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.
2

Work With Hand-selected Talent

Within days, we'll introduce you to the right SEM expert for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new SEM expert for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.

EXCEPTIONAL TALENT

How We Source the Top 3% of SEM Experts

Our name “Toptal” comes from Top Talent—meaning we constantly strive to find and work with the best from around the world. Our rigorous screening process identifies experts in their domains who have passion and drive.

Of the thousands of applications Toptal sees each month, typically fewer than 3% are accepted.

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Capabilities of SEM Experts

SEM experts manage pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns that drive targeted traffic and maximize return on investment. With expertise in keyword research, ad creation, and performance optimization, they build data-driven strategies that improve visibility, increase conversions, and deliver measurable results.

Keyword Research for Paid Campaigns

Effective keyword research is crucial for identifying search terms that attract qualified leads while balancing competition and cost. Toptal SEM experts use advanced tools to analyze search volume, user intent, and competitor strategies to select high-performing keywords that maximize ad visibility and improve campaign ROI.

PPC Campaign Creation and Management

Designing PPC campaigns requires more than setting a budget—it involves strategic planning, audience targeting, and ongoing refinement. Our marketing consultants build and manage campaigns across platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads while optimizing settings, bids, and targeting parameters to drive relevant traffic and conversions.

Compelling Ad Copy

Ad copy must grab attention, build trust, and prompt immediate action to succeed in competitive search results. Toptal marketing specialists craft persuasive headlines, engaging descriptions, and powerful CTAs that resonate with searchers while increasing click-through rates and driving valuable leads.

Landing Page Optimization

Driving traffic to a landing page is only half the battle; ensuring visitors convert is equally critical. Our marketers align landing page content with ad messaging, improve page load speed, and design clear CTAs to create seamless user journeys that increase conversion rates.

Bid Management Strategies

Balancing bids effectively is key to controlling ad spending while maximizing performance. Toptal SEM pros use manual and automated bidding strategies to adjust bids based on keyword performance, audience behavior, and budget priorities while ensuring campaigns deliver strong results without overspending.

A/B Testing for Ads and Landing Pages

Continuous testing is essential for discovering what resonates most with users. Our consultants conduct A/B tests on ad copy, visuals, and landing page layouts to identify the most effective combinations that boost engagement, click-through rates, and conversions.

Remarketing Campaigns

Many potential customers leave websites without taking action, making remarketing a vital strategy for re-engagement. Toptal marketers develop campaigns that target past visitors with tailored ads designed to reignite interest, recover abandoned carts, and increase conversion rates through strategic follow-up.

Ad Extensions

PPC ads have limited space to convey value, but ad extensions offer additional opportunities to capture attention. Our SEM specialists implement strategic extensions—such as sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets—to highlight key selling points, improve visibility, and attract higher-quality clicks.

Campaign Performance Metrics Analysis

Effective SEM strategies rely on continuous analysis to identify what’s working and what’s not. Toptal markers monitor metrics like CPC, CTR, Quality Score, and conversion rates to uncover trends and performance gaps. By interpreting this data, they refine strategies to improve targeting, messaging, and ROI.

Monitoring Platform Changes and Trends

Search engines constantly evolve and introduce new features, algorithms, and ad formats that influence campaign success. Our marketing pros stay ahead of these changes by proactively adjusting strategies to leverage new opportunities, improve ad performance, and keep campaigns competitive in a shifting landscape.

FAQs

  • How quickly can you hire with Toptal?

    Typically, you can hire SEM experts with Toptal in about 48 hours. For larger teams of talent or Managed Delivery, timelines may vary. Our talent matchers are highly skilled in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network.

    Once you select your SEM expert, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.

  • To hire the right SEM expert, it’s important to evaluate a candidate’s experience, technical skills, and communication skills. You’ll also want to consider the fit with your particular industry, company, and project. Toptal’s rigorous screening process ensures that every member of our network has excellent experience and skills, and our team will match you with the perfect SEM experts for your project.

  • At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our SEM experts to ensure we only match you with the highest caliber of talent. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut.

    In addition to screening for industry-leading expertise, we also assess candidates’ language and interpersonal skills to ensure that you have a smooth working relationship.

    When you hire SEM experts with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched SEM experts ready to help you achieve your goals.

  • You can hire SEM experts on an hourly, part-time, or full-time basis. Toptal can also manage the entire project from end-to-end with our Managed Delivery offering. Whether you hire a SEM expert for a full- or part-time position, you’ll have the control and flexibility to scale your team up or down as your needs evolve. Our SEM experts can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.

  • We make sure that each engagement between you and your SEM expert begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another SEM expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Tap Into World-class Talent

  • Trusted Talent Only

    Trusted Talent Only

    Our talent are thoroughly vetted professionals who ramp up quickly, function as essential team members, and deliver results.

  • Precise Matching

    Precise Matching

    Our experienced talent matchers specialize in pairing you with the right fit. They work to understand exactly what you need and hand-select the best professionals for your project.

  • Seamless Hiring

    Seamless Hiring

    We handle all aspects of billing, payments, and NDAs, streamlining the hiring process so you can focus on innovation, not overhead.

  • No-risk Trial Period

    No-risk Trial Period

    We want to be sure your engagement is a total success, so we offer a no-risk trial period. Work with your new hire for up to two weeks and pay only if you’re satisfied.

  • Effortless Scaling

    Effortless Scaling

    Scale your team up or down as needed, with quick and efficient hiring in under 48 hours.

  • Flexible Engagements

    Flexible Engagements

    Choose the engagement type that suits your needs—hourly, part-time, or full-time— and enjoy the flexibility to adjust as needed.

Top SEM Experts Are in High Demand.

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