ATS Optimisation for Marketing CVs: Keywords That Get You Shortlisted
Marketing is a broad field with highly distinct specialisms — digital, brand, content, performance, CRM, product marketing, events, PR. Each has its own keyword vocabulary, and ATS systems for marketing roles are configured to match against the specific language of the specialism.
Core Marketing ATS Keywords by Discipline
Digital marketing: SEO, SEM, PPC, Google Ads, Meta Ads, email marketing, marketing automation, CRO, A/B testing, UTM tracking, Google Analytics 4, conversion rate, ROAS, CPL, organic traffic, content strategy
Performance marketing: Paid media, biddable media, programmatic, DSP, DMP, attribution, LTV, CPA, ROAS, pixel implementation, audience segmentation, lookalike audiences, retargeting
Content marketing: Content strategy, editorial calendar, SEO content, long-form content, copywriting, brand voice, content distribution, thought leadership, engagement metrics
Brand marketing: Brand strategy, brand equity, brand identity, positioning, consumer insights, market research, brand guidelines, campaign management, ATL/BTL, creative briefing
CRM and email: HubSpot, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, segmentation, automation workflows, open rate, click-through rate, A/B testing, lifecycle marketing, customer retention
Product marketing: Go-to-market strategy, product launch, competitive analysis, sales enablement, messaging, positioning, customer research, cross-functional collaboration
Tools Are ATS Keywords
Marketing tools are ATS keywords. List the specific platforms you use:
- Analytics: Google Analytics 4, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel
- Advertising: Google Ads, Meta Business Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, TikTok Ads
- CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo
- Social: Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Buffer
- SEO: SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, Moz
Use the tool's actual name as listed in the job description. "Google Analytics" and "GA4" are both worth including if both appear.
Quantify Marketing Achievements
Marketing CVs benefit enormously from quantified results:
- Organic traffic growth (percentage or absolute)
- ROAS or CPA improvements
- Email open and click rates vs benchmark
- Conversion rate improvements
- Campaign revenue contribution
- Audience or follower growth
These numbers are compelling to both ATS (specific terminology) and human reviewers (evidence of impact).
Check your marketing CV's ATS score free at CVCircuit.