From Intern to Head of Paid Search

We sat down with Daniel Rubach, Head of Paid Search at idealo, to find out more about his career development at idealo and how it felt to move into a leadership role.

What is your name and what do you do at idealo?

My name is Daniel, I’m the Head of Paid Search at idealo and help my team to do their jobs effectively.

How would you explain your job to your parents or friends?

Here’s a fun fact: My parents think I work with stocks. Kind of. But what me and my team really do is manage the ads you see at the top of your search engine results on Google, Bing and others. For example, if you’re looking for the latest iPhone 15 Pro and see our idealo ad at the top, we’ve hit the mark with our efforts. And of course, we don’t just do this for one product, but for millions of them across our European markets.

Why did you decide to move into paid search?

What fascinated me from the get-go was the immediacy of placing an ad and seeing results almost immediately. Within seconds, you can judge whether it was effective or not. Also, no two days are the same in this industry — it’s always dynamic. New competitors enter the market, consumer buying patterns change, and factors such as the layout and product changes on the search engines themself have a big influence on our daily and long-term business. It’s a constant learning process where you gain new insights every day and it never gets boring.

What did your career development at idealo look like?

I came to Berlin in 2006 for my internship at idealo, when the company had about 50 to 60 employees. I started in the content department, where I was responsible for products such as power drills and drum sets. During this time, I learnt a lot about our product — idealo. After that, I had the opportunity to take part in a dual study programme in business information technology at idealo. This led me to my current area of responsibility — paid search. After my studies, I pursued another career opportunity and left idealo for a while. A few years later, in 2013, I returned after all due to the great product, the nice company culture and the huge amount of potential traffic. I started working in performance marketing and later had the opportunity to become a team lead in the Search department. Now, for about 2 years, I’ve had the privilege of leading the entire Paid Search team as a Head of.

How did the transition into a leadership role feel?

It was challenging because on one hand, I was leaving the role I was familiar with, and on the other hand, I was uncertain whether I’d be successful in my new role. It felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone and into something where I had a lot to learn. You could say I was caught in the middle, no longer the expert in my old domain but not quite settled in the new one. It took time to build confidence in my abilities as a team leader and to ensure that I didn’t interfere too much with my team’s work. It was a gradual process, but eventually, I found joy and confidence in leading the team.

What current projects are you and your team working on?

Over the past few years, idealo has experienced significant growth, and as a result, our campaigns have expanded. We need to ensure that our structures are efficient, and processes and automation work as expected to deliver the best possible results.

After a total of 14 years at idealo — what do you particularly appreciate?

The atmosphere at Idealo is just fantastic! We’ve got a bunch of amazing and smart people here, and they’re the heart and soul of our company. Everyone is extremely friendly and approachable, which is why I love being here. Plus, the little perks like our cozy office, delicious breakfasts and the chance to learn new things make it even better. I’m really grateful for it all!

Thank you, Daniel!

Ready to start your own journey at idealo? Check out our open positions here.