Search Engine Optimization Manager

SEO Manager

Position Overview:

SEO Managers must identify opportunities for growing organic traffic and improving SERP rankings through optimization of site architecture, keyword selection, on/off-page factors, and scalable content. You will be responsible for researching, designing, implementing, monitoring, and revising SEO Programs for dozens of clients. Thus, you must possess a thorough understanding of SEO best practices and be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

You will work closely with our in-house teams of SEO Content Writers, Web Designers, Web Developers, and Social Media Specialists to ensure that each team works toward common goals. And you’ll be tasked with managing third-party partnerships to execute additional SEO deliverables.

As part of their responsibilities, SEO Managers will also lead a small team of SEO Content Writers. Thus, you’ll need to be a team player who can coach others to bring out their bests. In addition to coaching team members to encourage their growth, you will also monitor team output to confirm that clients receive the appropriate deliverables in a timely fashion and that team members maintain productivity.

To ensure the effectiveness of each SEO program, applicants must possess a keen attention to detail and proficiency in recording and analyzing performance data. And, to maintain effectiveness, applicants must stay up to date with emerging SEO trends, best practices, and shifts in the industry.

Responsibilities:

Keyword research

Utilize client-supplied priorities and optimize keywords most likely to attract potential leads and drive organic traffic growth.

Group and assign keywords to specific URLs.

Set up keywords for tracking with appropriate tags.

Prioritize content needs

Rank service-geo pairs in order of importance.

Analyze client priorities, search volumes, keyword difficulty, and target SERPs to determine content & other optimization priorities.

Record priorities for each client to enable SEO Content Writers to identify the greatest needs each month.

SEO audits

Analyze the effectiveness of SEO programs

Compare the successes/failures of SEO programs to other, similar programs

Report findings and recommend improvements as needed

Create SEO proposals for new and existing clients

Research and utilize competitor data to highlight organic opportunities

Design SEO programs within budget constraints to provide maximum value

Coordinate efforts from content, design, dev, and third-party teams

Ensure that all teams execute the designed SEO deliverables monthly

Provide feedback and direction to team members to ensure SEO deliverables are executed to a high standard.

Monitor and maintain Technical SEO health

Identify technical issues via Search Console and similar tools

Assign issues to relevant team members to resolve and track through resolution

Optimize NAP for client locations

Add client locations to our Listing Management tool and optimize local business listings including Google Business Profile and Apple Maps

Maintain an understanding of current SEO best practices

Design, implement, and track A/B tests of new SEO strategies

Perform competitor analysis to identify organic opportunities by uncovering the strengths/weaknesses of our SEO programs and determining the most important ranking factors for specific industries and SERPs

Assist in client calls to explain SEO strategy and progress

Perform competitor research to inform decisions about SEO programs and proposals

Lead a team of SEO Content Writers by prioritizing the needs of each SEO program and coaching team members through group training and 1:1 feedback sessions

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.

2 years of SEO experience, 1+ year leading teams

Exceptional organizational and analytical skills

Demonstrable knowledge of local SEO ranking factors and strategies

Exceptional keyword research abilities with tools such as SEMrush and SERanking

Familiarity with Google Analytics and Google Search Console

Capable of analyzing a website’s SEO performance and client goals to drive action

Experience leading teams and managing cross-functional and vendor relationships

Excellent time management skills and ability to meet tight deadlines

A proactive attitude toward enhancing SEO knowledge and self-development

Ability to learn new technologies quickly to simplify existing responsibilities

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Skills:

Experience with SEO A/B testing and a solid understanding of statistics

Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS

Strong understanding of structured data e.g. Schema.org’s microformat

Knowledge of industry-specific challenges faced by SMBs

Experience managing social media platforms, including Google Business Profile and/or Apple Business Connect

Link building experience

Work Environment:

This will be a hybrid-remote position for anyone in the Chicagoland area, requiring at least three days a week in our West Loop office.

To Apply:

If you have a passion for SEO, understand ranking factors inside and out, and instinctually see organic opportunities when visiting websites, we would love to hear from you! Please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your suitability for the role.