SEO Manager | Remote for U.S.-Based Higher Education Marketing Agency

Company Overview

Our client is a performance marketing agency specializing in mission-driven organizations across higher education and nonprofit sectors. They combine sharp strategy, creative excellence, and data-driven execution to help universities and organizations achieve measurable growth — enrollments, applications, inquiries, and awareness.

In this role, you'll own project planning, process, and delivery across the agency — guiding client work from conception to completion, on time and within budget, across every service line.

Your Role

As SEO Manager, you'll own the strategy, execution, and optimization of SEO initiatives across multiple partner accounts. You'll develop long-term organic growth strategies, lead technical and content optimization efforts, analyze performance, and identify new opportunities across SEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Success in this role requires balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution while collaborating across Content, Web Development, Analytics, Paid Media, and Account Management teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute SEO, AEO, and GEO strategies across multiple higher education partner accounts

• Build SEO roadmaps aligned with enrollment goals and business objectives

• Conduct keyword, topic, competitor, entity, and search intent research

• Lead technical SEO initiatives including site audits, crawl analysis, indexing, Core Web Vitals, structured data, and internal linking

• Partner with Web Development teams to prioritize and implement technical SEO improvements

• Optimize website content, landing pages, and content hubs for search visibility, user experience, and AI discoverability

• Identify content gaps and opportunities to strengthen topical authority across the student journey

• Monitor rankings, organic traffic, conversions, and other SEO KPIs to deliver actionable insights

• Own monthly SEO reporting and communicate strategic recommendations to stakeholders

• Stay current on search algorithm updates, AI search advancements, and evolving SEO best practices

• Evaluate emerging search technologies and AI tools to improve workflows and search performance

• Contribute to SEO documentation, operational standards, and continuous process improvements

You Bring

• 3–5+ years of hands-on SEO experience with proven organic growth results

• Experience independently managing SEO strategy across multiple websites or client accounts

• Strong technical SEO expertise, including audits, indexing, structured data, Core Web Vitals, and on-page optimization

• Deep understanding of keyword research, search intent, content strategy, and performance analysis

• Experience using Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, Looker Studio, Sitebulb, or similar platforms

• Working knowledge of AEO, GEO, semantic search, entity optimization, and AI-powered search experiences

• Excellent editorial, proofreading, and content optimization skills

• Experience working within CMS platforms such as WordPress, Webflow, Drupal, or similar

• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and project management skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities across several client accounts simultaneously

Bonus Points

• Experience in higher education, enrollment marketing, or education technology

• Previous agency experience managing multiple client accounts

• Familiarity with CRM platforms and enrollment-focused reporting

• Experience using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, AirOps, or similar

• Passion for emerging AI search technologies and the future of organic search

What's Offered

• Fully remote work environment

• Competitive compensation based on experience

• Opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio of higher education institutions

• Exposure to cutting-edge SEO, AEO, GEO, and AI search initiatives

• Collaborative, cross-functional team environment

• Opportunity to influence the evolution of the agency's SEO services and best practices

Interview Process

1️⃣ Application Review — resume and SEO experience

2️⃣ Intro Call — background, technical expertise, and client experience

3️⃣ Hiring Manager Interview — SEO strategy, technical knowledge, and analytics

4️⃣ Team Interview — collaboration, communication, and problem-solving approach

5️⃣ Offer Stage — final discussions and onboarding

This is an opportunity for an experienced SEO professional who enjoys combining technical expertise, content strategy, and data-driven decision-making to help higher education institutions grow through organic search while staying at the forefront of AI-driven search innovation.