Director of SEO

Accountabilities: Own and manage relationships with external SEO vendors, overseeing deliverables, quality, timelines, pricing, and service agreements. Audit existing vendor contracts and performance, providing recommendations on whether to retain, renegotiate, or replace each partnership. Identify opportunities to bring SEO services in-house, initially targeting two to four key areas, and develop standard operating procedures to ensure consistent delivery. Lead local SEO strategies across a portfolio of small-business clients, focusing on Google Business Profile optimization, map pack rankings, and on-page SEO. Analyze ranking performance, diagnose visibility issues, and develop prioritized optimization plans tailored to individual client objectives. Develop and implement strategies for AI-driven search, including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and answer engine optimization. Translate emerging search trends into actionable initiatives involving content structure, schema markup, structured data, and citation-worthy content. Direct and edit SEO content produced by writers and contractors, ensuring content quality, search relevance, and alignment with conversion objectives. Collaborate with web development teams to incorporate SEO best practices into new website builds from the beginning. Use Ahrefs and other analytics tools to monitor keyword performance, competitor activity, organic traffic, and local search visibility. Prepare clear, actionable performance reports and communicate SEO results and recommendations to clients and internal stakeholders. Contribute to the future growth of the SEO department by documenting processes, training team members, and eventually recruiting and leading an internal team. Requirements At least 6 years of hands-on SEO experience, with demonstrable success improving local and small-business search rankings, Google Business Profile visibility, map pack positions, and organic traffic. Strong working knowledge of Ahrefs or comparable SEO tools, including keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking, and content gap analysis. Broad understanding of modern SEO practices, including technical SEO, on-page optimization, local SEO, map grid tracking, AI-driven search, and answer engine optimization. Genuine interest in emerging AI search technologies and their impact on local search behavior, visibility, and customer acquisition. Experience evaluating SEO strategies, directing external vendors, and identifying opportunities to improve service quality and operational efficiency. Proven ability to edit and guide SEO content created by others, developing effective content briefs, editorial standards, and optimization strategies. Ability to translate SEO strategy into measurable business outcomes and prioritize initiatives based on client goals. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts, performance metrics, and strategic recommendations to non-technical stakeholders. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and attention to detail. Comfortable working independently in a remote, contract-to-hire environment with evolving processes and limited existing infrastructure. A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset, with strong ownership, adaptability, and a willingness to build processes from scratch. Nice to have: Previous management or team leadership experience, particularly with a demonstrated interest in developing and mentoring others. Nice to have: Experience working with local businesses or service-based industries. Nice to have: Familiarity with Local Falcon, Google Search Console, and other local ranking and search performance tools. Benefits Competitive monthly compensation ranging from $3,800 to $6,000 USD , depending on experience and qualifications. 100% remote working arrangement. Opportunity to work from anywhere in Latin America. Significant autonomy and ownership over SEO strategy and operational decisions. Opportunity to build and lead an internal SEO department as the organization grows. Professional development through exposure to emerging AI search technologies and evolving SEO strategies. Opportunity to make a measurable impact on business growth and client success. Collaborative environment that values creativity, continuous learning, honest communication, and initiative.