Job Description

Role: SEO Lead
Priority Location: Any
Working Hours: 8AM - 5PM EST (Mon - Fri)
Salary Range:
International-based: $3300 - $4500 USD per month
(The final offer is at the client's discretion and depends on the candidate's interview result, skills, and experience.)
Type of contract: Independent Contractor
Type of job: Remote
Role Overview:
We're hiring a hands-on SEO Lead to own the agency's SEO function. You'll be a player/coach, setting strategy, building scalable systems, leading specialists, and executing client work. You'll champion automation, AI, and process design to scale deliverables efficiently while driving measurable results across an SMB client portfolio.
Core responsibilities include technical SEO, local SEO, content optimization, link acquisition, and analytics/reporting, ensuring SEO integrates seamlessly with paid media, CRO, and web development. You'll also serve as a client-facing expert, translating SEO work into business value
Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Strategy

• Own the SEO vision, roadmap, and operating model for the client portfolio
• Build quarterly SEO strategies per client with clear goals and KPIs
• Translate business objectives into measurable SEO outcomes
• Act as client-facing SME--explaining methods, insights, and ROI in plain language
• Collaborate with paid media, CRO, dev, and account teams to deliver integrated growth

• Systems & Automation

• Create scalable playbooks, SOPs, and templates for audits, on-page optimization, and link outreach
• Implement automation and AI-assisted workflows (brief generation, clustering, QA checks)
• Maintain reporting dashboards in Looker Studio and GA4 with automated quality checks
• Manage the SEO tooling stack, licensing, and cost efficiency

• Execution & Quality

• Lead technical SEO: crawl diagnostics, indexation, site structure, CWV, schema, and hreflang
• Oversee local SEO: GBP optimization, NAP consistency, citations, and location landing pages
• Guide content strategy: keyword clustering, intent alignment, and on-page optimization
• Manage white-hat backlink acquisition and digital PR initiatives
• Oversee site migrations and large-scale content/product moves
• Maintain QA standards, review cycles, and performance post-mortems

• Client Communication

• Lead monthly/quarterly reviews with actionable insights tied to performance
• Connect SEO activity to lead generation, conversions, and revenue impact
• Report on rankings, traffic, conversions, and share of voice
• Proactively identify risks, opportunities, and testing ideas

Qualifications:
Required

• 7-10+ years of SEO experience, including 3-5+ in agency or team leadership
• Proven success managing SMB or mid-market SEO programs across industries
• Deep expertise in technical SEO, local SEO, content optimization, and link building
• Ecommerce SEO experience
• Experience leading large-scale site migrations and multi-location SEO initiatives
• Strong analytical mindset; proficient in GA4, GSC, GTM, Looker Studio, and conversion tracking
• Skilled with Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, BrightLocal, Lighthouse, and schema tools
• Comfortable in WordPress with working knowledge of HTML/CSS/regex
• Excellent communicator--able to simplify SEO concepts for clients and teams
• Familiarity with AI and automation workflows for SEO scale and efficiency
• Reliable internet connection and backup power, good quality webcam for client meetings

Preferred

• Experience with CRO and paid search
• Knowledge of branded SERP and reputation management
• Understanding of server/CDN configurations (e.g., Cloudflare)
• Google Analytics or Ads certifications

How You Work:

• Builder-Leader: Create systems others can run and improve
• Outcome-Driven: Focus on impact, not activity
• Operationally Excellent: Keep processes and dashboards clean and current
• Innovator with Guardrails: Use automation and AI responsibly for quality and scale
• Clear Communicator: Make complex ideas simple and actionable

Success Metrics:

• Growth in qualified organic sessions, leads, and conversions
• Improved local visibility (map pack, GBP engagement, calls)
• Strong technical health (crawl/index rates, CWV scores, site speed)
• Consistent content output aligned with audience intent
• Increased authority from relevant, high-quality backlinks
• Efficiency gains through automation and repeatable processes
• High client satisfaction, retention, and NPS

Skills Required