Director of SEO – Agentic Search

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Texas.

📋 Description

• You will take charge of organic search and AI discovery across our brand portfolio.

• You will establish the vision, roadmap, and benchmarks for competing in an environment where Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Mode are emerging as primary discovery platforms.

• The team is intentionally kept small.

• It includes one SEO analyst.

• A streamlined research and editorial group that produces data-driven studies and guides.

• Several strategic roles are intentionally unassigned, waiting for you to define.

• Responsibilities include AI visibility tracking, editorial guidance, content pruning, and expert sourcing strategy.

• You will determine what to retain, what to phase out, and what to create. We focus on scaling leverage rather than increasing headcount.

• This is a strategic role with high visibility.

• You will influence company-wide priorities, collaborate with engineering, data, product, design, and executive leadership, and become the internal expert on the future of organic discovery and winning strategies.

⛳️ Requirements

• You have a forward-looking perspective. You have been preparing for the future of search rather than relying on past trends. You have anticipated the AI search transition before it became mainstream and can clearly articulate its implications for a business like ours. This position may not suit you if you are focused on optimizing for the 2020 version of SEO or regard AI search as a future issue.

• You recognize the importance of external visibility. In the AI era, authority is derived from being frequently cited and mentioned across various external platforms, including journalists, creators, review sites, industry directories, and communities. You have developed external earned media strategies and understand how to navigate these ecosystems. You view this as a core SEO strategy rather than a supplementary marketing effort. This role may not be ideal for you if you see SEO as solely on-site optimization or if you consider earned media and PR as separate from organic search strategy.

• You understand that organic search drives revenue, not just traffic. You approach your work with a business perspective, linking organic initiatives to customer acquisition costs, growth, and revenue impact rather than merely impressions and clicks. You can discuss payback periods, cohort economics, and margin contributions clearly. Organic search is fundamental to our growth, and you see your role as enhancing revenue value across the entire brand portfolio, rather than maximizing traffic at any cost. This role may not suit you if you are content with organic metrics that do not relate to business outcomes.

• You diagnose quickly and act even faster. You utilize data to discern valuable insights amidst noise, make decisions, and take action. You are not the type who requires extensive research before forming a hypothesis. You understand the difference between actionable analysis and analysis that merely delays action. This position may not be a good fit if you are known for thorough research that rarely leads to clear recommendations.

• You build and elevate teams. You have experience leading at scale and making tough talent decisions when necessary. You are also comfortable starting small and assembling the team you need around you. You nurture leaders, not just contributors, and foster an environment where excellence is recognized. This role may not be suitable for you if you prefer to inherit a large team rather than build one.

• You are an evangelist across the company. Your role extends beyond SEO ownership; you promote its vision. You can articulate the AI Search opportunity to a CFO as effectively as to a technical SEO. You influence roadmaps, secure funding, and energize cross-functional partners about organic search initiatives. This position may not be ideal for you if you prefer to stay within your specific role and leave advocacy to others.

• You are technically proficient and ready to execute. You can delve into details regarding structured data, crawl budgets, and Core Web Vitals, and you know when to do so. Additionally, you understand when to step back and provide direction. With a small team, the distinction between executing and leading can blur, and you are comfortable in both capacities. This role may not suit you if you require a large team to accomplish the work.

• You are an AI native. You utilize AI tools daily for research, content creation, analysis, and workflow optimization. More importantly, you comprehend how LLMs and generative AI function well enough to develop an AI Search strategy based on these systems' actual content discovery and evaluation processes. This role may not be a good fit if your AI knowledge is superficial or limited to using ChatGPT for drafts.

🏝️ Benefits

• Base salary ranging from $170,000 to $190,000 USD.

• Equity opportunities. Organic discovery is essential to our growth, and the value you create impacts our entire brand portfolio and every downstream channel. We want you to be invested in that long-term success.

• Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, and vision.

• Fully remote work options, allowing you to work from anywhere in the US.

• Flexible paid time off, with a focus on outcomes.