Senior SEO Strategist

ABOUT MESSAGE LAB

Message Lab is a fast-growing content marketing agency that combines journalism, data, and design to create content that resonates with audiences. We have a strong point of view on how editorial, design, and data work together in the service of a singular goal. It starts with identifying great stories that support the ideas our clients care about and bringing them to life in a range of formats. Our work spans the gamut of a modern publication—from full ground-up publications to individual high-end interactive storytelling pieces, and everything in between. We focus on partnering with our clients to find what they really need to get the job done and use our top-tier skills in strategy, editorial, design, and analysis to deliver.

We run a number of programs and publications for a roster of business and technology clients (including Google, the Gates Foundation, SoftBank, ServiceNow, and others), creating and producing well-sourced, deeply-reported stories. Our editorial team comes from the WSJ, NY Times, Bloomberg, and similar places, and we hold the work we’re doing now to the standards of those publications. To be clear: We’re an agency that does work for companies. You should be someone who thinks that’s interesting and an opportunity to learn exciting new skills (which we don’t expect you to have right away). We have a team focused on using analytics to understand and improve reader engagement who you’ll be expected to work closely with—another great opportunity to learn.

We improve people's experience with our clients’ brands and help rid the world of content no one cares about.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

Message Lab is seeking a Senior SEO Strategist to be a critical component in the delivery and growth of our Search Engine Optimization service. We are looking for someone with deep experience delivering successful SEO campaigns, who understands the cross-channel impacts an organic search campaign has on an overall marketing strategy, and who believes in content's critical role in success. 

This person will have experience managing organic strategies for clients of all sizes and utilize advanced technical and content strategies to drive growth. They will know how to communicate the value of their work to stakeholders, get their projects approved, and collaborate with team members to implement their recommendations. Most importantly, this person will have knowledge of industry best practices, a strong point-of-view on what works and what doesn’t, and the ability to execute an overarching strategy.

This role will report directly to the Director of Growth Marketing.

Role location: Fully remote (within the United States). Message Lab is fully remote and we require employees to be available and online during our core business hours (10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. Pacific Time), regardless of their physical location.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

As a Senior SEO Strategist on the Growth Marketing team, you will: 

• Lead strategic SEO vision and deliver SEO recommendations and tactical support to help our clients achieve key business objectives in collaboration with other strategic contributors (editors, designers, channel experts, etc.)
• Perform in-depth keyword research for clients in a wide variety of industries to identify opportunities in our content calendars and optimization efforts
• Lead end-to-end process of ideating, pitching, producing and promoting SEO-driven content, both as part of a holistic content strategy and for individual pieces, to enhance organic visibility and drive targeted traffic
• Collaborate with editorial team to:
• Create SEO-targeted articles by creating SEO content briefs based on keyword research, a thorough analysis of the SERPS and SEO recommendations on article drafts
• Optimize all content (SEO content as well as other content) to maximize potential in Organic Search
• Conduct routine technical audits on client websites, proactively identify issues and collaborate with team members to ensure optimal technical health and performance
• Generate and present comprehensive reports assessing the effectiveness of SEO initiatives, their alignment with client business objectives and their contribution to Message Lab's cross-team strategy
• Stay current with SEO industry best practices and trends, actively sharing insights and updates with the team to enhance collective knowledge
• Manage projects for your SEO initiatives in collaboration with project managers (task delegation, timeline management and resource allocation), ensuring seamless coordination among team members to meet project goals and deadlines

Essential skills:

• 5+ years of experience running SEO programs
• Deep understanding of search engine algorithms and current recommended best practices to help websites perform in Organic Search
• Expertise with common SEO tools including Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Screaming Frog and one of Ahrefs, Moz or SEMrush, for example; must be very comfortable with Google Search Console and familiar with Google Analytics; expert-level capabilities with Screaming Frog are a strong plus
• Strong understanding of HTML and CSS and be capable of collaborating effectively with a developer to implement technical solutions
• Strong communicator with the ability to explain and deliver SEO insight and recommendations to non-SEO experts

Preferred skills:

• Previous work experience at an agency
• Experience in JavaScript or any other development technologies
• Experience in other marketing channels (owned, social and paid)

WORKING AT MESSAGE LAB

Hiring philosophy: Message Lab doesn’t just accept differences; we fundamentally celebrate and seek out diversity. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunities for all employees and to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. 

If you are interested in the job but don’t know if you meet every single requirement, please apply. Nobody checks every box; and we know that you are more than just a resume.

Salary range: $90,000 – $115,000 (commensurate with skills and experience) 

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability
• 401(k) retirement plan and FSA accounts for medical and dependent care
• Flexible PTO, paid sick, and wellness days
• Parental and pregnancy revival leave
• Fully remote and distributed teams across the US
• A flexible work from home policy as needed (even post-COVID)
• Office equipment purchase for new employees and monthly and annual tech budgets
• A growing team that’s motivated to create high quality, industry leading work
• A fun environment that includes lots of laughing, outings, and camaraderie

#LI-CO1
#LI-Remote