Manager, SEO & AI Discovery

Job Description:

As a Manager SEO & AI Discovery at Merkle you will lead SEO strategy across a portfolio of client accounts setting program direction owning complex audits and recommendations and translating search performance into business outcomes. This role is built for a senior individual contributor who can move comfortably between technical SEO content and on-page strategy AI-driven discovery performance measurement and client advisory. You will serve as a trusted lead for assigned accounts helping clients understand what is happening why it matters and what to do next.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead SEO strategy across assigned accounts: Set search program direction prioritize workstreams and ensure recommendations connect to client business goals marketing priorities and measurable outcomes.

• Serve as the day-to-day search lead: Build trusted relationships with client stakeholders understand their goals KPIs business context priorities and decision-making dynamics and translate search priorities into clear business-relevant action.

• Own complex SEO / AI audits and analyses: Independently diagnose performance opportunities across technical SEO content and on-page optimization AI Search visibility competitive landscape and site architecture.

• Develop measurement frameworks: Define SEO reporting structures that connect organic visibility technical health content performance classic SERP visibility AI Overview presence LLM visibility and business outcomes.

• Turn data into decisions: Analyze data from GSC GA4 crawl tools rank tracking log files AI visibility platforms and third-party tools to identify patterns explain performance shifts and prioritize action.

• Create actionable recommendations: Translate findings into prioritized recommendations with clear impact effort dependencies confidence level and implementation guidance for client content and engineering teams.

• Lead technical SEO workstreams: Guide recommendations across crawl indexation rendering JavaScript SEO Core Web Vitals site architecture internal linking schema structured data migrations and re-platforming.

• Advance content and AI Search visibility: Lead search intent mapping topical authority planning SERP feature analysis AI Overview evaluation LLM visibility analysis entity and brand authority recommendations and scalable on-page optimization frameworks.

• Own delivery quality: Manage assigned SEO workstreams end-to-end including scoping work planning QA stakeholder updates timeline management and on-time delivery.

• Mentor and review junior work: Coach consultants and staff consultants on analysis planning data interpretation recommendation quality deliverable structure and client-ready communication.

• Support account growth: Identify organic growth opportunities contribute SEO expertise to pitches RFPs renewals and SOW scoping and help shape work that is clearly scoped valuable to clients and feasible for the team to deliver.

• Improve the SEO practice: Contribute to internal templates playbooks QA standards training materials AI-assisted workflows and process improvements that help the team deliver better work at scale.

What Youll Bring

• 3 years of progressive SEO experience preferably in an agency consultancy or complex multi-stakeholder environment.

• Strong technical SEO capability across crawl indexation rendering site architecture internal linking Core Web Vitals structured data migrations and JavaScript SEO.

• Demonstrated capability in SEO analysis and measurement including the ability to combine multiple data sources and translate findings into business-relevant recommendations.

• Hands-on experience with tools such as Google Search Console GA4 Screaming Frog Sitebulb Ahrefs SEMRush enterprise crawlers rank tracking platforms Data Studio and AI visibility tracking platforms.

• Ability to build clear persuasive client deliverables including audits executive summaries dashboards roadmaps and strategic recommendation decks.

• Strong written verbal and presentation skills with the ability to adjust communication for executives marketers engineers content teams and internal stakeholders.

• Experience leading client conversations answering questions in real time and explaining and supporting recommendations with evidence context and judgment.

• Working knowledge of AI Search including AI Overviews LLM-powered discovery citation visibility entity authority and AI-assisted SEO workflows.

• Strong project and workstream ownership including the ability to manage timelines flag risks early coordinate with PMs and cross-functional teams and keep stakeholders informed.

• Comfort mentoring consultants and staff consultants and reviewing their work for analytical accuracy strategic clarity and client readiness.

Preferred / Bonus Experience

• BigQuery SQL Python server log analysis API-based reporting or other scalable data workflows.

• Experience with international SEO e-commerce SEO local SEO video/image SEO link building digital PR or SEO testing.

• Experience developing reusable SEO templates processes playbooks training materials or productized service offerings.

Leadership & Ways of Working

• You are proactive responsive and self-directed. You readily provide status/account updates risks or next steps.

• You can manage multiple accounts or workstreams at once without losing quality context or follow-through.

• You are comfortable with ambiguity and can turn broad client questions into structured analysis plans and practical recommendations.

• You raise risks early propose paths forward and balance client needs with team capacity and scope boundaries.

• You help make the team better by sharing what you know improving how work gets done and creating space for consultants and staff consultants to grow.

The annual salary range for this position is65K- within the salary range is based on a variety of factors including relevant experience knowledge skills and other factorspermittedby law.

Benefits available with this position include:

Medical vision and dental insurance

Life insurance

Short-term and long-term disability insurance

401k

Flexible paid time off

At least 15 paid holidays per year

Paid sick and safe leave and

Paid parental leave.

Dentsu alsocomplies withapplicable state and local lawsregardingemployee leave benefits including but not limited to providing time offpursuant tothe Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Actin accordance withits plans and policies. For further detailsregardingDentsu benefits please visit.

To begin the application process please click on the Apply button at the top of this jobposting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be contacted fornextsteps.

Atdentsu we believegreat workhappens whenwereconnected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices currentlylocatedin Chicago metro Detroit Los Angeles and New York City arerequiredand expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu maydesignateother Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may bedesignated asremote depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients which may include attendance in an office.

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