Manager, SEO

About the Role:

Digital Marketing is a critical part of every consumer journey, but many companies only measure its impact on their digital outcomes. Our approach to optimization of search at Ovative Group can’t be found anywhere else. We measure and optimize search at the enterprise level to a KPI we call enterprise marketing return (EMR), an ROI-focused approach that measures the holistic impact of our channels.

EMR includes revenue from ecommerce/in-store channels, value of new customer acquisition, incrementality, and margins. Our clients are household names that span multiple industries, including retail, social networking platforms, healthcare, education, CPG, and hospitality.

The Ovative Group Manager, SEO position is an opportunity for a passionate, experienced candidate to take the next step in a leadership role at a fast-growing company that has the highest standards for talent, fun, and client success. The ideal candidate demonstrates great critical thinking and prioritization, phenomenal client management, inspiring team leadership, and a high degree of passion and subject matter expertise in SEO. Their role will be pivotal in helping Ovative continue our journey toward measuring and optimizing search to the its enterprise impact and redefine the measure of marketing success.

Responsibilities of a SEO Manager:

• Performance-driven SEO program management & execution:
  • Consistently develop high-impact SEO program strategies and roadmap management to grow our client’s organic search performance
  • Possess deep, results-oriented SEO subject matter expertise with a proven track record of driving organic performance in enterprise settings
  • Lead day-to-day management of client SEO programs across an enterprise client portfolio including:
    • Technical auditing and optimizations on large sites (>100k pages)
    • Helping clients navigate the evolving landscape of SEO as AI integration and user adoption scales
    • On-page optimization activities, such as keyword research, metadata development, internal linking, and more
    • Content strategy development and execution, such as content auditing, gap analysis, strategy execution, and more
    • Local program optimization of site, partners, and tools such as Yext and Google Business Profiles
    • Automating reporting views within analytics platforms to scalably identify key drivers of performance through impactful weekly & monthly insights
    • Off-page optimization activities, such as link building, link reclamation, and outreach
    • Collaborating with paid search teams to create and refine holistic search strategies that maximize efficiency and drive growth
  • Ability to work closely with client-side implementation teams (development, product/UX, content, etc) to define requirements and brainstorm solutions to a variety of SEO recommendations
  • Be effective in driving change – navigate ambiguity and large organizations with ease to maximize the impact of our work
  • Regular analysis and effective communication of program performance at granular levels to audiences ranging from day-to-day stakeholders up to C-suite
• Client relationship management:
  • Lead day-to-day management of client organic search programs including:
    • Clearly defining program objectives, tactics, and KPIs
    • Developing and delivering client communication
    • Owning project management, communicating status / progress against open initiatives
    • Effectively manage client relationship and establish trust and credibility
    • Effectively influence client stakeholders to evolve strategies and measurement approach to drive enterprise impact
    • Deliver Ovative’s unique client experience by making their Ovative interactions the best part of their day
  • Own, manage, and grow the overall relationship of some of Ovative Group’s largest clients
• Team leadership and employee development:
  • Lead, manage, and grow an exceptional team of high-performing direct reports
  • Provide meaningful, impactful feedback proactively to direct and indirect reports
  • Review deliverables, align on strategies, be a thought partner, and remove roadblocks
  • Conduct regular development check-ins to ensure goals are on-track, including quarterly 360-degree feedback sessions
  • Manage, train, and support recruitment efforts of new Ovative team members
  • Foster a culture of open communication and 360-degree feedback
  • Inspire your team and direct reports to reach their quarterly, annual, and long-term goals

Requirements of a SEO Manager:

• 5+ years of experience directly responsible for enterprise-level SEO programs
• Proven track record of success driving strong positive results through SEO programs
• Proven excellence in the following:
  • Performance-based, direct-response SEO strategies
  • All analytics tools (Adobe analytics, Google Analytics 4 / Google Search Console, server log analysis, etc)
  • Visibility monitoring tools (STAT, Conductor/Brightedge, etc), Auditing tools (DeepCrawl, Screaming Frog, Botify, etc), Keyword research tools (Adwords, Ahrefs, SEMRush, etc, and other analysis tools
  • Deep understanding of critical crawling/indexing/rendering factors
  • Deep curiosity and fluency in artificial intelligence and its impending impact to Search
  • Understanding of schema.org structured markup, page speed optimizations, and other scalable technical tactics
  • Local search optimization platforms (Yext, Rio, etc)
  • Writing/reading code (HTML, JS, etc) a strong plus
• Previous experience in enterprise SEO programs, performance marketing, retail, eCommerce, etc. preferred
• Minimum 1 year of experience managing direct reports
• Understanding of paid search platforms, strategies, and tactics a plus

Pay Transparency:

At Ovative, we offer a transparent view into three core components of your total compensation package: Base Salary, Annual Bonus, and Benefits. The salary range for this position below is inclusive of an annual bonus. Actual offers are made with consideration for relevant experience and anticipated impact. Additional benefits information is provided below. 

For our Manager positions, our compensation ranges from $79,000 to $132,000, which is inclusive of a 20% bonus.

Benefits of Working at Ovative Group: 

We provide strong, competitive, holistic benefits that understand the importance of your life inside and out of work.  

Culture:  

Culture matters and we’ve been recognized as a Top Workplace for ten years running because of it. We demand trust and transparency from each other. We believe in doing the hard and complicated work others put off. We’re open in communication and floor plan. We’re flat – our interns sit next to VPs, our analysts work closely with senior leaders, and our CEO interacts with every single person daily. Put together, these elements help foster an environment where smart people can support each other in performing to their highest potential.  

Ovative is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can participate and thrive. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Our policies reflect this commitment—for example, our medical leave benefits are inclusive of same-sex partners, ensuring equitable care and support for all families. 

Compensation and Insurance:  

We strive to hire and retain the best talent. Paying fair, competitive compensation, with a large bonus incentive, and phenomenal health insurance is an important part of this mix.  

We’re rewarded fairly and when the company performs well, we all benefit.  

Tangible amenities we enjoy:  

• Access to all office spaces in MSP, NYC, and CHI  

• Frequent, paid travel to our Minneapolis headquarters for company events, team events, and in-person collaboration with teams

• Generous paid vacation policy  

• 401k match program  

• Top-notch health insurance options, inclusive of same sex partners 

• Family formation benefits including reimbursement options for fertility, pregnancy, and parenting needs 

• Monthly stipend for your mobile phone and data plan  

• Sabbatical program  

• Charitable giving via our time and a financial match program  

• Shenanigan’s Day  

Working at Ovative won’t be easy, but if you like getting your hands dirty, driving results, and being surrounded by the best talent, it’ll be the most rewarding job you’ll ever have. If you think you can make us better, we want to hear from you!