SEO Manager

Job Description

Location:  Richmond, VA

This is an on-site full-time position only.  Any applications for remote workers, freelancers, contractors, or agencies will not be considered.

Guns Dot com is looking for an experienced SEO Manager – a subject-matter-expert with complete understanding of Search Engine Optimization science including, but not limited to: trends, changes, applications, implementations, strategies, achievements, and realizations.  This role requires a seasoned strategist who will be internally responsible for the ownership of an overall blueprint that will dictate the architecture and approach to drive ecommerce growth.

A successful candidate for this role will be a proven expert in their field with a strong ability to provide leadership and guidance for internal and external contributors, teammates, and executives.  This role will have a direct relationship with both the Marketing and Technology teams.  A strong technical background, understanding, and mindset is required.  Must be highly motivated, independent, focused yet flexible, and possess strong analytical thinking skills.

Key Management Areas of Responsibility

  Monitoring

• Perform detailed data monitoring and effectively interpret, analyze, and report ongoing SEO efforts
• Review technical SEO issues and implement changes to improve site architecture and page content, including continuous bug/break monitoring (servers, bots, 301’s, catalogue, affiliate, site setup structure, etc.)
• Develop, implement, monitor and control healthy external incoming link profile and link building strategies
• Research, analyze, and gain full understanding of the competitive landscape in the industry through reverse engineering to provide insight to competition site structures, funnels, link profiles, and overall performance with the goal to enhance the company’s standing
• Responsible for onsite and offsite optimization and monitoring for tracking performance of SEO changes

  Architecture

• 100% correct site setup (speed, mobile, meta, site maps, etc.)
• 100% correct site organization (categories, URLs, funnels, navigation, etc.)
• 100% correct use and signals of external plugins (GA, Search Consul, Yoast, etc.)
• Optimize copy and landing pages for search engine marketing and make those changes in different platforms
• Work with development team to ensure SEO best practices are properly implemented on newly developed code

  Production

• Ownership of topics, keyword, products.  Perform ongoing keyword discovery, expansion and optimization
• Successfully lead proactive strategy campaigns, paid or otherwise
• Work with editorial and marketing teams to drive SEO in content creation and content programming and uncover additional opportunities
• Manage outside SEO agency with regards to prioritization of recommendations, sharing of data, cost and time management, and strategy development.
• Act as centralized contact of all ecommerce, marketing and editorial content to ensure best practice and adherence to specific direction-rules-strategy of the Guns Dot Com SEO blueprint
• Ownership of YouTube channel and its performance
• Collaboration with Technology team on development of internal search functionality
• Communication to team and leadership on project development, times and results
• Retroactive cleanup of old site such as removing or replacing bad links, tags, categories, descriptions, writings etc.

Professional Skills and Qualifications

• BA/BS in Marketing, Business, or related field
• 5+ years professional experience in SEO/SEM with expert understanding of ecommerce
• Experience in building inbound organic search traffic and improving SERPs
• An up-to-date, working knowledge of current, past, and projected trends in the SEO industry
• High-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Experience with website analyses and various analytical and reporting tools
• Background in creating reports showing web analytics data and site evaluations
• Technical knowledge and experience working with HTML/CSS and website administration
• Experience managing and analyzing large data sets and performing retroactive cleanup of site as related to SEO and search
• Proven success in link building and viral strategies
• Proven performance in the development of editorial content and social media strategies as related to SEO
• Understanding and ability to execute research into the competitive landscape of an ecommerce industry
• Outstanding ability to think creatively, strategically, and identify and resolve problems
• Attention to detail and the ability to effectively multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent analytical, project management and time management skills
• Strong organizational and leadership skills