Hybrid, San Diego, CA based*

*Hybrid Requirements: Employees within 40 miles of a physical office location must be present in office 2 days a week.

Office Locations: San Diego, CA & Denver, CO

Job Title: Senior SEO Strategist

This role will require the selected individual to work a hybrid schedule in our Del Mar, CA office location.

Overview:

For over 15 years, 85SIXTY has been helping clients transform the way they reach, acquire and engage with their customers through an integrated combination of data, technology, cross-channel strategies, and creative thinking. Some might call us a full-service digital consultancy, but we like to think of ourselves as a partner that can both drive strategy and orchestrate delivery. Founded in 2010 by a veteran in retail, eCommerce, and digital, 85SIXTY was built around a consultative, high-touch approach that allows us to work across a broad spectrum of areas to increase our value to our customers. We are supporting today’s forward-thinking brands in their journey towards growth. Solving whatever is thrown our way, applying curiosity and translating it into effective solutions is at the core of 85SIXTY. We are looking for team members who fit that ethos.

We are looking for a team member who is excited about where search is heading and wants to help brands adapt to what comes next. This role goes far beyond traditional SEO. We need someone who understands that search behavior is changing quickly and that visibility now extends beyond Google rankings into AI-generated answers, conversational search experiences, social discovery platforms, and emerging search ecosystems.

In this role, you will lead SEO strategy across your own portfolio of consumer brands spanning outdoor, travel, hospitality, apparel, footwear, health and wellness, and lifestyle categories. You will help clients improve visibility, traffic quality, discoverability, and performance across both traditional search engines and AI-driven experiences. You should be comfortable digging into technical SEO challenges, while also being able to explain the “why” behind recommendations to clients and internal teams.

You understand how search is evolving toward AI-generated summaries, answer engines, and conversational interfaces, and you are curious about how brands can remain visible as these platforms continue to grow. You think critically about AI and you use tools to support research, analyze data, improve workflows, and pressure-test ideas.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who is proactive, adaptable, collaborative, and genuinely curious. Search is changing fast, and we want someone who is energized by learning, testing, and helping our clients stay ahead of where the industry is going.

Responsibilities:

Client Leadership and Strategy

• Lead client meetings and serve as their trusted advisor on traditional SEO, AI Overviews and emerging search trends (e.g. AEO & GEO). 
• Translate technical findings and performance data into clear recommendations tied to business goals and growth opportunities.
• Build SEO strategies that support traffic growth, discoverability, engagement, and outcomes.
• Help clients understand how AI-generated search experiences and evolving search behavior may impact their business and visibility.
• Lead annual and quarterly business reviews to Identify growth opportunities, competitive risks, and strategic priorities for each client.

SEO Strategy and Technical Execution

• Lead SEO reporting and analysis using platforms such as GA4, Google Search Console, Adobe Analytics, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Screaming Frog, and other SEO tools.
• Monitor trends related to AI Overviews, generative search visibility, SERP volatility, and emerging search behavior patterns.
• Develop and execute keyword, content, and search intent strategies that align with customer behavior and business goals.
• Audit and improve technical SEO elements including site architecture, internal linking, crawlability, indexing, structured data, metadata, and page performance.
• Support ecommerce SEO initiatives across platforms like Shopify Plus and Adobe Commerce.
• Partner with development teams to prioritize and implement technical SEO recommendations.
• Use AI and LLM tools to support analysis, research, workflow improvements, and strategic planning while applying strong critical thinking and business context.
• Lead competitive research and stay informed on changes across SEO, AI search, ecommerce, and digital discovery platforms.
• Manage multiple SEO initiatives and client priorities while maintaining strong organization and communication.

AI Search, GEO, and Discovery Platforms

• Help shape strategies focused on improving visibility within AI-generated search experiences and conversational platforms.
• Optimize content and site structures to improve discoverability across platforms such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and other search environments where consumers actively research products and brands.

Collaboration and Team Support

• Work closely with Content, Creative, Paid Media, Analytics, Development, and Client Strategy teams to align SEO efforts with broader marketing and business goals.
• Share knowledge, mentor junior team members, and contribute actively to the team’s understanding of both traditional SEO and emerging AI-driven search experiences.
• Contribute ideas, testing opportunities, and process improvements that help the SEO team continue to evolve.

Desired Qualifications:

• 3-5 years of professional SEO experience within a service provider, agency or related environment.
• Proven experience in building, executing and measuring successful SEO strategies that consider the current state of the search landscape moving towards AI-generated summaries and generative interfaces.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence, Basecamp) and software.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Life / AD&D
  • FSA - Health/Dependent Care
  • Voluntary Life / AD&D
  • Retirement Plan
• FTO - Flexible Time Off
• Paid Holidays Annually: 13
• Opportunities for professional development and growth.
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment.
• Contribution to impactful and innovative projects in the digital space.

Compensation Disclaimer:

Compensation Range: $75,000 - $90,000 annually. Actual compensation is based on multiple factors that are unique to each candidate, including and not limited to job-related knowledge, level of relevant experience, education, skills and geographic location (to account for comparative cost of living). 85SIXTY reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.

EEO Statement:

85SIXTY is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Staffing / Recruiting Agencies:

To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at 85SIXTY. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. 85SIXTY does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, 85SIXTY employees or any other company location. 85SIXTY is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.

Fake Job Postings Statement:

Please be aware of fictitious job postings, consulting engagements, solicitations, or employment offers from suspicious sources. These engagements may be an attempt to obtain private information, or to induce you to pay a fee for services related to recruitment or training. 85SIXTY does NOT charge any application, processing, or training fee at any stage of the recruitment or hiring process. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of any messaging behalf of 85SIXTY, please send us an email at HR@85SIXTY.com before taking any further action in relation to the correspondence, recruitment or hiring process. All genuine job openings will be posted on our careers page at https://85sixty.rippling-ats.com/.

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