Local SEO + GEO/AEO Specialist for Bakery WordPress Website

## About the Business We are a local bakery shop looking to improve our online visibility — both in traditional Google search/Maps results and in AI-powered answer engines (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini, etc.). Our website runs on WordPress, and we need an experienced specialist to optimize it for both **Local SEO** and **Generative/Answer Engine Optimization (GEO/AEO)**. ## Project Overview We're hiring a WordPress + SEO expert to audit, fix, and optimize our bakery's website so that we: 1. Rank higher in local Google searches and Google Maps ("bakery near me," "best bakery in [city]," etc.) 2. Show up in AI-generated answers when people ask assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity for bakery recommendations 3. Have a technically sound, fast, mobile-friendly WordPress site that supports long-term SEO growth ## Scope of Work / Responsibilities WordPress Technical Setup - Full technical SEO audit of the existing WordPress site - Fix site speed, Core Web Vitals, mobile usability issues - Set up/optimize an SEO plugin (Yoast, Rank Math, or similar) - Clean up broken links, duplicate content, indexing issues - Ensure proper XML sitemap and robots.txt configuration Local SEO - Google Business Profile setup/optimization (categories, hours, photos, posts, Q&A) - Local citation building and NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across directories - On-page local SEO: location pages, service/product pages, local keywords - Schema markup (LocalBusiness, Bakery, Product, FAQ, Review schema) - Review generation and management strategy (Google reviews) - Local backlink building (local directories, community sites, partnerships) AI SEO / GEO + AEO (Generative & Answer Engine Optimization) - Optimize content so it's easily quoted/cited by AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini) - Structure content with clear Q&A formatting, FAQ schema, and conversational keyword targeting - Build topical authority through blog/content pages answering common customer questions (e.g., "best custom cake bakery near me," "gluten-free bakery in [city]") - Ensure content is structured for both traditional search snippets and AI answer extraction - Monitor and report on brand visibility in AI search results Content & On-Page - Keyword research (local + conversational/AI-search intent) - Optimize existing pages (homepage, menu, about, contact, location pages) - Write or guide creation of new SEO/GEO-optimized content (blog posts, FAQs, product pages) ## Deliverables - Full SEO/technical audit report with prioritized fixes - Optimized WordPress site (on-page + technical) - Fully optimized Google Business Profile - Schema markup implementation - Local citations list/report - GEO/AEO content strategy and initial optimized content - Monthly performance report (rankings, traffic, AI visibility, GBP insights) ## Requirements - Proven experience with WordPress SEO (portfolio/case studies required) - Strong background in **Local SEO** for small/local businesses (bakery, restaurant, or retail experience a plus) - Demonstrated understanding of **GEO/AEO** — optimizing for AI search engines and LLM-based answer tools, not just traditional Google rankings - Experience with SEO plugins (Yoast/Rank Math), Google Business Profile, Google Search Console, Google Analytics - Knowledge of schema markup implementation - Good communication skills and ability to explain SEO progress in plain language ## Nice to Have - Experience with local food/bakery/restaurant clients - Basic content writing skills - Familiarity with tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, BrightLocal, or similar - Experience tracking brand mentions in AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.)