Senior SEO Strategist (Technical + Content | Agency | Healthcare / Higher Ed)

Senior SEO Strategist (Technical + Content | Agency | Healthcare / Higher Ed) --- 🚫 Please do not contact our company directly, although you can check us out at (link removed). All applications must go through Upwork. Messages sent outside of Upwork will be ignored and your application will be rejected. ‼️ 🚫 --- 🕐 Time Zone Requirement Significant overlap with US Central Time (CST/CDT) is required. We are headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. You do not need to be US-based, but must be available for collaboration and async communication during Central business hours. --- 📋 About the Role O8 is a Minneapolis-based digital agency specializing in organic SEO, technical SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), content strategy, and local SEO at scale. We work with healthcare systems, higher education institutions, SaaS companies, and nonprofits — and we are growing fast. We need a Senior SEO Strategist to be our dedicated SEO resource. Our pipeline includes a 370-facility healthcare network requiring aggressive technical and local SEO, an active higher education SEO review, and multiple ongoing content strategy engagements. The team is at capacity. This role fills a critical gap. You will own SEO strategy across multiple client accounts: auditing, roadmapping, executing, and reporting. You will also contribute to our Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) practice — helping clients get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other LLMs. This is where SEO is heading, and we are already ahead of most agencies on it. --- 🔑 Key Responsibilities - Conduct technical SEO audits and build execution roadmaps for complex Drupal and WordPress sites - Develop and execute local SEO strategies for multi-location healthcare and service brands (100–500+ locations) - Build content strategies designed for both traditional SERPs and AI citation (AEO/LLM visibility) - Analyze performance using GA4, Google Search Console, and SEMrush — translate findings into client-facing recommendations - Collaborate closely with O8's PM, content, and development teams to execute across accounts - Monitor and report on SEO health, rankings, and traffic trends across the portfolio - Identify and surface new opportunities proactively — do not wait to be asked --- ✨ We're looking for someone who: - Has 5+ years of SEO experience, with meaningful agency experience managing multiple client accounts simultaneously - Is a true technical SEO practitioner — crawl analysis, indexing, schema, Core Web Vitals, site architecture, redirects — not just keyword research - Has hands-on experience with Drupal and/or WordPress SEO (modules, configuration, developer collaboration) - Knows GA4 and Google Search Console deeply — custom reports, attribution, traffic diagnosis - Is familiar with or excited about Answer Engine Optimization (getting brands cited by LLMs — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Grok) - Can own client relationships on SEO — write the brief, lead the call, defend the recommendation - Communicates clearly in writing and does not disappear --- 💡 Nice-to-haves: - Experience in healthcare, higher education, or SaaS verticals (any combination) - Local SEO at scale experience (Yext, BrightLocal, Google Business Profile API, 100+ locations) - Familiarity with SEMrush, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or similar tools at a deep level - Experience building SEO-driven content programs, not just auditing existing content - Schema markup and structured data implementation experience --- 🌎 Why Join O8? - Work with a collaborative, supportive team dedicated to helping clients achieve measurable growth. - Enjoy a flexible, remote-friendly work environment that values work-life balance, cultural exploration, diversity, travel, and being a good human. - Grow your career in a company committed to transparency, agility, and innovation. --- 🤝 Equal Opportunity Employer At O8, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. --- 🚫 Please do not contact our company directly. All applications must go through Upwork. Messages sent outside of Upwork will be ignored and your application will be rejected. ‼️ 🚫 --- 📊 ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Suggested Hourly Rate: $50-$80 USD Estimated Hours: 15-30 hours/week Contract Type: Ongoing