SEO Manager [Richmond, VA]

Job description

Position Summary The SEO Manager position operates at a high degree of autonomy and regularly pushes the team forward: Develop strategies and tactics that support client goals and drive strong organic marketing performance Build and maintain strong, deep client relationships with day-to-day contacts and senior stakeholders to ensure high client retention and growth Leverage AI-driven tools to accelerate data analysis, content auditing, and strategy development while maintaining high standards for accuracy Implement and test new capabilities to enable client growth In addition, SEO Managers: Aid in the training of new hires on basic and standard concepts relating to SEO and GEO Identify opportunities to integrate AI into existing SEO workflows to improve team-wide efficiency. Provide support for client services deliverables during the sales process for upsells and new business Responsibilities All responsibilities are performed with a high degree of autonomy and occasional supervision from SEO management on higher-complexity issues. Client communication and relationships Develop strong relationships with clients and senior stakeholders Attend and participate in all meetings/calls with clients Communicate effectively with various audiences Create and present insightful, meaningful, and accurate reports and analyses on complex issues Internal communication and relationships Proactively seek and gracefully accept feedback Tactfully share feedback with colleagues Inform SEO management of any updates, concerns, or potential points of interest from within the digital marketing community Business development Identify new opportunities for clients to meet their business goals Independently identify opportunities for potential case studies and coordinate with marketing for case study development Manage beta tests of new services for client set Support the sales team by assisting with RFPs, presentations, audits, and SOWs Training Regularly identify opportunities to update and expand training content Develop original technical training content with QA Read industry blogs, books, whitepapers, and articles to stay current on relevant tactics, updates, and best practices Channel management Identify, project, and obtain client buy-in and approval, and regularly hit the KPI targets. Optimize client websites by managing a holistic search approach by developing and executing local, technical, and content strategies, using AI to scale planning and execution across mid-to-enterprise accounts. Use AI and machine learning features within Google Analytics and third-party tools to identify trends and anomalies in organic performance Utilize AI tools to brainstorm, outline, and draft content at scale, ensuring all output is manually refined for E-E-A-T Conduct comprehensive technical, content, and local SEO audits on complex issues Optimize client content for visibility within AI-generated search experiences (e.g., Google Gemini/AIO, ChatGPT, etc.) by focusing on authoritative citations, structured data, and conversational relevance. Optimize client websites through conversion rate optimization (CRO) Create and prioritize strategies and supporting tactics that embody clients’ business goals Take ownership and accountability of client's performance by meeting and exceeding client expectations and set KPIs Setup and review Google Analytics (and any other third-party tracking software) Develop and refine prompts to automate repetitive tasks like meta-tag generation, schema markup creation, and initial keyword research & clustering. Qualifications 3+ years of demonstrated agency experience with mid-to-enterprise level clients, with respect to: Building strong relationships Identifying, projecting, setting, and hitting client KPI goals Prioritizing workload with minimal support to meet deadlines Creating insightful, actionable, and accurate insights for client strategies and reports with minimal support Presenting data and insights in a way that is logical, clear, and actionable with minimal support Creating effective meeting agendas and leading client meetings with minimal support Delivering core training, as needed Proven track record of managing a full client workload consisting of medium-complexity clients and some high-complexity clients. Demonstrated ability to temporarily take on additional work during crunch periods Familiarity with AI-native search engines and LLM-based research tools (e.g., Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT). Demonstrated ability to evaluate AI output for "hallucinations" or inaccuracies, specifically regarding technical SEO recommendations and data reporting Advanced and courteous written, verbal, and visual communication skills Advanced-level skills in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, particularly in Excel and Google Sheets Advanced-level skills with SEMrush or Ahrefs Benefits Competitive salaries 25 days PTO, 5 days STO, 12 Holidays Hybrid workspace for Richmonders (only Mondays are required) 3 months fully paid Parental Leave 8 hours o f paid volunteer time per quarter 401k with 3% non-elective contributions A comprehensive health benefit package, including 2 medical plans, dental, and vision insurance Life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability Profit sharing 2x a year company-wide meetup in Richmond, VA Committee Membership (Community, Culture, Health & Wellness) List of Awards 1x US Search Awards - Best Small PPC Agency 8x Outside Best Places to Work 8x Virginia Business Best Places to Work 3x Search Engine Land Finalist Salary Expected base salary range is $70,000 - $77,000 annually, based on experience Equal Opportunity & Inclusion Statement As an equity-affirming company, Workshop Digital searches for, encourages, and engages with individuals and groups that represent diversity in our community. We not only challenge discrimination in regard to gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, racial identity, faith identity, age, disability, and social class, but we also consciously make efforts to reach out and include diversity in employment, vendors, and clients. All individuals authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. should apply. We are looking for 1 hybrid employee in Richmond, VA. About Workshop Digital Workshop Digital is a results-oriented digital marketing agency located in Richmond, Virginia, dedicated to fostering strong and enduring partnerships. We prioritize transparency and collaboration , striving to deliver measurable results that drive businesses forward. We work as an extension of our client's marketing teams, creating customized digital marketing strategies tailored to their business goals and service offerings. We are a dedicated, experienced team of digital marketing analysts who work closely with our clients every step of the way to provide a deep knowledge of their business, competitors, and industry. By understanding our client's ideal target audiences and differentiating them from the competition, we ensure their brand stands out and achieves impactful results.