Japan SEO Content Specialist - 12months contract

Canva

2d

About The Position

Canva is seeking a passionate SEO Content Specialist to join their International SEO team, focusing on scaling growth in the Japan market. This is a 12-month, full-time contract role (40 hours per week). The specialist will collaborate closely with the Japan SEO Lead and local team to create and manage engaging, SEO-optimized copy and content that informs, inspires, and converts local audiences. The ideal candidate is a native Japanese speaker with proficient English reading and writing skills, and will drive initiative, direction, and support for creating helpful and culturally relevant content. Canva is a fast-growing, mission-driven company looking for talented individuals eager to make an impact and grow with the company.

Requirements

• Native or near-native proficiency in Japanese with business-level English.
• Proven experience in SEO content writing and/or content marketing, with a portfolio demonstrating successful outcomes (minimum of 3 years of SEO experience required).
• Strong copywriting and copy editing skills, including experience giving constructive feedback to other writers.
• Experience with editorial planning and publishing content in a CMS (content management system).
• Solid understanding of SEO fundamentals: keyword optimization, content structure, user intent, and how content fits within broader SEO strategy.
• Familiarity with SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or similar platforms.
• Experience using web analytics tools to understand how users engage with content and to measure content performance.
• High attention to detail with the ability to closely follow detailed written instructions and maintain quality standards.
• Strong time management: Ability to self-manage capacity, meet project deadlines, and balance multiple priorities.
• Experience in creating landing page assets.
• Deep understanding of local cultural and linguistic nuances that goes beyond language fluency—you know what resonates with audiences in your market.
• Appreciation of local writing trends and content preferences, ensuring content feels native rather than translated.
• Ability to identify opportunities specific to your market that may not be obvious from a global perspective.
• Excellent communication skills: Clear, proactive, and transparent in both written and verbal communication.
• Collaborative mindset: You build relationships easily, work well across teams, and contribute positively to team culture.
• Willingness to give and receive feedback constructively, always aiming to improve quality and impact.
• Curiosity about emerging channels: You're actively interested in how discovery is evolving—including AI search, LLMs, social search, and new platforms—and you're eager to learn.
• Comfort with ambiguity: You can experiment with new approaches (like content formatting for AI-generated answers) even when best practices are still being established.
• Channel-agnostic thinking: You understand that "SEO" increasingly means "discoverability"—whether through traditional search engines, AI tools, social platforms, or channels yet to emerge.
• Data-driven adaptability: You can objectively assess what's working and adjust your approach based on performance and market signals.
• Early adopter energy: You're the type of person who's already exploring how Canva appears in new discovery channels, bringing insights and ideas rather than waiting for direction.

Nice To Haves

• Conversational English abilities.
• Familiarity with YouTube SEO and video content discoverability, given YouTube's strong presence in the Japanese search landscape.
• Prior experience in SEO strategy development and planning is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Champion content requirements for landing pages and blog articles, supporting the development of long-term content strategy by maintaining an up-to-date editorial calendar and publishing plan.
• Create and edit SEO-optimized, engaging content about various design topics that align with the SEO team's content strategy and resonate with local audiences.
• Upload and publish content that follows the latest SEO best practices and fits our local tone of voice (as defined by our language managers).
• Regularly track and optimize landing pages to maintain freshness, improve content credibility, and enhance user engagement.
• Maintain a high level of quality and consistency in alignment with Canva's brand guidelines.
• Provide feedback on content management systems, translation quality, and page layout to continuously improve efficiency and quality.
• Work closely with the wider Japan SEO team to align on goals, priorities, and SEO best practices that drive growth.
• Support broader SEO activities such as keyword research, competitor analysis, and collaboration with Outreach Specialists for content production.
• Collaborate with the country SEO team and broader marketing/community teams to ensure content strategy reflects local market dynamics and user needs.
• Contribute local market intelligence and user insights that inform content priorities and opportunity identification.
• Build relationships across functions to understand how your content work supports broader country initiatives.
• Stay curious about emerging search and discovery trends in your market—including how users find information through AI-powered platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews, etc.).
• Understand where traditional SEO drives value versus where new channels and approaches may be more effective in your country.
• Stay up to date on GEO/AEO evolutions and next-generation optimization techniques.
• Be open to experimenting with new content formats and optimization approaches as the search landscape evolves.
• Share observations and learnings about how users in your market discover content, contributing to our global understanding of emerging trends.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed