Senior SEO Specialist

Everspring Inc•Chicago, IL

3d•$72,000 - $82,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Everspring is seeking a Senior SEO Specialist to own organic search strategy and client delivery across Everspring-managed microsites and partner-owned institutional websites. This role leads technical SEO, content optimization, site architecture, authority-building, and AI search visibility initiatives that improve discovery, citation, traffic, conversion, and enrollment outcomes. As an experienced individual contributor, this person serves as the primary day-to-day SEO and AI search contact for assigned clients. The role develops account roadmaps, translates research into actionable recommendations, manages deliverables from planning through implementation, and communicates performance and priorities clearly to both client and internal stakeholders. This role reports to the Director, Media Management and is located in Chicago, offering a hybrid work environment with a minimum of 3 days required in the office every week and additional days as business needs arise.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Information Science, or a related field.
At least three years of hands-on SEO experience, including ownership of technical, on-page, content, and measurement initiatives.
Demonstrated experience evaluating or improving brand visibility in AI search, including understanding how AI platforms retrieve, synthesize, and cite web content.
Strong technical and content SEO foundation, including crawl and indexation management, structured data, site architecture, migrations, keyword and intent research, and actionable briefs.
Proven ability to manage client relationships and delivery, lead meetings, present complex findings clearly, and turn recommendations into coordinated action.
Experience with Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, Ahrefs or Semrush, crawling tools, and AI search visibility or citation-tracking platforms.
Strong analytical and project-management skills, including the ability to connect search performance to meaningful business outcomes while managing multiple clients and deadlines.
Experience working with content management systems and collaborating with developers, designers, content teams, and other implementation partners.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education, lead generation, an agency or consulting environment, or with platforms such as Siteimprove is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Develop and own integrated SEO and AI search strategies for assigned clients, aligning technical, content, authority, and measurement priorities with enrollment and business goals.
Serve as the primary day-to-day SEO and AI search contact for assigned accounts, leading client meetings, presenting recommendations and performance, and managing expectations, timelines, and follow-through.
Lead technical SEO audits, site migrations, redesigns, and launches, including prioritization and QA across crawlability, indexation, rendering, structured data, site architecture, Core Web Vitals and page speed.
Lead research that includes keyword, audience, competitive, and search-intent, content gap, behavioral, and emerging trend analyses. Identify and prioritize opportunities across traditional search, AI-generated answers, and emerging discovery experiences.
Assess brand visibility, citations, mentions, and competitive presence across AI search platforms; translate findings into strategies that make institutional and program information easier to retrieve, understand, and cite.
Create and review page-level recommendations, content plans, and briefs that improve relevance, information gain, internal linking, conversion pathways, and alignment with user intent.
Partner with web, CMS, Creative, Analytics, MarTech, Partner Marketing, and Client Engagement teams to translate recommendations into clear requirements, resolve blockers, and verify implementation.
Analyze organic and AI search performance using analytics, search, crawling, and visibility tools; connect leading indicators to traffic, lead quality, conversion, and enrollment outcomes.
Support conversion optimization, crosslinking, digital PR, backlink development, and local search initiatives where they are relevant to client goals and program strategy.
Support new-business efforts through audits, opportunity assessments, scopes, pitch materials, and participation in prospect conversations.