SEO & AEO Manager

Ascend Learning, LLC•Leawood, MO

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is seeking an SEO/AEO Manager to own and advance organic search and answer engine presence across its portfolio of healthcare brands. This role is a senior individual contributor and in-house authority on traditional SEO and emerging Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) / Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). The manager will partner with Content Strategy, Martech Dev, eCommerce, and Demand Generation teams to craft and execute search strategies that drive discoverability, engagement, and conversion across multiple platforms and brands, including AI-driven search environments. The ideal candidate will be a strategic, analytically rigorous practitioner who can ensure Ascend’s healthcare brands stand out in a competitive landscape where users increasingly rely on AI tools for information. This position can be hybrid from Ascend's Leawood, KS or Burlington, MA office, or fully remote in the United States.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Information Systems, or related field, or equivalent professional work experience required
8+ years of search engine optimization experience, ideally with high-traffic eCommerce, DTC, or multi-brand digital properties; healthcare, education, or licensure-driven industry experience a plus
Demonstrated SEO and AEO/GEO expertise; proven track record of improving organic search rankings, traffic, and conversion across multiple sites or brands
Experience capturing featured snippets and AI-cited placements strongly preferred; familiarity with how healthcare and education queries surface in AI Overviews and generative search tools
Expert command of on- and off-page optimization, technical SEO, and structured data / schema markup
Deep knowledge of AEO and GEO principles, including optimization for AI Overviews, conversational queries, and generative AI citation strategies
Advanced proficiency in SEO tools: Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and similar platforms
Exceptional analytical skills; uses data to drive continuous experimentation, prioritization, and optimization across a portfolio of brands
Strong project management skills; adept at coordinating multiple workstreams across multiple brand teams and aligning cross-functional partners without formal authority
Excellent communication skills; confident presenting strategy and results to senior stakeholders and translating technical SEO/AEO concepts for non-technical audiences
Familiarity with HTML, site architecture principles, and CMS platforms (HubSpot, Sitefinity, or similar); comfortable working within WYSIWYG editors
Experience directing contract/nearshore resources and external vendors in a project lead capacity
Self-directed, intellectually curious, and energized by the rapidly evolving AI search landscape

Responsibilities

Develop and independently execute comprehensive SEO and AEO strategies across Ascend’s healthcare brand portfolio, improving organic search rankings, answer engine visibility, and AI-cited content to drive web traffic and enrollment/certification conversion.
Own keyword and question research spanning nursing education, allied health certification, medical board exam prep, continuing education, and healthcare workforce development, including both traditional search queries and conversational/AI-generated queries (featured snippets, People Also Ask, AI Overviews, ChatGPT citations); identify opportunities to outperform competitors across every category in which Ascend’s healthcare brands compete.
Optimize web content across multiple brand sites, including meta tags, headings, URLs, schema markup, structured data, and on-page elements, for both traditional search engines and answer engines; deliver gap analyses and actionable optimization recommendations to brand content and dev teams.
Monitor and report on keyword rankings, organic traffic, click-through rates, featured snippet capture, AI citation frequency, and other SEO/AEO metrics across all healthcare brand properties; translate data into clear insights and iterate rapidly.
Analyze website performance using tools such as SEMrush, ScreamingFrog, Gumshoe.ai, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics 4; proactively identify areas for improvement across the healthcare brand portfolio and measure the impact of initiatives.
Serve as the internal subject matter expert on SEO and AEO best practices for the healthcare segment, educating and aligning content, creative, eCommerce, and front-end dev teams so SEO/AEO principles are embedded across all web properties.
Lead technical SEO initiatives in partnership with Martech Dev, including site architecture, crawlability, page speed, Core Web Vitals, and schema implementation across healthcare brand sites.
Monitor industry trends, algorithm updates, AI search developments (Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Bing Copilot, etc.), and emerging AEO/GEO methodologies; adapt strategies to maintain and grow visibility in a competitive healthcare education search landscape.
Coordinate and provide direction to contract/nearshore resources as a project lead (no direct people management), ensuring flawless execution of the organic search plan across brands.
Leverage AI tools, automation, and emerging technologies to drive efficiency and scale across a multi-brand portfolio, applying sound editorial judgment throughout.