Interim Search Experience and Technical SEO Manager

Role Overview

A hybrid Technical SEO and Search Experience Specialist role responsible for defining OpenTable's B2B organic discovery strategy across traditional SERPs and emerging AI environments, including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. This is a 12-month contract position with potential to extend, based in Toronto with 2 days a week in office.

Key Responsibilities

1. Core and Traditional Search Strategy

• Conduct deep keyword research, competitor gap analyses, and search intent mapping to identify high-intent, funnel opportunities
• Define and execute a robust traditional content strategy utilizing topical authority building, content hubs, and pillar-cluster models aligned with the customer buyer journey
• Ensure all existing and new landing pages, blogs, and resource hubs are fully optimized for traditional Google search, including featured snippets, heading structures, and metadata
• Monitor daily keyword rankings and search engine results page volatility to quickly identify and react to competitor movements or search algorithm updates
• Identify historical content that is losing search visibility and execute optimization plans to refresh and reclaim rankings
• Develop and recommend white-hat backlink acquisition frameworks and internal linking structures to improve baseline domain authority and page-level performance

2. Next-Generation Search Strategy (AEO / GEO / AIO)

• Design and execute strategies to maximize brand citations, brand mentions, and sentiment within LLM chatbots and generative summaries
• Identify ways to strengthen digital footprint and knowledge graph signals, instructing content resources on how to optimize for semantic search and conversational user intent
• Leverage generative AI tools to accelerate day-to-day execution tasks, such as generating structured data blocks, drafting initial metadata options, and analyzing large keyword datasets

3. Technical SEO Management

• Translate complex SEO, AEO, and GEO technical requirements into clear, actionable development briefs (such as Jira tickets) for the web engineering team
• Partner closely with developers to test, validate, and support the implementation of technical fixes, ensuring they do not impact site performance or user experience
• Take daily ownership of Google Search Console alerts, triaging and resolving issues related to indexation, mobile usability, and 404 errors before they impact performance
• Lead technical audits focused on crawlability, indexation health, site speed (Core Web Vitals), and rendering best practices

4. Hands-on Execution and WordPress Optimization

• Take hands-on ownership of the website's backend and SEO configuration
• Directly execute on-page updates, internal linking overhauls, metadata adjustments, and URL redirects
• Build, test, and deploy structured data (Schema.org) frameworks to make the site highly interpretable for both traditional search crawlers and AI web scrapers

5. Analytics and Performance Tracking

• Build and maintain performance dashboards connecting search traffic, visibility metrics, and AI citations directly to lead generation, pipeline, and business revenue
• Look past vanity traffic metrics to connect search visibility and AI citations directly to lead generation, form completions, pipeline, and business revenue

Required Qualifications

• 4 to 6 years of hands-on experience in SEO and organic growth roles, with a proven track record of managing visibility for B2B or lead-generation websites
• Solid understanding of technical SEO principles, including crawlability, indexation health, XML sitemaps, Core Web Vitals, and structured data implementation using Schema.org frameworks
• Proven experience partnering directly with web development and engineering teams, including the ability to write clear technical briefs and translate SEO needs into actionable developer tasks
• Expert-level command of SEMrush, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
• Regular experience using website crawling tools like Screaming Frog
• Strong familiarity with the evolving AI search landscape, including a practical understanding of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and how LLMs source information
• Comfortable navigating website backends to independently execute on-page optimizations, metadata updates, internal linking overhauls, and redirect management
• Ability to translate raw data into actionable insights, with a strong focus on connecting search performance directly to business metrics like lead generation, form completions, and pipeline
• Self-motivated operator with excellent time management skills, capable of prioritizing a backlog of technical and strategy tasks and executing with minimal oversight

Work Arrangement

• Location: Toronto
• Schedule: 2 days a week in office
• Duration: 12 months with potential to extend
• Contractor role requiring autonomy and self-motivation