SEO and AI Search Optimization Manager — United States

SEO and AI Search Optimization Manager

Company: Large E-commerce retailer

Base Salary: $140,000 - $170,000 annually, depending on relevant experience, demonstrated expertise, and work location.

Annual Incentive: Eligible for an annual performance-based bonus with a target of 15% of base salary.

Position Overview

A large ecommerce retailer is seeking an SEO and AI Search Optimization Manager to improve brand and product visibility across traditional search engines, AI-generated answers, and emerging shopping discovery channels. This role will lead Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) initiatives that attract qualified customers and support ecommerce growth.

The successful candidate will turn research, technical audits, and performance data into practical improvements across website content, site architecture, product data, and third-party channels. This position combines strategic planning with hands-on execution and close collaboration with ecommerce, marketing, technology, and analytics teams.

Key Responsibilities

Search Strategy and Competitive Research

Develop and execute an integrated SEO, AEO, and GEO strategy aligned with customer acquisition and ecommerce objectives.

Map customer questions and search prompts to product categories, customer intent, and stages of the buying journey.

Benchmark brand visibility, citations, sentiment, and share of voice against competitors to identify gaps and prioritize opportunities.

Technical SEO and Product Discovery

Audit crawlability, site architecture, structured data, metadata, and product feeds; partner with technology teams to implement improvements.

Improve the completeness and consistency of product information and evaluate relevant data feeds and integrations that support search and AI shopping discovery.

Content Optimization and External Visibility

Guide optimization of product pages, category pages, landing pages, FAQs, comparison content, and editorial content around customer needs.

Develop clear content briefs and templates that support accurate, useful, and consistent brand and product information.

Coordinate with content, public relations, and external partners on relevant publisher, review, and community channels to strengthen brand representation.

Testing and Execution

Build prioritized implementation roadmaps with clear owners, timelines, dependencies, and measures of success.

Launch and evaluate content and technical pilots, document results, and expand successful approaches across relevant pages and categories.

Measurement and Reporting

Build dashboards tracking organic search performance, AI visibility, citations, sentiment, referral traffic, and conversion or revenue impact where measurable.

Present findings and recommended actions to stakeholders; work with paid search teams to assess implications for acquisition efficiency and channel strategy.

Collaboration and Ongoing Operations

Coordinate priorities across ecommerce, marketing, content, technology, analytics, and external agencies.

Create playbooks, operating processes, and training materials that support consistent execution and clear ownership.

Support agency evaluation and onboarding, and monitor developments in AI search and ecommerce discovery to inform future priorities.

Required Qualifications

5+ years of professional SEO experience, including at least 2 years developing and executing SEO programs for ecommerce websites.

1+ year of hands-on AEO and/or GEO experience, including evaluating brand visibility, citations, and content representation in AI-generated responses. This experience may overlap with the SEO experience required above.

Strong technical SEO knowledge, including crawlability, site architecture, structured data, metadata, and product-feed quality.

Experience translating customer research, search intent, and competitive analysis into actionable content and technical recommendations.

Proficiency with search analytics, website analytics, SEO auditing, and reporting tools.

Ability to design pilots, interpret results, and connect search performance with commercial objectives while recognizing measurement limitations.

Strong project management, written communication, and stakeholder collaboration skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working with large product catalogs, complex ecommerce platforms, and content management systems.

Hands-on experience with AI visibility monitoring, prompt research, and competitive benchmarking.

Experience managing agency relationships, building internal playbooks, or training teams on search optimization.

Familiarity with content syndication, digital public relations, product feeds, and emerging AI shopping integrations.

Measures of Success

A documented performance baseline and a prioritized roadmap with clear ownership and measurable objectives.

Improved visibility and accurate brand representation across priority search topics and AI-generated responses.

Growth in qualified organic and AI referral traffic, with conversion and revenue contribution assessed where reliable data is available.

Completed optimization pilots, actionable reporting, and repeatable processes for ongoing execution.