AEO/SEO Paid Search Manager

SEO Manager (SEO/AEO/GEO)

Location: Hillsborough, NC

Work Model: Hybrid — 1–2 days onsite

Contract: 4-Month Contract-to-Hire

Summary

We are seeking a senior Discovery Lead to drive organic discovery across traditional search, AI-powered answer engines, and emerging discovery platforms. This role will lead strategy across SEO, AEO, GEO, Google AI Overviews, and AI search, while connecting discovery performance to qualified traffic, customer acquisition, conversion, and revenue. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker with strong technical search expertise, senior-level presence, and the ability to lead complex initiatives across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Own organic discovery strategy across SEO, AEO, GEO, Google AI Overviews, and emerging AI answer platforms.
• Build and manage a comprehensive discovery roadmap.
• Develop strategies to improve organic visibility, rankings, citations, answer inclusion, qualified traffic, conversion, and revenue.
• Monitor search ecosystem changes, algorithms, and AI platform behavior and translate those changes into actionable strategies.
• Lead technical SEO and AI-discovery recommendations.
• Conduct competitive analysis, query intelligence, entity mapping, and topic-gap analysis.
• Develop scalable discovery processes, frameworks, and best practices.
• Build measurement frameworks connecting organic discovery performance to customer acquisition, conversion, and revenue.
• Partner closely with Content, Analytics, Development, Ecommerce, Growth, and other cross-functional teams.
• Lead discovery initiatives from strategy and business case development through experimentation and implementation.
• Develop experimentation plans and evaluate the business impact of new discovery opportunities.
• Communicate discovery strategy, recommendations, priorities, and performance to senior stakeholders.
• Help integrate organic discovery into broader marketing and growth initiatives.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in SEO, organic growth, digital marketing, or ecommerce.
• 3+ years leading major SEO programs, agencies, or teams at the Manager, Senior Manager, Lead, or Associate Director level.
• Strong expertise across SEO, AEO, and GEO.
• Strong technical SEO and content SEO knowledge.
• Experience with AI search, Google AI Overviews, and emerging AI answer/discovery platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to build scalable SEO, organic growth, or discovery processes and frameworks.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience partnering across Content, Analytics, Development, Ecommerce, and Growth.
• Systems-thinking approach with the ability to understand how different marketing and technology functions connect.
• Ability to connect discovery strategy to traffic, customer acquisition, conversion, and revenue.
• Strong analytical and strategic communication skills.
• Experience with tools such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in Paid Search, Growth Marketing, or broader Digital Marketing.
• Experience with enterprise reporting and data visualization platforms.
• Experience developing discovery strategies focused on measurable revenue and customer acquisition outcomes.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a senior search professional who thinks beyond rankings and traditional SEO. They understand how SEO, AEO, GEO, AI search, content, analytics, technology, and growth work together and can turn that understanding into scalable processes and measurable business outcomes. They are comfortable leading cross-functional initiatives, influencing senior stakeholders, and adapting quickly as the search and AI landscape evolves.

The salary range for this position is 57/hr to 63/hr. Benefits available to contract/temporary professionals, include medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit https://roberthalf.gobenefits.net/ for more information. Our specialized recruiting professionals apply their expertise and utilize our proprietary AI to find you great job matches faster.