SEO Manager (remote)

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Job Summary:   

• Experienced SEO Manager with strong skills, experience, and expertise in SEO strategy, technical, content and implementation.  

• SEO managers will be responsible for Reliant.com and Direct Energy.com overall approach to search engine optimization (SEO). They develop and implement strategies to improve each company’s online visibility and organic search rankings by optimizing content and structure for organic searches, creating high-quality backlinks, and engaging in effective organic campaigns across organic channels, maximize traffic volume, conversion, and ROI.   

• Responsible for testing, analyzing, and making changes to the website to ensure it is optimized for search engines, and the website subsequently ranks higher in the search results on major search engines (ie. Google, Bing). 

• Experience in applying data insights to SEO decisions; ideally, experience with performance metrics related to the marketing funnel.  

• SEO manager will partner with content creators, developers, designers, brand advertising team, digital marketing teams and SEO agency partners to plan and organize website content, monitor keyword rankings, and analyze traffic data. To remain effective, they must stay up-to-date with industry trends and changes to search engine algorithms. 

• The SEO manager will be responsible for maximizing return on investment (ROI) for online campaigns and monitoring a wide variety of key performance indicators (KPIs). In addition to having strong analytical skills, they need to communicate effectively with stakeholders, executives, and other team members. 

Essential Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Manager for Direct Energy and Reliant is responsible for ensuring content development aligns with user search habits and optimizes the health of organic website performance. This role is critical to ensuring content is developed to be accurately searched, searched quickly and that it successfully shows up in high-ranking search results, without disruption from any technical site errors.  

• This role is responsible for working with agency partners and internal teams to ensure SEO projects, tasks are being executed and resolved quickly. These SEO tasks include content and technical enhancements, opportunities, and issues.  

• The SEO Manager is responsible for proactively understanding projects and issues and resolving them by identifying the necessary team members and agency partners to be able to complete projects in a timely manner.  

• This role must be able to work independently, strategically, and collaboratively in order to be successful.  

• The person in this role must be extremely knowledgeable about the SEO space, the complexities, and continuously learning SEO, in order to address the needs of the business. This SEO role must lead the SEO efforts with vast experience and minimal agency dependencies and does not wait on other team members to take initiative.  

• Develop, manage, monitor, and execute a transparent SEO strategic plan and vision that aligns with the company’s goals and metrics.  

• Ensure and constantly improve the SEO based organic enrollments that drive millions of dollars of business value to the supported brands and verticals.  

• Define, tune, execute, and capitalize on content gaps with our competitors, content growth, and content optimization opportunities 

• Research, analyze, and keep abreast of SEO best practices, strategies, channel performance, and development changes, in order to provide guidance and consultation services to multiple implementation, marketing, and business teams. 

• Deliver insights, manage, and support site optimization efforts using SiteCatalyst, Test & Target, Foresee and SDL Tridion 

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and upper management to establish KPIs and related metrics for new products, site enhancements and site redesigns as well as with content strategists to optimize efficacy of messaging, branding and digital communications to all users 

• Provide strategic and tactical recommendations and support to business managers, marketing, creative, IT, and UX pertaining to SEO 

• Perform audits on sections of the site and make content recommendations on how to increase referral traffic from search; help writers improve their craft with an eye toward making long-term SEO gains. 

• Ability to write content for SEO. Ability to develop content for SEO or advise on content development for organic channels 

• Experience with Brightedge, SEM Rush, SEM Ranking, Google Console 

• Extracts insight from campaign data, identifies relevant trends and provides well-developed proactive recommendations to enhance and exceed overall client search marketing goals and objectives. 

• Exhibits clear understanding of overall client brand messaging and goals, and manages the development of content for search engine marketing purposes, including but not limited to, keyword generation, blog and social media copy creation and website copywriting. 

• Manage SEO projects from end to end.  

• Develop, execute and monitor keyword rankings with proven data. 

• Weekly reporting of SEO strategies and results to management. 

• Keep current with trends and advancements in technology, SEO, UI/UX, Google algorithm updates, etc. 

• Manage vendors, vendor relationships, and systems utilized for SEO  

• Collaborate with SEM strategy/execution 

• Reputation management and local strategy  

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions: 

• Hybrid position. Weekly expectation 2-3 days in-office and 2-3 days remote.

• Office Location: Houston, TX.

• Remote work can be considered.

Minimum Requirements:  

• 7-10 years of SEO experience with up-to-date understanding of organic search trends and proven ability to achieve top search ranking results.

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, computer science, marketing, communications.

• Experience in developing and maintaining business reports and performing ad-hoc analysis; with demonstrated skills in data interpretation and statistical analysis.

• Experience working with and reporting web traffic, financial/business reporting and analysis; Ability to communicate clearly and effectively to various groups, including all management tiers.

• Understand Google Quality rater guidelines.

• Fluency with content marketing/working with other internal stakeholders to leverage things like PR for SEO benefits. 

• Google Analytics certification a plus.

• Google AdWords certification a plus.

• Fluent in Spanish is a plus. 

• Experience working on a complex network of sites.

• Experience in working with onsite, technical, content, video and social media optimization.  

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Expertise in usability principles, website and SEO best practices.

• Experience working in Google Data Studio, Adobe T&T, Adobe Analytics, Google 360, Google Search Console, BrightEdge, SEM Rush, SEM Ranking.

Technical understanding of SEO: 

• On-Page SEO (Image Alts, Meta Tags, etc.). 

• Off-Page SEO (Link health review, Link Building, etc.).

• Technical SEO (Page Speed Optimization, Rich Snippets, etc.).

• Knowledge in Title Tagging and Meta Descriptions.

• SEO audits of client websites to ensure that all ranking factors are implemented correctly.

• Ability to work proactively and independently to meet multiple project deadlines; Ability to multi-task and prioritize as needed.

• Ability to learn new software and concepts quickly; ability to learn and adapt to evolving conditions and fluid requirements.

• Attention to detail and deadlines  with a track record demonstrating initiative, drive and quality output.

• Excellent oral, organizational and written communication skills; troubleshooting and critical thinking skills.

• Ability to write content for SEO.

• Strong and demonstrated problem-solving skills, with the ability to take ownership of problems and see them through to resolution.

• Solid understanding of search engine ranking factors, algorithms, and core SEO principals.

• Strong web analytics skills with the ability to analyze and act on data; and a knack for testing and optimization. 

• Have a thorough understanding of SEO, how it interacts with UX, and how they both can affect site performance. 

• SEO knowledge around technical topics.

• Advanced understanding how websites work.

• Independent decision-making ability and a desire to implement projects.

• Experience with CMS.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility to accommodate different situations and temperaments.

• Proficient in MS Office applications. Strong on Excel.

Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Strong communications skills.

• Ability to problem solve.

• Take ownership of projects.

• Proactively lead.

• Strong collaborator.

Physical Requirements: 

• N/A

NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol free workplace.  To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability  Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills.  Official description on file with Talent.