SEO Strategy Manager

Given that this position requires English proficiency, we are only considering CV's provided in English. Thank you, and we look forward to your submission About Olly Olly Ready to roll up your sleeves and help transform local marketing forever? At Olly Olly, we're blending technology and real-world expertise to empower small businesses across the U.S. like never before. We believe small businesses are the backbone of our economy. That's why we're on a mission to provide them with tools, strategies, and insights that help them rank higher, generate high-quality leads, get calls and reviews, and grow sustainably without the hassle. Our Vision We aim to be the ultimate all-in-one platform for small-business growth where automation, AI, and human expertise work hand-in-hand to deliver consistent, measurable results. Why We Need You Great SEO strategists are rare. A leader who can multiply their impact across a team? Even rarer. As SEO Strategy Manager, you're not just managing people—you're building the strategic brain trust that keeps our Strategic and Elite clients ranking, converting, and renewing. You'll lead a team of SEO Strategists & Problem Solvers who handle our most complex accounts, toughest technical challenges, and highest-stakes client situations. This role is about elevating expertise, not enforcing checklists. You're coaching senior-level thinkers through difficult diagnostic problems, helping them see patterns they're missing, and teaching them to communicate strategy in ways that build client confidence. You're the person they come to when they're stuck on a ranking mystery or need a second opinion on a high-risk recommendation. Beyond team development, you're also building the strategic infrastructure: refining our approach to competitive analysis, documenting what actually works across different verticals, and translating field insights back to Product so our automation gets smarter. You understand that managing strategists is different from managing executors. These aren't people who need task lists—they need thought partnership, skill development, and someone who can challenge their thinking to make it sharper. If you're a world-class SEO strategist who's discovered you love teaching as much as doing, and you want to scale your impact beyond what you can personally deliver, this role is your next move. The Impact You'll Have Strategic Leadership & Team Development Lead, manage, and develop a team of 6-10 SEO Strategists across multiple time zones Conduct regular 1:1s focused on strategic problem-solving coaching—helping strategists level up their diagnostic skills and business thinking Review complex strategies before client delivery, serving as the "does this logic hold up?" quality gate Identify knowledge gaps and create learning programs that deepen team expertise (technical SEO, competitive intelligence, vertical-specific strategies) Build a culture where strategists challenge each other's thinking constructively and continuously raise the bar Hire and onboard senior SEO talent who can think independently and solve ambiguous problems Manage performance issues directly—coaching improvement or making tough calls when expertise isn't where it needs to be Technical SEO implementation: Ensure your team correctly implements schema markup, meta tags, heading hierarchy, and other on-page SEO elements that affect ranking and visibility Strategic Quality & Client Impact Own the quality of strategy output across Strategic/Elite accounts—ensuring recommendations are sound, achievable, and ROI-positive Serve as escalation point for the hardest SEO problems: algorithm volatility, technical mysteries, competitive impasses Review strategies for at-risk accounts and develop "save plans" that address root causes, not just symptoms Partner with Account Management to diagnose why Strategic/Elite clients aren't seeing results and architect solutions Monitor portfolio performance metrics (rankings, traffic, conversions) and identify patterns that inform team approach Make the final call on strategic direction when team members disagree or client situations are high-stakes Knowledge Building & Process Evolution Document proven strategies and diagnostic frameworks that become team training resources Identify what's working across different verticals (legal, medical, home services, etc.) and codify best practices Translate field insights to Product: "here's what our automation should recommend differently based on what we're learning" Refine the strategic brief format and QA process so Web Production Specialist get clearer, more actionable direction Build case studies and post-mortems (wins and losses) that help the team learn faster Stay ahead of algorithm updates and industry shifts, then translate implications for your team's day-to-day work Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with Web Production Specialist to ensure strategic intent translates accurately into execution Work with Account Management to proactively address Strategic/Elite client concerns before they escalate Collaborate with Sales to ensure realistic expectation-setting and smooth strategic onboarding for premium clients Communicate team capacity, strategic priorities, and client risk factors to Director of Production Your leadership determines whether we can deliver genuinely strategic SEO at scale—not just more audits, but actual problem-solving that clients can't get elsewhere. What We Really Need From You SEO Mastery 5+ years of advanced SEO strategy experience where you owned complex, high-stakes client outcomes Deep expertise in technical SEO (site architecture, JavaScript rendering, Core Web Vitals, schema, log analysis)—you can troubleshoot at the code level Proven track record of diagnosing and solving non-obvious ranking problems that stump other strategists Strong understanding of competitive intelligence: reverse-engineering what's actually working, not just what tools report Experience across multiple verticals with understanding of how local SEO strategy differs by industry Comfort with AI-augmented workflows (Claude, ChatGPT) but you know when human judgment should override AI recommendations Leadership Experience 2-3+ years managing SEO strategists, specialists, or senior analysts (ideally in agency or multi-client environments) Track record of developing people's strategic thinking abilities, not just their task completion Experience managing remote/distributed teams with different cultural backgrounds and communication styles Comfort with coaching through ambiguity—helping team members think through problems without giving them the answer Strategic & Analytical Thinking Systems-level thinker: ability to see patterns across accounts and can abstract lessons for the broader team Strong business acumen: you understand client LTV, churn risk, and how SEO strategy connects to revenue outcomes Data Focused: can interpret Analytics, Search Console, and ranking data to spot stories others miss Ability to simplify complexity: translate intricate technical issues into clear strategic narratives Communication & Teaching Exceptional English communication (written and verbal) for strategy review, client escalations, and team coaching Natural teacher who enjoys developing expertise in others and celebrating their breakthroughs Skilled at constructive critique that improves thinking without demoralizing people Comfortable presenting to executive leadership about strategic performance, team capabilities, and client risk Cultural Leadership You lead by example—your own strategic thinking sets the standard you expect from your team Balanced leadership style: high support + high challenge (not just cheerleading or criticism) Build psychological safety where strategists admit when they're stuck and ask for help Comfortable with evolving best practices—you update your own thinking when evidence changes What Would Be Big Pluses Experience managing teams in offshore/nearshore environments (Philippines, LatAm, Nigeria) Background in agency or consultative SEO where strategy quality directly impacted retention Track record of winning in highly competitive verticals (legal, medical, enterprise services) Familiarity with Python, SQL, or advanced data analysis for custom reporting and insight generation Experience building training curricula or certification programs for technical teams Understanding of AI prompt engineering and how to coach teams in effective AI utilization for SEO research Previous role in a company transitioning from services to SaaS—you understand the unique challenges of systematizing expertise What You'll Love About Working at Olly Olly Salary: Competitive Salary (based on experience) + performance incentives tied to team results and client retention Flexible work: 100% remote with core collaboration hours (8 AM–5 PM EST, Mon–Fri) Work-life balance: 15 vacation days + U.S. holidays Strategic influence: You're not just reviewing work—you're shaping how Olly Olly approaches SEO strategy across hundreds of clients Career growth: Clear path to Director of SEO Strategy or Director as the team scales Intellectual challenge: Every week brings genuinely difficult problems—algorithm chaos, technical mysteries, competitive pivots—you'll never be bored Autonomy: Real decision-making authority over strategic direction, team structure, and how your department operates Why Choose Us? Most SEO managers spend their time in status meetings and task tracking. This role is different. You'll work with genuinely talented strategists who want to get better at their craft. You'll solve problems that actually require expertise. And you'll build the strategic playbook that defines how we deliver premium SEO at scale. Diversity and Inclusion at Olly Olly At Olly Olly, we celebrate differences in background, culture, abilities, and perspectives because diversity drives innovation and creativity. Your voice matters here—and your unique perspective helps us shape the future of small business growth.