Director, SEO/AEO/GEO

Please note that we will never request payment or bank account information at any stage of the recruitment process. As we continue to grow our teams, we urge you to be cautious of fraudulent job postings or recruitment activities that misuse our company name and information. Please protect your personal information during any recruitment process. While Monks may contact potential candidates via LinkedIn, all applications must be submitted through our official website (monks.com/careers). About the Role The Director, Organic Search (SEO/AEO/GEO) provides thought leadership and shares their passion for the discipline of organic search and emerging LLM, AEO, and GEO opportunities for our clients’ businesses. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience creating and executing organic search strategies, leading client and internal teams through strategy, process, analytics, and cross-discipline collaboration, with a clear history of exceeding client goals and KPIs. They understand that strong SEO fundamentals are the foundation for AI search visibility, and they know how to extend that foundation into answer-engine and generative-engine strategies that earn brand mentions and citations inside AI-generated answers. This individual will partner with the VP, Integrated Search to help build new product offerings in this fast moving space. Organic Search Strategy & Innovation (SEO, AEO, and GEO) • Lead Unified Search Strategy: Own the integrated organic search strategy for each client, treating classic SEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) as one connected program rather than separate silos. • Maintain Technical & Content Foundations: Build and maintain strong technical and content SEO foundations (crawlability, indexation, rendering, site architecture, page experience, structured data, and helpful, people-first content) as the baseline for classic results and AI search features. • Drive AEO & Direct Answers: Develop AEO strategies that position client content for direct extraction across featured snippets, People Also Ask, knowledge panels, and voice assistants. • Execute GEO & AI Retrieval: Develop GEO strategies that increase how often and how accurately client brands are mentioned, cited, and recommended inside AI-generated answers across Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Claude. • Modernize Content Architecture & Keyword Research: Shift keyword research toward conversational, question-based, and prompt-based inquiries across the funnel. Guide content structure for answer extraction via clear question-based headings, answer-first summaries, comparison tables, original data, and expert attribution. • Entity & Knowledge Graph Authority: Strengthen entity clarity and brand consistency across owned properties, structured data, knowledge graph sources, and business listings so AI systems accurately represent clients and products. • Testing, Innovation & Compliance: Design and run tests measuring what moves AI visibility; turn findings into repeatable agency playbooks, workflows, and new product offerings. Ensure all initiatives strictly follow search engine quality and spam policies. Measurement, Analytics & Insights • Lead Organic Data Strategy: Analyze performance data to draw key insights that shape the strategic vision, providing QA, reporting, and strategic direction across search and cross-channel opportunities. • Build Next-Gen Measurement Frameworks: Integrate traditional SEO metrics with AI visibility tracking, reporting on brand mention and citation frequency, AI share of voice against competitors, sentiment/accuracy of AI answers, and AI referral traffic. • Platform & Dashboard Management: Select, implement, and manage LLM visibility tracking platforms (e.g., Screaming Frog, PromptWatch, Profound, Conductor, Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity), connecting AI visibility signals to business outcomes via Search Console, GA4, and client CRM data. • Client Education & Expectation Setting: Help clients understand how zero-click and AI-answer behavior is changing user traffic patterns, resetting success metrics and expectations accordingly. Account Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration • Client Strategic Guidance: Develop a deep understanding of each client’s business, competitors, and marketing goals. Translate complex concepts (such as how AI search systems crawl, index, and cite content) into clear, actionable narratives for senior stakeholders. • Partner on Growth & Scoping: Work closely with Planning teams to align programs with client goals, partner with the VP on project plans and scope definition, and actively participate in new business pitches. • Cross-Discipline Alignment: Partner directly with developers on technical execution (bot management, rendering, schema), and collaborate with content, creative, PR, social, and paid media teams so owned, earned, and paid efforts work together to build brand authority. Team Leadership & Enablement • Team Growth & Mentorship: Direct, coach, and support team members across disciplines, demonstrating how to think strategically about organic and AI search within the broader media mix. • Upskilling & Playbooks: Upskill the practice on AEO and GEO practices, tools, and measurement, building shared playbooks and training modules. • Performance & Culture: Constructively evaluate team performance, provide support and recognition, and cultivate an environment that encourages testing, intelligent risk-taking, and innovation. About You The essentials: • 6+ years of progressive organic search experience, with a track record of leading strategy, managing teams, and delivering client growth (agency experience preferred). • Integrated SEO/AEO/GEO Expertise: Proven hands-on experience developing integrated strategies across traditional search, answer engines, and generative platforms. • AI & Technical Understanding: Working knowledge of how AI search engines retrieve, synthesize, and cite information, paired with strong technical SEO proficiency (site architecture, crawl budget, bot management, rendering, structured data). • Search & Measurement Stack: Deep experience with Google/Microsoft Search Console, enterprise SEO tools (Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, Conductor), and emerging LLM tracking platforms (PromptWatch, Profound, Scrunch). • Strategic Communication: Strong ability to interact with clients and cross-functional teams at all levels, translating technical search concepts into high-impact business context. • People Leadership: Prior experience managing, mentoring, and developing junior to mid-level team members. Core Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Organic Search Growth: Organic traffic, target achievement, engagement, and conversion metrics across organic channels. • Rankings & Direct Answer Visibility: Topic visibility for priority terms alongside answer feature wins (featured snippets, PAA, knowledge panels, and local pack performance). • AI Search Visibility: Brand citation frequency, mention accuracy/sentiment, AI share of voice across tracked prompts, and AI referral traffic/conversions. • Technical Health: Crawlability, indexation health, Core Web Vitals, and structured data implementation. • Client & Delivery Excellence: Client retention, satisfaction, and on-time milestone delivery. • Thought Leadership & Market Presence: Regular delivery of high-impact POVs on algorithm shifts and AI search updates, published whitepapers/case studies, industry speaking or panel contributions, and active contribution to new agency service offerings. #LI-OG1 #LI-Hybrid What We Offer Benefits • Excellent, full coverage medical, dental, and vision insurance - more about our coverage here! • Generous PTO and 15 company-wide holidays • 401k with company contribution • Paid parental leave • Work-life balance with an emphasis on personal well-being • Career growth in a disruptor space & entrepreneurial opportu