We are looking for a data-driven, highly organized SEO Senior Specialist with an editorial search engine optimization background to join the Thrillist Audience Development team, within Group Nine Media. 

As a member of the Audience Development team, you will manage the SEO strategy & find ways to acquire new users from Search to guarantee the highest level of discoverability for content across digital platforms through content recommendations, site improvements, & education around SEO. 

The Senior SEO Specialist reports directly to Thrillist Senior SEO Manager. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of editorial SEO at a publisher, news site, agency, or similar. 

The Senior SEO Specialist will lead by example in demonstrating Group Nines values - Care Deeply, Be Brave, Go First, Do Good, Stay Close & Win Together.

WHAT YOULL DO:

• Lead day-to-day execution of organic search engine campaigns including keyword research, researched content gap recommendations, strategic optimization of existing content, competitor analysis, site improvements, google stories optimization, & SEO support for sold campaigns
• Apply top-to-bottom management of SEO initiatives including writing meta content, supervising SEO-friendly page construction, creating SEO-friendly content, creating target keyword lists, improving site URL structure, etc
• Work closely with Thrillist Director of Audience Development to determine & monitor the SEO strategies 
• Collaborate with the SEO G9 centralized lead & Tech team to perform technical site audits, create custom dashboards, work on reporting, & implement SEO plans 
• Work with editorial leads to create SEO content strategies for each of the verticals & work on executing evergreen strategies for existing & new content
• Educate teams with best practices documentation & regular editorial, podcast, & social SEO training
• Regularly meet with stakeholders to provide insights, document strategy for tentpoles, measure daily performance, conduct post-analysis of editorial initiatives, & perform industry case studies to ensure teams are pacing to meet goals
• Monitor trends & provide editorial leads with SEO recommendations for major events, local events, & news strategy
• Use, find, and/or test third-party tools to identify Search opportunities, & areas we can improve
• Proactively anticipate teams needs & provide strong solutions before requested
• Keep abreast of the latest SEO developments & news, & advocate for SEO tactics used in the marketplace that the verticals have not utilized yet
• Manage & mentor the SEO Coordinator

SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE:

• Support editorial leads to create a content strategy that will help meet search traffic goals Educate stakeholders with regular editorial training, new best practice documentation, & wider team presentations
• Pioneer & support streamlining efforts & automation improvements
• Keep abreast of the latest SEO developments & news, & advocate for SEO tactics used in the marketplace that the brands have not utilized yet
• Manage & mentor the SEO Coordinator

MUST HAVES:

• 4+ years of experience in editorial (content) SEO, preferably for a media/publishing organization or agency 
• 1+ years experience managing people
• Proven track record of increasing search traffic & SERP rankings
• Strong SEO copywriting & editing skills
• Comfort with numbers, plus the ability to leverage data to deduce trends, make recommendations, & lead insight-driven growth
• Experience with web analytics tools & concepts, particularly Google Analytics & Google Search Console
• Familiarity with third-party SEO tools (e.g. SemRush, Botify, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, etc)
• A collaborative & positive team player with an enthusiastic work ethic 
• Nimble & keen to adapt to Google algorithm updates
• Excellent organizational & time management skills 
• Ability to multitask & deliver under tight deadlines

Why Work at Group Nine:

We are committed to diversity, equity & inclusion. As part of our larger DE&I strategy, every employee goes through a series of DE&I training. We have incredible Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), with the support of our Head of DE&I & executive sponsors, that host everything from weekly safe space chats to community events.

We have amazing people. We can promise youll work alongside some of the smartest & most interesting people in the industry. Our people work hard but we always have fun doing it. Bottom line: we care about each other & we take our values seriously.

We care about you. We offer company-paid parental leave for everyone #inclusion. We also offer health, dental & vision insurance, along with a selection of voluntary benefits. Weve partnered with best-in-class virtual care providers to bring health care, mental health support & meditation to all employees. Additionally, knowing that time away from work is integral to employee well-being, our time off allowances (consisting of vacation, sick, company holidays, volunteer & religious observances), ensure you have time to take care of yourself.

We invest in your future. We offer competitive compensation & a matching 401(k) plan. Depending on the role, options may also be granted. We value development. We are a high-performance organization that challenges itself to continuously grow. We invest in employee development. Youll need to be great to get hired here & we promise youll get even better once youre here.

About Thrillist:

Thrillist is the #1 food, drink & travel brand for Gen Z & Millennials [source: Comscore Media Matrix & Plan Metrix, Q3 2020.] Thrillist serves as a guidebook for those that want new experiences & long to turn a good time into a great time. Our nonstop coverage of local culture inspires audiences to discover their world & celebrate every moment. In a serious world, we take fun seriously. In December 2016, Thrillist joined forces with NowThis, The Dodo, POPSUGAR & Seeker to form Group Nine Media -- a global top 10 publisher.

About Group Nine Media:

Group Nine has the most optimistic, fast moving, deeply connected brands in the categories that matter NOW. As the #1 video publisher on mobile in the U.S. [Nielsen DCR, June 2020], Group Nines brands are built for the platforms where young people spend the majority of their time. We reach over 80% of Americans in their 20s every month [Nielsen DCR, June 2020]. Audiences spend over 90 million hours a month engaging with our category-defining brands [platform analytics, August 2020] - NowThis, the no. 1 most-watched news & politics brand globally on social [Tubular Labs, May 2020]; The Dodo, the #1 media brand for reach on mobile in the U.S. [Nielsen DCR, November 2019]; POPSUGAR, the #1 most engaged-with Womens Lifestyle site in the U.S. [Comscore, February 2020]; Thrillist, the most-trusted digital brand in food, drink, travel & entertainment; & Seeker, the no. 1 science brand on mobile in the U.S. [Nielsen DCR, April 2020]. Group Nine has been recognized with hundreds of prestigious awards including Edward R. Murrow, James Beard, Cannes Lions, Critics Choice, among others.