Search Engine Optimization Manager

Job Description

Role Overview

We are hiring an SEO Manager to own SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for the AMER region. This role will be responsible for driving organic performance today while preparing Zendesk for the rapid shift toward AI-powered, answer-first discovery experiences.

As search evolves beyond traditional SERPs into generative and answer-based surfaces, this role will sit at the intersection of SEO, AEO, analytics, and experimentation while staying on top of industry news, emerging search trends, and changes in AI-driven discovery. Success means delivering stable and improving SEO performance that is resilient to shifts in search algorithms, while structuring Zendesk content to thrive in answer-first discovery.The ideal candidate can operate independently, regularly conducts and records SEO and AEO tests, clearly shares practical insights, and works closely with other teams to quickly put recommendations into action.

This is an experienced individual contributor role requiring strong ownership, prioritization, and cross-functional influence.

Responsibilities

This role sets and executes the organic search strategy for the AMER region, spanning traditional SEO and emerging answer-first discovery experiences.

Strategic Ownership & Problem Solving (SEO & AEO)

• Own SEO and AEO performance for the AMER region, including traffic, visibility, and MQL influence

• Proactively identify opportunities, risks, and performance changes, translating signals from SERPs and emerging answer surfaces into clear hypotheses and prioritized action plans.

• Adapt SEO strategies as search engines and AI-driven discovery evolve, leading initiatives end-to-end from diagnosis through execution and measurement.

• Independently plan and prioritize high-impact initiatives, manage timelines, anticipate dependencies, coordinate cross-team collaboration, and escalate early with recommended solutions to ensure timely, effective decision-making and execution

• Leverage AI tools to accelerate analysis, content optimization, and metadata workflows

• Build repeatable processes, documentation, frameworks, and templates that support consistent SEO and AEO execution across AMER
   

Analytics & Experimentation

• Perform deep analysis using GA4, GSC, SEO platforms (e.g., SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog), and AEO tools like Profound to evaluate performance across traditional SERPs and emerging answer-based surfaces, connecting insights to business outcomes

• Design and run hypothesis-driven experiments across SEO and AEO initiatives, including content structure, metadata, internal linking, and entity coverage.)

• Connect organic performance data to business metrics such as MQLs and pipeline influence, and build or maintain dashboards to track performance and experiment results

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Content, Product Marketing, Engineering, Analytics, Paid Media, and Technical SEO to align SEO and AEO priorities, implement initiatives end-to-end, and optimize search performance across paid and organic channels.

• Communicate complex SEO and AEO insights clearly to non-technical stakeholders, influencing roadmap and prioritization decisions through data-driven storytelling.

• Serve as the AMER SEO/AEO point of contact, ensuring alignment, accountability, and effective cross-team collaboration
   

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, or a related science or quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience

• 6+ years of hands-on SEO experience, preferably in SaaS or enterprise environments

• Strong technical SEO, content SEO, and performance analytics experience

• Proficiency with SEO tools such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, Screaming Frog, BrightEdge, and AEO platforms like Profound

• Experience with digital analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or equivalent platforms

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and solve ambiguous problems

• Experience running experiments and interpreting complex data

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Strong Plus

• Experience with AEO, generative search, or AI-powered discovery systems

• Experience using AI tools or automation to scale SEO workflows

• Prior ownership of a large regional or market portfolio

• History of building scalable SEO frameworks or processes
   

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $126,000.00-$190,000.00. This position may also be eligible for bonus, benefits, or related incentives. While this range reflects the minimum and maximum value for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations, the offer for the successful candidate for this position will be based on job related capabilities, applicable experience, and other factors such as work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only (or OTE for commissions based roles), and do not include bonus, benefits, or related incentives.

Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.

The intelligent heart of customer experience

Zendesk software was built to bring a sense of calm to the chaotic world of customer service. Today we power billions of conversations with brands you know and love.

Zendesk believes in offering our people a fulfilling and inclusive experience. Our hybrid way of working, enables us to purposefully come together in person, at one of our many Zendesk offices around the world, to connect, collaborate and learn whilst also giving our people the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.

As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, we inform all applicants that artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision systems may be used to screen or evaluate applications for this position, in accordance with Company guidelines and applicable law.

Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at Zendesk are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer. If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please click here.

Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application, complete any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with your specific accommodation request.