Search Engine Optimization Specialist Ascend Digital Agency Buffalo, NY Job Details Full-time $60,000 - $80,000 a year 6 hours ago Benefits Health insurance 401(k) matching Referral program Qualifications Report writing CSS Automation WordPress Google Search Console AI-driven automation Account management Generative AI HTML Full Job Description SUMMARY We are seeking an SEO Specialist to take ownership of a book of contractor and home services accounts. This person has 2+ years of hands-on SEO experience, is comfortable working directly in client sites, and measures their work by leads and revenue rather than rankings alone. This is an execution-heavy role with real account ownership and a clear runway into senior strategy.

ROLE OVERVIEW

As an SEO Specialist, you'll work hands-on across a portfolio of contractor and home services clients — executing technical audits, on-page optimization, local SEO, content strategy, and reporting that ties directly to leads and revenue. This is an execution-heavy role with real ownership: you'll carry accounts, drive measurable outcomes, and have a clear runway to grow into senior strategy. We want someone who treats rankings as a means to an end, not the end itself. Someone who's hungry to build skills, push into AI-assisted workflows, and contribute to the way our SEO practice scales — and who brings ideas to the table instead of waiting for the assignment.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Execute Core SEO Strategy Manage on-page, off-page, and technical SEO across an assigned book of contractor and home services clients Conduct comprehensive site audits covering crawlability, indexation, Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, and on-page fundamentals Perform intent-driven keyword research and map keywords to the right pages — balancing search volume, buyer intent, and cannibalization risk Optimize service pages, location pages, and supporting content for both search engines and conversion Build and maintain internal linking structures that strengthen topical authority and direct equity to revenue-driving pages Drive Local Visibility Manage and optimize Google Business Profiles — posts, photos, services, Q&A, and review response workflows Build and maintain local citations across directories, ensuring NAP consistency at scale Develop city, service area, and multi-location page architectures that rank without falling into thin or duplicate content traps Track local KPIs including map pack visibility, GBP engagement, and geo-segmented organic performance Connect SEO to Business Outcomes Treat rankings and traffic as leading indicators — the actual goal is qualified leads, calls, and form fills that grow client revenue Set up and maintain conversion tracking through GA4, call tracking platforms (e.g., WhatConverts), and form attribution Diagnose mismatches between traffic and lead volume — investigate intent quality, landing page friction, CTAs, and tracking gaps before adding more content Report on SEO performance in terms clients actually care about: leads, cost per acquisition, and revenue contribution — not just keyword positions Solve Technical Problems Diagnose traffic drops, ranking volatility, and indexation issues with a structured, evidence-based process Implement schema markup at scale — LocalBusiness, Service, FAQPage, Review, and others as needed Identify and resolve common contractor-site issues: page speed, duplicate location pages, redirect chains, thin content, and Core Web Vitals failures Work directly in WordPress and the supporting tech stack (HTML, CSS) to make on-page changes without waiting on dev When a problem keeps surfacing across accounts, solve it once and for all instead of patching it every month Use AI as a Force Multiplier Integrate AI tools into your day-to-day workflow for content production, research, schema generation, and reporting — not as a novelty, but as a system Build repeatable prompts, workflows, and processes that increase the volume and quality of work you can ship Stay current on how AI is reshaping search itself — AI overviews, zero-click results, and answer engine optimization — and adapt strategy accordingly Communicate & Collaborate Translate SEO strategy and findings into language business owners actually understand: leads, revenue, and competitive position Partner with content, paid media, design, and dev to deliver unified campaigns rather than siloed SEO tasks Document what you do — contribute to the SOPs, playbooks, and processes that help our department scale

QUALIFICATIONS

Have 2+ years of hands-on SEO experience — ideally including local SEO and/or work with home services or contractor clients Frame your work in terms of leads and revenue, not just rankings and traffic — and instinctively ask "did it convert?" when you see traffic move Are fluent in the core SEO toolkit: GA4, Google Search Console, Ahrefs or SEMrush, Screaming Frog, BrightLocal, and similar platforms Have hands-on experience in WordPress, plus working comfort with HTML and CSS — you'll be in client sites regularly Can run a structured diagnostic process when something goes wrong — ruling out algorithm shifts, technical issues, content changes, and competitor moves before drawing conclusions Have implemented schema markup and understand how to validate it after deployment Are actively using AI in your workflow in ways that go beyond writing emails — custom prompts, multi-step processes, content systems, or research automations Can speak to a specific example where your SEO work produced a measurable business outcome for a client (and how you tracked it) Take ownership when something doesn't work — you can name what went wrong, what you learned, and what you'd do differently Are genuinely curious about SEO and self-directed in your learning — you can point to something you've taught yourself in the past 12 months Want to grow into a senior strategist or leadership role and have some sense of what you're doing now to get there

OUR PROMISE TO YOU

You'll have real ownership over real client accounts from day one — not a queue of disconnected tasks. You'll work alongside a team that takes SEO seriously as a revenue channel, in a niche where local execution actually moves the needle. We invest in our people. You'll get the autonomy to test, build, and bring new ideas forward, documented process to work from, and a clear path to grow into senior strategy as our agency scales. We put the same dedication into every campaign that's produced massive growth and raving fans for our clients, and we'll put that same dedication into developing you. If you want to do SEO that's measured by what it produces, not just what it ranks, let's connect.

Pay:

$60,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) matching Health insurance Referral program

Work Location:

In person