SEO Manager - Upgrow

We're assembling the best SEO team in the tech industry, want in?

Performance SEO is the future, and we're looking for people who want to join us in building it. If you're part of 1% of the SEOs that can build an effective strategy, explain it, and project manage it through to completion, then this is exactly what you're looking for.

This is your opportunity to take extreme ownership, flex your analytical prowess, create better search results that benefit everyone, and celebrate with a team that truly geeks out over results-driven SEO.

Do you honestly get excited about efficiency gains with gen AI, pouring over Google algo leaks, building well-crafted content hubs, frolicking through GA4 and Google Search Console data, and combining SEO with CRO?

If you answer yes, yes, yes, and yes, keep reading - we’ve got something exciting for you.

Who we are

Hi, we’re Upgrow.  We are a digital marketing agency focused on growth through Paid Media, SEO, and conversion-focused design and copywriting.  

Our team is primarily remote but has shared office space with teammates in San Francisco and San Diego. This role is remote for candidates in the US.

We focus mainly on B2B lead generation, driving marketing qualified leads and ultimately sales for our clients to help their business bottom line. Our mission is to accelerate growth for remarkable brands – we work with businesses focused on high growth and ready to scale.

Here’s how you and Upgrow can get aligned based on our core values:

• We Have Relentless Ownership
  • ​​​​​​You are the person everyone can count on. You show up, are prepared, and smash it every. single. time. You ask for pointed help when you need it and find solutions without fail.
  • ​​​​​​You are results-driven, naturally competitive, and thrive on the challenge to achieve performance results for our clients as well as our internal company goals
  • This means you set appropriate expectations with clients and internally on meeting deadlines and ensure that quality work is delivered
  • You understand and take ownership of the outcomes and can work collaboratively with the team in achieving that without making excuses or trying to sandbag
• We Have Demanding Expectations
  • You take pride in your craft and strive for excellence in the quality of the work produced
  • You can lead and set the standard of excellence for the team to ensure that our clients are impressed and overjoyed by the quality of work we do and produce
  • You are excitedly open to expanding your skills and responsibilities beyond your core job function.
• We Advance Our Skills through Learning & Evolve with the Industry
  • You are never comfortable; you are always looking for ways to improve.
  • You are naturally curious and enjoy learning about the latest shifts in advertising trends/evolutions, technology advancements, and product developments.
  • You see the value in running training/mentoring, introducing/improving processes and knowledge-sharing
• We Win Together
  • You actively seek out to make yourself available to help, share knowledge, and support your teammates
  • You are a joy to work with through open/clear communication and following the company’s systems/processes
  • You celebrate and take joy not just in your own success, but the success of others

We’re a small and mighty team that’s fast-growing (we’ve been Inc 5000 honoree 2X now) and looking to grow into a world-class leading agency, driving amazing results as marketers.

Many job descriptions are quick and generic, leaving you with lots of questions. This is meant to be a comprehensive look at the role, who it’s a good fit for, and how we operate as a company. With that disclaimer, you officially can’t get mad that it’s long!

Our application and hiring process is more in-depth than usual, and it is because we want to make sure you’re the right fit for us to ensure you’re set up for success here at Upgrow. So please take time to read and go through our hiring processes so you know what to expect.

If who we are sounds like a dream place to be, then you’ve come to the right place!

Life at Upgrow

We are partially hybrid in-office and remote, spread across multiple US time zones. This means asynchronous communication is crucial to maximize productivity and efficiency.

We DO:
- Build awesome relationships based on trust with clients and internal teams
- Superior work quality (strategy presentations, content, links, data analysis, and technical SEO that you'd be proud to sell to your grandmother)
- KPI results (more and better organic traffic and conversions)

We AVOID:
- Making reports and presentations that no one uses
- Tedious and outdated SEO practices that no longer matter
- Repeatedly doing tasks that could be automated
- Anything unproductive!

We are highly collaborative and very organized, where we communicate internally primarily on Slack/Zoom, and use project management tools like ClickUp, Basecamp, and Confluence to ensure projects/tasks are planned out and delivered on time.

Every week we have company-wide meetings to sync together and get company-level updates (e.g., sales, ops, people), and we have short 15-minute daily team huddles to ensure everyone is aligned and not blocked.

For fun, we run monthly virtual happy hours, have in-person lunches (where possible), and have a dedicated Slack channel for non-work chatter so you can share your favorite emojis/GIFs or photos from your weekend or vacation!
 

What will you do?

As an SEO Manager, you will be the main point of contact for 4-6 client accounts, handling account management, strategy, and project management.  After studying each client and their industry, you'll develop a strategy to achieve their performance goals, not just traffic but, more importantly, conversions.

You'll then project manage the implementation of on-page, off-page, and technical SEO with the support of an SEO Specialist, content writers, and the client. You will also provide reporting and project updates to clients in recurring meetings and handle client communications.

Must Haves:

• Results driven - you have a track record of achieving results, and if you’re not getting results, you have an insatiable appetite to identify opportunities, get client buy-in and execute. You know how to identify where the opportunities are in order to move the needle and not be focused on just checking off a checklist (although those are important)
• Great communication skills - you are able to distill complex SEO concepts into easy-to-understand terms for clients (who may not be as SEO savvy) to understand, get buy-in, and appreciate the value of what we’re doing
• Highly organized and process driven - you’re able to use project management tools to break out that tasks need to be done by when and by who, stay on top of multiple projects, and ensure client delivery is met
• Data-driven - you don’t just make guesses as to why metrics go up or down but are comfortable diving deep and analyzing data (e.g. GA4, Search Console, SEMRush) in order to draw actionable insights and conclusions
• Embrace AI - you have a working knowledge of utilizing AI tools such as ChatGPT to research, create content, and get more done faster.
• Specialized SEO Experience - you have a proven track record of SEO achievements, with typically 2 years of experience creating strategy, reporting to stakeholders, and executing implementation.
• Competitive and Confident - you want to be in the top 1% in your chosen field of SEO. You get competitive when you get outranked and find ways to win.
• Passionate About SEO - your YouTube history is filled with SEO content, you are in the SEO forums, and you could talk for hours about this stuff; it’s more than a job - it’s core to your very being!
• SEO content writing and editing - you can research and write compelling copy for search engines and users alike. You don't have to be Hemmingway, but you should be able to write confidently. And you can be Hemmingway if you want to.

Nice To Have:

• Experience in B2B SaaS/Enterprise technology
• Advanced knowledge of Google Tag Manager (using regex, datalayer, javascript)
• Web development skills (using HTML/CSS, Javascript)

These are our SEO tech stack:

• Analytics: GA4, Search Console, SEMRush, Google Tag Manager, SurferSEO
• Business Intelligence: Looker Studio, Supermetrics
• AI: ChatGPT

Our work hours are typically your standard 40/wk. Core working hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm in your time zone (except EST which is 9am to 6pm). This means during work hours, you are in a focused environment where you are dedicating your time and attention to Upgrow with a good internet connection and good work space.

Show me the money

Alright, let’s get to the point of why your time isn’t free but valuable. Here’s what we’re offering in exchange for your services: 

• Competitive base annual salary -ranging from $70,000 - $80,000
• High bonus potential! Annual company profit sharing, performance incentives and case study bonuses (can add 20% to your salary if you’re a high performer!)
• Paid health, dental, and vision 
• Life and disability insurance
• Unlimited PTO, plus 10 company holidays
• Sweet Company swag that will quickly elevate your social status.

Is this a good fit for me?

Obviously, we're biased, but here is our honest (as can be) assessment of the pros/cons of working at Upgrow — in this role.

Benefits to you and your career

• Have an impact
  • Because we’re a small company, every single person matters in our team. You’re not some cog in a giant machine and the work that you do matters. We need people who have ideas to bring to the table and want to take action. This is your opportunity to step up to the plate and do things your way - this is the role in your career that you'll look back on fondly and know you created something truly special and innovative.
• Work with genuinely good people
  • Did we mention we want to get sh*t done with no bullsh*t? We have no room for internal politics and egos – we desire to see our clients and our team succeed without the unnecessary hindrances
• Huge career upside
  • Because we are small and nimble, we’re able to identify high performers and move them quickly into larger roles and responsibilities vs. traditional conventions. We have performance incentives in place to reward high achievers
• Remote but not removed
  • You're self-disciplined to thrive in a WFH environment to be responsive during business hours, and get tasks done on time.

Who would NOT want to take this role

A good match for any role requires a great fit between team members and the company. There are amazing people who aren’t in the right time/space in their careers to thrive and appreciate every role. . . and that’s totally ok! Just trying to keep it real here.

It might not be a good fit for you, IF:

• You want to be told exactly what to do
  • While we have some processes documented and our team are not newbies, we need you to bring ideas to the table and make things better. That doesn't mean you're on your own or starting from 0, but we do want you to drive with ownership and accountability. So if you're looking for more of a straightforward execution role, this is not it.
• You’re looking for a paycheck, not a career
  • If you’re looking for a simple 9-5 job to collect a paycheck, then this isn’t a place. We need people who are passionate about what they do, and have strong ownership and accountability. This means sometimes you’re working longer hours in order to get the job done and ensuring work produced is to a high quality/standard.
• You’re looking for chill, slow and easy
  • Being in a small agency, we pride ourselves in our ability to be nimble and move quickly for our clients. This sometimes means pivoting and executing quickly, without having all the information in front of you. You need to have a sense of urgency, and not take your sweet time because you can’t handle the stress.
• You play not to lose
  • We’re looking for people who want to play to win vs. not to lose. This means you’re looking for reasons and excuses on why you can’t achieve your goals vs. figuring out what is needed in order for you to achieve your goals.
• You want a freelance-style work schedule
  • If your schedule requires high flexibility or you prefer working exclusively in the middle of the night, then this probably isn't your gig. If you are backpacking across Europe with sometimes spotty wifi then you're also going to have a hard time.
• You hate going to the office and seeing people
  • You b*tch and whine about commuting to work, and prefer staying at home playing Fortnite or watching Netflix in between. Did we mention this was a hybrid in-office role?

How We Hire: A Look Inside Our Hiring Process

• Apply Online - Now that you have found a position that you have matched your skills and interests it’s time to apply! You will be asked to submit a video response and answer a few questions about your background.
• Application Review - Applications are read first by our friendly recruiter and hiring manager. If we find that you are a potential match, we will reach out by email to schedule a call with you to learn more about your skills and experience.
• Interviews - Our interview process consists of 3 interviews, a questionnaire, and a case study presentation.
  1. Short conversation via Zoom video with our Administrator.
  2. Conversation with our co-founders. They will give you a feel for the role/company, and ask you some questions to better understand your background, experience, and fit.
  3. Questionnaire - We will ask you to complete a small (20-25 minute) questionnaire. (This helps us understand how you think and approach common SEO tasks.)
  4. Case Study Presentation - The final step will be to share a case study of a project you are particularly proud of that illustrates your SEO strategy, execution, and ability to get results.  You'll share a few slides to highlight your case study with a few peers from our SEO team.
• You’re in! - After the interview process, we will review everything and make a decision as a team.  If it's a great fit, we'll present you with an offer and review everything on a call. If you accept you'll be part of the team and begin planning for the onboarding process!
• If this looks like too much work for you, please do not apply!

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