Senior Specialist, SEO/AEO (Contract)

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Specialist, SEO/AEO (Contract) based in United States.** This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of search strategy by combining traditional SEO expertise with emerging AI-driven search optimization. You will lead initiatives that improve brand visibility across search engines, AI-generated results, and evolving digital discovery platforms. The position requires a strategic thinker who can connect technical SEO, content optimization, data insights, and business outcomes. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams and enterprise clients to develop impactful search experiences and measurable growth strategies. The ideal candidate understands how search is evolving beyond rankings into entities, generative experiences, and full-SERP ownership. You will work in a dynamic consulting environment where innovation, experimentation, and client success are at the center of every engagement. This is an opportunity to influence how organizations compete and grow in the next generation of digital search. ### Accountabilities: The Senior Specialist, SEO/AEO will lead advanced search optimization initiatives across client portfolios, owning strategy development, execution guidance, and performance measurement across traditional and AI-powered search ecosystems. This role combines technical expertise, strategic thinking, and strong stakeholder collaboration to deliver measurable business impact. - Develop and lead comprehensive SEO and AEO strategies that support client growth objectives across the full marketing funnel. - Optimize search experiences for AI Overviews, generative search platforms, Featured Snippets, People Also Ask results, conversational queries, and zero-click experiences. - Build entity-based optimization strategies to improve brand authority, discoverability, and knowledge graph presence. - Partner with content, engineering, analytics, UX, and marketing teams to align search initiatives with broader digital strategies. - Conduct technical, content, competitive, local, and application SEO audits, identifying opportunities for improvement and growth. - Create SEO requirements and technical recommendations while collaborating with development teams on implementation, testing, and quality assurance. - Perform advanced keyword research, topic clustering, entity analysis, and content optimization planning. - Develop structured data and schema strategies to improve visibility across rich results and AI-generated search experiences. - Monitor search algorithm updates, AI search developments, and industry trends to proactively adapt strategies. - Establish measurement frameworks to evaluate SEO and AEO performance, including traffic, engagement, SERP visibility, and AI search impact. - Use automation tools, APIs, AI workflows, and data analysis techniques to improve operational efficiency. - Manage project timelines, deliverables, and priorities across multiple client engagements while maintaining quality standards. - Present recommendations and insights clearly to internal teams and senior client stakeholders. ## Requirements: The ideal candidate is an experienced search professional with a strong understanding of both established SEO practices and emerging AI-powered search environments. You should be comfortable translating complex technical concepts into actionable business strategies and collaborating with multiple stakeholders. - 3+ years of experience driving SEO performance for enterprise organizations, large-scale brands, or complex digital environments. - Proven experience developing and executing both traditional SEO and AEO strategies. - Strong understanding of AI-driven search experiences, including AI Overviews, generative search, LLM discovery, and zero-click search behavior. - Expertise in structured data, schema implementation, entity optimization, knowledge…