Senior SEO Manager (Step Up, Lead the Strategy, Shape the Future of SEO)

Senior SEO Manager

Liverpool – Office Based – £35–40k DOE – 4-day working week (Monday to Thursday) – Reporting to: Managing Director

Ready to take the next step in your SEO career and become the person everyone turns to for strategy, direction and answers?

We're working with a growing digital agency looking for an experienced SEO professional to take the lead across its SEO function. This isn't about managing a huge team or sitting in endless meetings. The SEO team is small, experienced and largely self-sufficient, what they need is a strategic guiding light who can provide direction, challenge thinking and be the expert in the room.

You'll take ownership of key client relationships, developing 3–6 month SEO strategies, investigating performance issues and turning data into clear, actionable recommendations. You'll be comfortable getting stuck into the detail when needed, whether that's diagnosing a traffic drop, investigating indexing issues or understanding the impact of a Google update.

Just as importantly, you'll be confident talking about it. Client communication is a big part of the role, so this is definitely not the stereotypical SEO role where you disappear into a spreadsheet and avoid everyone else. You'll be joining client calls, presenting recommendations and translating complex SEO thinking into something people actually understand.

AI is also becoming an increasingly important part of the way the agency works, so they're looking for someone who actively uses AI within their workflow and is curious about how it can improve both efficiency and SEO strategy.

If you're currently operating at Senior SEO, SEO Manager or Technical SEO level and are looking for a genuine step up into a role where you can lead strategy, influence clients and help shape the future of an SEO function, this could be a great fit.

IMPORTANT:

This is an office-based role in Liverpool, Monday to Thursday. The team works best when they're together, particularly when it comes to guiding the SEO function and collaborating with the wider agency. You'll need to be comfortably commutable to the office, with around 45 minutes being the sweet spot.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead SEO strategy – Own the strategic direction across a portfolio of key clients, developing clear 3–6 month roadmaps that connect SEO activity to commercial objectives
• Solve SEO problems – Investigate traffic drops, indexing issues, ranking changes, technical problems and Google updates to understand what's really happening and how to fix it
• Turn data into action – Analyse rankings, traffic, conversions and page performance using tools such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics and leading SEO platforms
• Be the expert in the room – Provide clear strategic direction to the SEO team, challenging thinking, answering questions and helping everyone understand what good looks like
• Lead client relationships – Become a trusted SEO advisor to key clients, confidently explaining recommendations, presenting results and helping them understand the commercial impact of SEO
• Guide the SEO team – Provide direction, mentorship and quality control across a small team of SEO specialists who are capable of managing their own day-to-day workload
• Work across disciplines – Translate wider SEO strategy into clear actions for copywriters, developers, designers and other specialists across the agency
• Drive commercial performance – Understand how traffic, rankings and visibility ultimately translate into leads, conversions and business growth
• Embrace AI – Use AI as part of your own workflow and stay curious about how emerging tools and AI‑driven search are changing the SEO landscape
• Shape the offering – Help improve processes, develop new approaches and keep the agency's SEO offering ahead of industry changes

What You'll Bring to the Table

• Proven experience within SEO – Ideally operating at Senior SEO, SEO Manager, Technical SEO Lead or similar level
• Strong technical SEO knowledge – Across areas including technical audits, on‑page optimisation, indexing, site structure and performance
• Confident using Google Search Console, Google Analytics and SEO/data tools – Such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog or similar
• Strong analytical ability – With a genuine curiosity for understanding why something is happening rather than simply reporting that it is
• Experience developing and delivering SEO strategies – With clear objectives, actions and measurable outcomes
• Strong understanding of how websites are built – And how technical issues can impact organic performance
• Commercial awareness – With an understanding of traffic, conversions, user behaviour and what actually drives business results
• Excellent client communication skills – And the confidence to explain complex SEO concepts clearly to non-SEO specialists
• Experience managing or mentoring others – Would be advantageous, but previous formal line management isn't essential
• Experience using AI tools as part of your SEO workflow – And a genuine curiosity about where AI‑driven search is heading
• Agency experience isn't essential – They're open to strong candidates from agency, in‑house or freelance backgrounds

The Kind of Person Who'll Thrive Here

• Passionate about SEO – You're genuinely interested in how search works and enjoy digging into problems to find the answer
• Naturally curious – Google changes something? Traffic suddenly drops? You'll want to know why
• A great communicator – You're comfortable on client calls, presenting strategy and explaining SEO without drowning people in jargon
• Proactive and accountable – You don't wait for someone else to solve the problem. You take ownership and figure it out
• Collaborative rather than insular – You enjoy working with clients, developers, designers, copywriters and the wider team
• Strategic but hands‑on – You can see the bigger picture while still being happy getting into the technical detail
• Commercially minded – You understand that rankings are only useful if they ultimately help a client achieve their goals
• Ready for the next step – You're looking for more influence, responsibility and ownership rather than simply another SEO role with a different title

Why Join?

• A genuine step up – Take the lead on strategy and become the guiding expert within a growing SEO function
• Real client influence – Work directly with valuable clients and have a genuine say in their SEO direction
• Small, capable team – Lead a team of around five experienced SEO professionals who know their stuff and don't need micromanaging
• AI‑forward environment – Work somewhere that's actively exploring how AI can improve SEO workflows and keep the agency ahead of the curve
• Four-day working week – Work Monday to Thursday, giving you a better balance without compromising on career progression
• Collaborative culture – Work alongside a close‑knit digital team across SEO, PPC, web, branding and social
• Shape the future – Help evolve the agency's SEO processes, offering and approach as the industry continues to change
• Great benefits – Private dental and medical insurance, 20 days' holiday plus your birthday off
• Liverpool based – Work alongside the team in their Liverpool office, where collaboration and communication are a big part of how they operate

Ready to Lead the Way?

If you're an experienced SEO professional who's ready to step up, take ownership and become the person clients and colleagues turn to for strategic direction, we'd love to hear from you.

Bring your SEO expertise, curiosity and personality, and you'll have the opportunity to make a genuine impact on clients, the team and the future direction of the agency.

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