Director Search Engine Optimization

Director, SEO + AI

Shaw Search Partners is leading a retained search for a high growth global tech leader to identify a Director, SEO + AI who will play a key role in growing organic traffic and conversions, focusing on AI search and AI/social engines. The director will build a best‑in‑class organic program and solidify the company as a top organic result in the US and global markets.

• Strategy Development – Define and size opportunities, strategic priorities, and roadmap to drive organic AI/social growth based on emerging trends, current performance, and data insights; inform the Editorial Content team’s roadmap and prioritization.
• Execution – Oversee execution and optimization of performance‑oriented campaigns across search AI (e.g., Google AI overviews), emerging AI engines (e.g., Chat‑GPT), and social platforms (e.g., Reddit, X, Meta, You Tube) to drive organic visits and conversions.
• Conversion Optimization – Continuously improve landing‑page conversion rates throughout the customer journey, from research to conversion‑oriented pages.
• Testing and Measurement – Analyze marketing data and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of SEO efforts, including A/B testing, report building and analysis, and communicate results and data‑driven decisions to stakeholders.
• Reporting & Forecasting – Monitor SEO/AI organic performance across Car Gurus markets and report regularly to the Executive Team on synthesized trends and impact.
• Organic Traffic Forecasting – Lead forecasting efforts across markets in conjunction with Performance Marketing and Marketing Analytics.
• Resource Management – Define and manage budget needs and engineering resource allocation.
• Cross‑functional Collaboration – Lead internal communications and collaborate with Engineering, Product, Editorial Content, Analytics, and other Marketing teams to align efforts with business goals.

• 12+ years of professional SEO experience, preferably in‑house and enterprise‑level, with a strong understanding of SEO principles, strategies, and recent AI trends.
• Strong strategic thinking, critical problem‑solving, and prioritization skills.
• Excellent communication – concise synthesis of insights, results, and recommendations in verbal and written format for senior leadership.
• Data‑analytics fluency – proficiency with tools such as Looker, Google Analytics, and SEO tracking platforms to analyze performance and make data‑driven decisions.
• Adaptability – ability to learn and adapt to changing trends and technologies in a fast‑paced environment.
• Cross‑functional collaboration – effective liaison with internal teams, partners, and executive stakeholders on SEO initiatives.
• Team management experience, particularly with content and/or engineering teams.
• Attention to detail – precision in tracking data and executing roadmap elements.

Boston, MA – Salary: $144,000 – $172,000 (Full‑time). Hybrid role requiring 3 days/week onsite in Boston office. Relocation support may be offered.