Local Search Manager

Corporate 300 E John Carpenter Fwy Suite 900 Irving, TX 75062, USA

Populus is an amazing company where our employees stay because they love their teams and the growth opportunities. Additionally, we offer a competitive 401K match, a generous paid time off package, and Health Benefits.

Our mission is to provide a broad range of quality financial products and services delivered with best-in-class customer service. We work and lead with integrity, and we celebrate employees who exemplify our values. Come join our team!

The Local Search Manager leads and manages local search strategy to improve visibility, performance, and organic traffic across the organization. This role oversees local strategy, performance optimization, listings management, local page development, local testing, and project prioritization, while remaining current on evolving local search trends and generative engine optimization (GEO).

The Local Search Manager applies deep technical Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expertise to analyze performance data, identify opportunities for improvement, and translate insights into clear, actionable recommendations for leadership and cross‑functional partners. This role collaborates with marketing, product, and technology teams to support scalable search strategies and ongoing optimization and reports to the Director of Organic Marketing.

• Develop and execute a scalable local SEO strategy supporting 700+ physical locations.
• Optimize performance across Google Search, Google Maps, Apple Maps, and AI‑driven search experiences (e.g., AI Overviews and generative search platforms).
• Monitor SERP volatility and proactively adjust strategy based on algorithm and AI‑driven search changes.
• Identify and prioritize high‑impact opportunities that drive measurable business results.
• Oversee and optimize Google Business Profiles and Apple Business Connect listings at scale.
• Maintain NAP consistency and citation accuracy across aggregators and directories.
• Leverage enterprise local management tools (e.g., Yext or similar platforms) to manage listings, monitor performance, and scale updates efficiently.
• Own strategy and optimization for location pages, including on‑page SEO, internal linking, structured data (Local Business schema), and indexation best practices.
• Partner with development teams to improve crawlability, site architecture, and Core Web Vitals impacting local performance.
• Ensure scalable page templates align with both traditional search and AI‑driven content interpretation.
• Guide localized content strategy aligned with user intent and geographic differentiation.
• Optimize content for entity recognition, FAQs, and AI‑driven search visibility.
• Analyze performance data across Google Analytics, Google Search Console, GBP Insights, Apple Business Connect insights, and third‑party platforms.
• Develop executive‑ready reporting highlighting trends, risks, and growth opportunities.
• Forecast growth opportunities and identify market‑level performance gaps.
• Build and manage a local SEO roadmap based on impact, effort, and ROI.
• Manage and mentor team members, establish KPIs, and drive accountability.
• Translate complex performance data into clear, strategic recommendations tied to revenue and lead generation.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with IT, product, analytics, and marketing teams.
• Strong knowledge of local ranking factors, proximity signals, listings management, and scalable location page optimization.
• Ability to partner with development teams to implement structured data, improve crawl efficiency, and enhance page performance.
• Understanding of how AI search engines interpret entities, structured content, and authoritative signals.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate complex datasets into actionable growth opportunities.
• Ability to evaluate initiatives based on impact and drive execution through clear roadmaps.
• Experience managing teams and communicating complex concepts clearly to executives and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Focused on measurable performance improvements across rankings, traffic, conversions, and revenue.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously,…