Web SEO & AEO Strategist

Poka is looking for a Web Strategist to own how our website gets found and how well it converts. Search is changing fast. Buyers now get answers from Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and voice assistants as often as from a traditional results page. We need someone who understands both worlds: classic SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), which means earning visibility and citations in AI-generated answers. Traffic is only half the job, so you'll also lead Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) to turn visitors into leads and customers. This is a strategic and hands-on role. You'll set direction, run experiments, and work closely with content, design, development, and demand generation to improve the website's performance. What you'll do Search and answer engine strategy • Build and own an integrated SEO and AEO roadmap that grows organic visibility, qualified traffic, and brand presence in AI-generated answers. • Run keyword, topic, and intent research, including the conversational and question-based queries people use with AI assistants, and turn it into content and site architecture plans. • Structure content so answer engines can extract and cite it, using clear question-and-answer formatting, concise definitions, entity-rich copy, and comprehensive topic clusters. • Implement and maintain structured data (Schema.org markup such as FAQ, HowTo, Product, Organization, and Article) to improve eligibility for rich results and AI citations. • Monitor and improve how the Poka appears across AI platforms. Track mentions, citations, and share of voice in tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Google AI Overviews. • Strengthen E-E-A-T signals (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) through author profiles, original research, and credible sourcing. Technical SEO • Conduct regular technical audits covering crawlability, indexation, site speed, Core Web Vitals, mobile experience, internal linking, canonicalization, and redirects. • Work with the development team to prioritize and ship technical fixes, and make sure new pages and site changes are search-friendly from the start. • Manage XML sitemaps, robots.txt directives, and crawler access policies, including decisions about AI crawlers. Conversion rate optimization • Own the CRO program from start to finish: find friction points, form hypotheses, design experiments, and report results. • Plan and run A/B and multivariate tests on landing pages, forms, CTAs, navigation, pricing pages, and key user flows. • Use analytics, heatmaps, session recordings, user surveys, and usability testing to understand how visitors behave and why they drop off. • Work with design and copywriting teams to improve messaging, page layouts, and user experience based on test results and research. • Build and maintain a testing backlog that is prioritized by expected impact and effort. Analytics and reporting • Define KPIs and build dashboards that track organic traffic, rankings, AI visibility, engagement, conversion rates, and pipeline or revenue attributed to the website. • Deliver regular performance reports with clear insights and recommended next steps for leadership and stakeholders. • Stay current on search algorithm updates, AI search developments, and CRO best practices, and adjust strategy as the landscape shifts. What you'll bring Required • 7+ years of experience in SEO, web strategy, or growth marketing, with measurable results in organic growth and conversion improvement. • Deep knowledge of on-page, off-page, AEO, and technical SEO, and a solid working understanding of how large language models and AI search engines retrieve, summarize, and cite content. • Proven experience running structured CRO programs, including test design, statistical significance, and turning results into action. • Hands-on proficiency with tools such as Google Search Console, GA4, Google Tag Manager, Semrush or Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and testing platforms like VWO, Optimizely, or AB Tasty. • Experience with AI visibility tracking tools such as Scrunch AI, Profound, or the AI tracking features in Semrush and Ahrefs. • Experience with behavior analytics tools such as Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity, or FullStory. • Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and structured data (JSON-LD), and comfort working with modern CMS platforms such as WordPress. Familiarity with JavaScript SEO, CMS setups, or site migrations. • Strong analytical skills and the ability to explain complex data clearly to non-technical audiences. • Excellent communication and project management skills, and a record of working well with cross-functional teams. How we'll measure success Within your first year, success will look like measurable growth in qualified organic traffic, a stronger brand presence in AI-generated answers for priority topics, a steady cadence of experiments with documented learnings, and clear improvements in conversion rates across key pages and funnels. What we offer: • Scale-up energy with huge backing and a global yet close-knit team. • Generous vacation policy, additional paid days, and charity day. • Hybrid work policy - Employees who live within a 40 km radius of our Québec City office or a 15 km radius of our Montréal office are required to work in-office two days per week. • 100% remote work if you do not live within the radiuses mentioned above. • A truly flexible schedule that allows you to adapt your work hours. • Group insurance from day one (dental, medication, disability, travel, etc.) with employer contributions, including access to telemedicine and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). • A retirement savings plan with employer contributions. • A MacBook Pro and a $500 home office allowance upon hiring. • A generous annual learning and development budget to support your growth, plus the tools and opportunities you need to keep progressing in your career. • A rewarding employee referral program for successful hires. • Tasty snacks available at all times in our offices (fresh fruits, snacks, pastries, coffee, tea, etc.) *Certain benefits are exclusively accessible to employees in Canada. Please note: An understanding of English is essential at Poka, as it is the language used during company-wide meetings and many internal communications, ensuring effective collaboration and decision-making. In addition, as Poka operates in an international environment, English is the primary language for communicating with our clients and partners, enabling us to better serve them and represent Poka in a professional manner.