Sr. SEO Specialist (contract) See Details Job at Saltwaterco in Portsmouth

Saltwater is seeking candidates for a Sr SEO Specialist contractor

Location

Portsmouth, NH (Hybrid – 2 days in office, 3 days remote)

Employment Type

Contract Hire: 3-6 months, with potential to transition to full-time

About the Role

We’re looking for a seasoned Senior SEO Specialist who is passionate about search visibility—and knows that the game has changed. You’re someone who can craft a content strategy that achieves results while also diving into the technical trenches when needed. You understand that SEO in 2026 isn’t just about Google anymore; it’s about showing up wherever your audience is searching. This role is perfect for someone who gets genuinely excited about search intent, can explain E-E-A-T without putting people to sleep, and knows their way around both a content brief and a site migration checklist.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Demonstrate a holistic understanding of on-site and off-site SEO strategies.
• Create comprehensive SEO strategies and determine associated activities that are tailored to client objectives.
• Conduct competitive analysis to identify opportunities and gaps in search performance.
• Collaborate with clients to establish goals and select clear KPIs for evaluating the success of SEO campaigns.
• Routine assessment of new approaches and tactics that could improve efficiency and/or performance of SEO campaigns.
• Troubleshoot ranking drops and algorithm updates with a methodical approach

Content SEO

• Develop and execute custom content strategies based on the client's industry, audience, goals & KPIs
• Conduct keyword research that goes beyond search volume—understanding user intent, SERP features, and competitive landscapes
• Curate a keyword library and map keywords to the most relevant pages
• Create content briefs that give writers everything they need to produce ranking content
• Build and maintain content calendars aligned with business goals and search opportunities
• Evaluate content for AI extraction quality (conciseness, structure, entities, attributes)
• Author metadata and maintain Meta Map documents as needed.
• Optimize copy for specific keywords in accordance with SEO best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve readability of content and outline associated tactics.
• Identify content duplication and outline associated remediation.
• Identify content bloat, opportunities to consolidate pages, and outline associated tactics.
• Bonus Points: Ability to author short or long form content in alignment with custom strategies and SEO goals if needed

Technical SEO

• Conduct technical audits and prioritize fixes that actually move the needle
• Advise on site architecture, ensuring website content is organized logically with clear hierarchy
• Support web builds and consolidations when SEO is a major consideration
• Execute full migration QA, including pre-launch and post-launch validation of redirects, indexation, metadata, structured data, site architecture, and tracking.
• Manage international SEO requirements, including hreflang implementation, multi-regional structures, and country-specific search considerations.
• Monitor site health, update associated documentation and work with developers to remediate issues as needed
• Implement minor site updates that don’t require advanced development knowledge
• Manage Google Search Console and monitor indexation/core web vitals
• Optimize crawlability and indexation
• Strategize, code, implement and validate schema markup across diverse business models and CMS platforms using JSON-LD
• Maintain robots.txt and XML sitemap
• Advise on URL structure and ensure URLs are SEO-friendly
• Advise on redirect strategy and map redirects when needed
• Canonicalization strategy and implementation of associated canonical tags meant to indicate the preferred version of a page in cases of duplicate content
• Ensure sites are secured with SSL certificate and use HTTPS
• Ensure website is mobile-friendly and responsive

Off-Site SEO

• Administer and optimize Google Business Profiles and other listings for NAP, keywords inclusion, imagery and branding
• Develop and execute link-building strategies that focus on quality and relevance
• Conduct comprehensive backlink audits to assess link quality, toxicity, relevance, and competitive positioning.
• Build relationships with publishers, editors, and industry partners
• Monitor and manage online brand presence, reputation and authority

Analytics & Reporting

• Track, analyze, and report on SEO performance using GA4, Search Console, and your favorite SEO tools
• Utilize Google Tag Manager (GTM) to validate, troubleshoot, and enhance tracking setups that support SEO measurement frameworks
• Translate data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations
• Lead performance reporting presentations to client stakeholders.
• Set up proper tracking and measurement frameworks for SEO initiatives
• Administer and update reporting dashboards and documents on various platforms like Google Looker Studio.

Proactive Collaboration and Teamwork

• Work closely with web developers, design, UX, content creators, paid search specialists, and other subject matter experts to align efforts across digital channels.
• Anticipate challenges and opportunities before they become urgent—proactively identify potential SEO issues or strategic pivots early enough to implement solutions with proper planning rather than reactive firefighting
• Mentor other team members in SEO best practices and execution.
• Document processes and create internal SOPs that capture best practices, streamline workflows, and elevate team capabilities by making specialized knowledge accessible and repeatable across the organization

Must-Haves

• 5+ years of hands-on SEO experience with proven results
• Deep expertise in content SEO—from strategy through execution
• Strong technical SEO foundation (you know what a robots.txt file does and why hreflang tags matter)
• Client Leadership & Account Ownership: Proven ability to independently own and manage client relationships, lead strategic planning sessions and serve as the primary strategic advisor on accounts.
• Analytical Mindset: Proficiency in tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, and SEO-specific platforms to analyze performance and inform strategy.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to troubleshoot complex SEO issues and provide actionable recommendations.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to present strategies and reports to clients and internal teams. Comfort and experience in occasional client-facing capacity.
• Project Management: Detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience with SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Screaming Frog
• Understanding of AI search optimization and how LLMs are changing search behavior

Bonus Points

• Experience with ecommerce SEO
• Familiarity with Python or other scripting for SEO automation
• Understanding of conversion rate optimization (CRO)
• Experience training or mentoring junior team members
• You’ve successfully navigated a major algorithm update (or five)

Why Saltwater?

We’re not going to promise ping pong tables that nobody actually uses. What we will offer is interesting client work, a team that genuinely collaborates, and the chance to stay on the cutting edge of a field that’s evolving faster than ever. We invest in learning, celebrate wins, and when something doesn’t work, we figure out why and do better next time.