SUMMARY:
As the Lead, SEO and AEO, you will be responsible for advancing AmaWaterways’ organic visibility across both traditional and emerging search ecosystems, including large language models (LLMs) and AI-driven answer engines. This role will define and execute a comprehensive search strategy that strengthens AmaWaterways’ brand authority, drives high-quality traffic, and supports conversion across consumer and travel advisor audiences. Working closely with Digital Experience, Content, UX/UI, Analytics, and Brand teams, this individual will ensure that SEO and AEO practices are embedded into all aspects of the company’s digital ecosystem — including AmaWaterways.com, the Travel Advisor Portal, and international web properties. The ideal candidate possesses both strategic and hands-on expertise in technical SEO, content optimization, structured data, and semantic search, along with curiosity for how generative AI will redefine discoverability.
Duties And Responsibilities SEO & AEO Strategy
Develop and execute a comprehensive SEO and AEO strategy aligned with AmaWaterways’ business objectives, guest acquisition goals, and digital transformation roadmap.
Implement entity-based and semantic optimization to strengthen topical authority for river cruise destinations, themes, and guest experiences.
Develop AEO strategies for visibility in AI-powered ecosystems (e.g., Google SGE, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT integrations).
Partner with Brand, Content, and UX/UI to align storytelling and page structure with search intent and user experience.
Content Optimization & Governance
Conduct keyword and intent research to identify opportunities across the guest journey (awareness, consideration, conversion).
Collaborate with Content Managers and Copywriters to optimize metadata, headings, internal linking, and structured content.
Create an SEO style guide and scalable governance framework to ensure brand consistency across U.S., U.K., and EU sites.
Identify and fill content gaps to support itineraries, blogs, and promotional landing pages.
Technical SEO & Web Architecture
Oversee site architecture, crawlability, and indexation to ensure maximum visibility.
Manage XML sitemaps, redirects, canonical tags, and robots.txt configurations.
Implement and maintain schema markup (FAQ, Organization, Product, and Event) to enhance rich results and AI summarization eligibility.
Conduct regular technical audits using tools such as Screaming Frog, Botify, or Sitebulb; partner with developers to resolve issues.
Monitor Core Web Vitals and collaborate with the Front-End and CMS teams to improve site performance and accessibility.
Performance Measurement & Reporting
Define KPIs including organic traffic growth, booking starts, keyword visibility, share of voice, and engagement metrics.
Integrate SEO performance into GA4, BigQuery, and Looker dashboards for holistic insight across the marketing funnel.
Provide monthly and quarterly insights to leadership, including competitor benchmarking and emerging trend analysis.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner with internal teams and agencies to embed SEO and AEO best practices across all digital projects, including the website redesign, Travel Advisor Portal, and mobile app.
Collaborate with Paid Media to maximize organic–paid synergies and keyword efficiency.
Lead cross-functional SEO workshops to train content, design, and development teams on evolving search and AI visibility trends.
Innovation & Future Search
Stay ahead of algorithm updates, AI search trends, and multimodal optimization opportunities.
Recommend and pilot new tools or methodologies (e.g., AI-driven content optimization, SERP feature tracking, conversational search readiness).
Act as the internal evangelist for emerging SEO/AEO practices, ensuring AmaWaterways remains a leader in digital discoverability within the luxury travel category.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This role has no supervisory responsibilities.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in communications, computer science, marketing, or a related field; Master’s degree a plus.
Three to five years of experience in SEO, with proven success driving measurable organic growth and engagement.
Computer skills required: Development Software; Microsoft Office Suite; Project Management Software, Database Software, Design Software, Internet Software, Spreadsheet Software, Word Processing Software, Electronic Mail Software, Presentation Software
Expertise with SEO tools including Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and GA4.
Familiarity with structured data, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, and website performance optimization.
Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and CMS optimization (Builder.io or equivalent headless CMS).
Experience with emerging AEO/LLM optimization techniques and entity-based search frameworks.
Strong analytical and communication skills; ability to translate rechnical findings into actionable insights.
Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills and comfort managing vendors or agency partners.
Passion for travel, luxury brand storytelling, and digital innovation.
Competencies
Diversity - Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Promotes a harassment-free environment.
Ethics - Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.
Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs workflows and procedures.
Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
Business Acumen - Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals.
Change Management - Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Monitors transition and evaluates results.
Cost Consciousness - Contributes to profits and revenue; Conserves organizational resources.
Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
Design - Generates creative solutions; Translates concepts and information into images; Uses feedback to modify designs; Applies design principles; Demonstrates attention to detail.
Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
Innovation - Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.
Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
Motivation - Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Lists and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; Supports organization's goals and values; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.
Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Sets goals and objectives; Develops realistic action plans.
Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
Project Management - Develops project plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget.
Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
Quantity - Meets productivity standards; Completes work in a timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.
Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.
Strategic Thinking - Understands organization's strengths and weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.
Visionary Leadership - Displays passion and optimism; Inspires respect and trust.
Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
Physical Demands And Work Environment
Occasionally required to stand
Occasionally required to walk
Continually required to sit
Continually required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
Occasionally required to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel or crawl
Frequently required to talk or hear
While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds
Specific vision abilities required by this job include: Close vision; Color vision
Monday-Friday; 8:00am-5:00pm PT
#J-18808-Ljbffr
As the Lead, SEO and AEO, you will be responsible for advancing AmaWaterways’ organic visibility across both traditional and emerging search ecosystems, including large language models (LLMs) and AI-driven answer engines. This role will define and execute a comprehensive search strategy that strengthens AmaWaterways’ brand authority, drives high-quality traffic, and supports conversion across consumer and travel advisor audiences. Working closely with Digital Experience, Content, UX/UI, Analytics, and Brand teams, this individual will ensure that SEO and AEO practices are embedded into all aspects of the company’s digital ecosystem — including AmaWaterways.com, the Travel Advisor Portal, and international web properties. The ideal candidate possesses both strategic and hands-on expertise in technical SEO, content optimization, structured data, and semantic search, along with curiosity for how generative AI will redefine discoverability.
Duties And Responsibilities SEO & AEO Strategy
Develop and execute a comprehensive SEO and AEO strategy aligned with AmaWaterways’ business objectives, guest acquisition goals, and digital transformation roadmap.
Implement entity-based and semantic optimization to strengthen topical authority for river cruise destinations, themes, and guest experiences.
Develop AEO strategies for visibility in AI-powered ecosystems (e.g., Google SGE, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT integrations).
Partner with Brand, Content, and UX/UI to align storytelling and page structure with search intent and user experience.
Content Optimization & Governance
Conduct keyword and intent research to identify opportunities across the guest journey (awareness, consideration, conversion).
Collaborate with Content Managers and Copywriters to optimize metadata, headings, internal linking, and structured content.
Create an SEO style guide and scalable governance framework to ensure brand consistency across U.S., U.K., and EU sites.
Identify and fill content gaps to support itineraries, blogs, and promotional landing pages.
Technical SEO & Web Architecture
Oversee site architecture, crawlability, and indexation to ensure maximum visibility.
Manage XML sitemaps, redirects, canonical tags, and robots.txt configurations.
Implement and maintain schema markup (FAQ, Organization, Product, and Event) to enhance rich results and AI summarization eligibility.
Conduct regular technical audits using tools such as Screaming Frog, Botify, or Sitebulb; partner with developers to resolve issues.
Monitor Core Web Vitals and collaborate with the Front-End and CMS teams to improve site performance and accessibility.
Performance Measurement & Reporting
Define KPIs including organic traffic growth, booking starts, keyword visibility, share of voice, and engagement metrics.
Integrate SEO performance into GA4, BigQuery, and Looker dashboards for holistic insight across the marketing funnel.
Provide monthly and quarterly insights to leadership, including competitor benchmarking and emerging trend analysis.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner with internal teams and agencies to embed SEO and AEO best practices across all digital projects, including the website redesign, Travel Advisor Portal, and mobile app.
Collaborate with Paid Media to maximize organic–paid synergies and keyword efficiency.
Lead cross-functional SEO workshops to train content, design, and development teams on evolving search and AI visibility trends.
Innovation & Future Search
Stay ahead of algorithm updates, AI search trends, and multimodal optimization opportunities.
Recommend and pilot new tools or methodologies (e.g., AI-driven content optimization, SERP feature tracking, conversational search readiness).
Act as the internal evangelist for emerging SEO/AEO practices, ensuring AmaWaterways remains a leader in digital discoverability within the luxury travel category.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This role has no supervisory responsibilities.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in communications, computer science, marketing, or a related field; Master’s degree a plus.
Three to five years of experience in SEO, with proven success driving measurable organic growth and engagement.
Computer skills required: Development Software; Microsoft Office Suite; Project Management Software, Database Software, Design Software, Internet Software, Spreadsheet Software, Word Processing Software, Electronic Mail Software, Presentation Software
Expertise with SEO tools including Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and GA4.
Familiarity with structured data, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, and website performance optimization.
Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and CMS optimization (Builder.io or equivalent headless CMS).
Experience with emerging AEO/LLM optimization techniques and entity-based search frameworks.
Strong analytical and communication skills; ability to translate rechnical findings into actionable insights.
Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills and comfort managing vendors or agency partners.
Passion for travel, luxury brand storytelling, and digital innovation.
Competencies
Diversity - Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Promotes a harassment-free environment.
Ethics - Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.
Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs workflows and procedures.
Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
Business Acumen - Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals.
Change Management - Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Monitors transition and evaluates results.
Cost Consciousness - Contributes to profits and revenue; Conserves organizational resources.
Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
Design - Generates creative solutions; Translates concepts and information into images; Uses feedback to modify designs; Applies design principles; Demonstrates attention to detail.
Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
Innovation - Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.
Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
Motivation - Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Lists and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; Supports organization's goals and values; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.
Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Sets goals and objectives; Develops realistic action plans.
Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
Project Management - Develops project plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget.
Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
Quantity - Meets productivity standards; Completes work in a timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.
Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.
Strategic Thinking - Understands organization's strengths and weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.
Visionary Leadership - Displays passion and optimism; Inspires respect and trust.
Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
Physical Demands And Work Environment
Occasionally required to stand
Occasionally required to walk
Continually required to sit
Continually required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
Occasionally required to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel or crawl
Frequently required to talk or hear
While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds
Specific vision abilities required by this job include: Close vision; Color vision
Monday-Friday; 8:00am-5:00pm PT
#J-18808-Ljbffr