Digital SEO Specialist

Digital SEO Specialist
Job Summary
As an SEO Specialist, you will play a pivotal role on theUniversity of Utah Marketing and Communication's Digital Team,serving as the subject matter expert driving organic searchvisibility, technical site performance, and content discoverabilityacross our university's web ecosystem. Reporting directly to theAssociate Director of Digital Research and Operations, you willwork in direct, daily partnership on strategic searchinitiatives—aligning search engine optimization with broadermarketing, web accessibility, and digital governance goals.

This role requires a balance of technical execution, SEO strategyand analytical insight. We are looking for a collaborative,proactive professional with strong hands-on SEO experience whothrives on solving technical web challenges and elevatinguniversity digital experiences.

Learn more about the great benefits of working forUniversity of Utah: benefits.utah.edu

Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Collaboration: Work in close, daily partnership withthe Associate Director of Digital Research and Operations and thedigital research team across all core SEO initiatives, establishingsearch performance benchmarks and aligning optimization effortswith university digital goals.

Digital Campaign & SEO Synergy Reporting: Partner withcontent strategy and research teams to analyze and report onorganic search results, landing page performance, and organictraffic impact driven by high-traffic digital advertisingcampaigns.

Technical SEO & Site Hygiene: Conduct regular technicalsite audits across large-scale university web properties toidentify and resolve issues related to crawlability, indexability,site speed, mobile usability, canonicalization, site architecture,and structured data.

Keyword & Content Optimization: Perform comprehensivekeyword research and intent analysis to guide content creators, webmanagers, and research teams. Optimize metadata, headings, on-pagecopy, and internal linking structures to maximize organicvisibility.

Search Analytics & Optimization: Track, analyze, and reporton organic search performance, keyword rankings, backlink profiles,and conversion funnels using Google Analytics (GA4), SearchConsole, and enterprise SEO software.

A/B Testing & Search Experimentation: Design and executeSEO experiments, testing title tags, meta descriptions, andstructural layout changes to improve click-through rates (CTR) anduser engagement.

Branded Dashboard Development: Collaborate directly with theresearch team to design, build, and maintain branded,campus-partner-facing dashboards in Looker Studio and Tableau,ensuring data visualizations follow university brand standards andUI/UX best practices.

SEO & Accessibility Integration: Collaborate with web andcontent teams to ensure on-page SEO strategies align seamlesslywith digital accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) and coreweb vitals.

Minimum Qualifications
EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT:

1 year of higher educationcan be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience(Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related workexperience).

Search Engine Optimization Specialist, III:

Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master's (orequivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.

Preferences
Qualifications & Experience:

Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications,Computer Science, Information Design, Information Systems, or arelated field

SEO Experience: Experience in technical and on-page searchengine optimization, with a proven track record of managingenterprise or multi-domain web environments. Higher education oragency experience is strongly preferred.

Technical Stack
Technical Stack:

SEO Tools: Expertise in SEO and GEO tools such as Ahrefs,SEMrush, Google Search Console, and Google Trends.

Analytics, BI & Campaign Tracking: Hands-on experience withGoogle Analytics (GA4), Webmaster Tools, and tracking SEO impactfor high-traffic paid digital media campaigns.

Dashboard Design & Branding: Experience creating brandeddata visualizations and dashboards (Looker Studio, Tableau) withstrong design principles and brand alignment.

CMS & Web Standards: Proficiency with WordPress (includingSEO plugins like Yoast), HTML/CSS, basic JavaScript understanding,and structured data implementation.

Accessibility & Operations: Working knowledge of digitalaccessibility guidelines (WCAG) and project managementplatforms.

Key Traits We're Looking For
Key Traits We're Looking For:

Fast & Careful: You pay close attention to details whileresponding quickly to user needs.

Curious: You love to learn and are always looking for ways torefine your craft.

Proactive: You take charge. You don't wait for problems tohappen; you actively hunt for solutions.

Resilient: You keep your cool and handle high-pressuresituations with patience and a calm attitude.

Collaborative: You are a true team player who understands thatwe're stronger when we work together.

Humble: You're open to listening, receiving constructivefeedback, and changing course with ease.

Special Instructions
Requisition Number:

PRN46138B

Full Time or Part Time?

Full Time

Work Schedule Summary:

Monday through Friday, 9:00 – 5:00pm

Department:

00339 - Marketing & Communications

Location:

Campus

Pay Rate Range:

$68,000 - $78,000

Close Date:

11/26/2026

Open Until Filled:

#J-18808-Ljbffr