Gourmet Marketing is a strategic hospitality marketing agency that partners with the world’s most distinctive hotels, restaurants, and lifestyle brands to transform digital marketing into a measurable growth engine.

We combine deep industry expertise with advanced analytics and AI-driven insight to connect hospitality brands with travelers at every stage of their journey—from discovery to direct booking.

Our work spans SEO, paid media, content strategy, and conversion optimization, all built on a single principle: make marketing accountable to revenue.

With a proven record of elevating boutique and multi-property hotels alike, Gourmet Marketing continues to redefine what performance means in hospitality marketing.

The Senior SEO Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping Gourmet Marketing’s organic growth strategy for a diverse portfolio of boutique hotels, multi-property groups, and restaurant brands. This position demands a rare combination of analytical depth, creative vision, and operational discipline.

You will be responsible for developing and executing SEO strategies that not only increase visibility but directly drive revenue and bookings. The ideal candidate understands how modern search has evolved—from traditional keyword ranking to entity-driven, semantic, and AI-influenced discovery—and can translate that understanding into actionable strategies for our clients.

Working within a collaborative, fast-paced agency environment, you’ll lead complex SEO initiatives across multiple clients simultaneously, guiding internal teams on technical optimization, content architecture, local SEO, and link-building strategy. You will also play a leadership role in researching industry trends, developing new SEO service offerings, and ensuring Gourmet Marketing remains at the forefront of hospitality marketing innovation.

Strategic Leadership & Execution

• Develop and implement comprehensive SEO strategies that drive measurable growth in direct bookings, organic visibility, and brand authority across hotel and restaurant clients.

• Translate business goals into clear SEO roadmaps, aligning initiatives with client objectives, revenue targets, and audience behavior.

• Lead full-spectrum SEO programs encompassing technical optimization, content strategy, link acquisition, and local SEO.

• Balance hands-on execution with high-level strategy — delivering both precision and scale across multiple accounts.

AI-Era & Semantic SEO

• Optimize for modern search environments including AI Overviews (SGE), Gemini, ChatGPT Browse, and emerging generative discovery platforms.

• Build and manage semantic architectures and topic clusters that strengthen entity authority and contextual relevance.

• Use data-driven insights to shape content frameworks that align with searcher intent and AI ranking behavior.

• Continuously evaluate how AI and machine learning reshape visibility and integrate those learnings into the ongoing strategy.

Research & Innovation

• Serve as Gourmet Marketing’s internal research lead on SEO trends, algorithm changes, and emerging AI technologies.

• Identify and pilot new SEO tools, methodologies, and service models to enhance performance and efficiency.

• Contribute to the development of AI-driven reporting and visibility tracking tools to measure brand presence in traditional and generative search.

• Create and document repeatable systems and insights that evolve into agency-wide best practices.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Partner with content, paid media, and analytics teams to ensure holistic marketing alignment and integrated growth strategies.

• Collaborate with web developers to implement technical enhancements, structured data, and site architecture improvements.

• Work with client services to communicate progress, interpret performance reports, and present SEO insights that resonate with executives.

Performance Analysis & Reporting

• Use GA4, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Looker Studio to track performance and identify growth opportunities.

• Deliver advanced reporting that connects organic visibility to business outcomes — bookings, revenue, and ROI.

• Conduct competitive and keyword analysis across international markets, identifying trends and opportunities before they surface broadly.

• Present findings and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Thought Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor and guide junior SEO specialists, ensuring consistency and quality across client work.

• Represent Gourmet Marketing as a thought leader in hospitality SEO — through internal education, client workshops, and industry insights.

• Uphold the agency’s reputation for strategic clarity, innovation, and performance excellence under pressure.

Experience

• 7+ years of hands-on SEO experience, preferably within a marketing agency or hospitality brand environment.

• Proven success developing and executing SEO strategies for hotels, resorts, or restaurants, with measurable impact on bookings, visibility, and revenue.

• Demonstrated expertise in managing multi-client portfolios, balancing strategic leadership with tactical precision.

• Strong background in semantic SEO, topic clustering, and entity-based optimization — not just keyword-level work.

• Track record of building or evolving SEO service models to align with new technologies and algorithmic shifts.

• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams (content, paid, analytics, design, and development) to deliver integrated results.

Technical & Strategic Skills

• Deep understanding of AI-driven search ecosystems (Google SGE, Gemini, ChatGPT Browse, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, etc.) and how they influence organic visibility.

• Mastery of technical SEO fundamentals: crawlability, indexation, Core Web Vitals, site architecture, schema markup, canonicalization, and hreflang.

• Strong command of semantic SEO principles — entity optimization, content structure, and internal linking frameworks that support topic authority.

• Expertise in local SEO, including Google Business Profile optimization, citation management, and local link acquisition.

• Advanced ability to conduct and interpret keyword, competitor, and market analysis to identify opportunities and threats.

• Proficiency in link-building strategy and digital PR, with a focus on sustainable, high-quality acquisition.

• Skilled at creating data-driven reporting frameworks that connect SEO metrics to business outcomes.

• Capable of transforming research into actionable insights and scalable methodologies for internal adoption.

Tools & Platforms

• Expert proficiency in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console (GSC).

• Advanced user of Ahrefs, Semrush, and Screaming Frog for research, audits, and competitive analysis.

• Experience with Looker Studio (Google Data Studio) for building visual, executive-friendly reporting dashboards.

• Familiarity with SurferSEO, Clearscope, or MarketMuse for semantic and content optimization.

• Working knowledge of BrightLocal, Whitespark, or Yext for local SEO management.

• Understanding of AI research and tracking tools (e.g., Authoritas SGE tracker, AlsoAsked, Perplexity, or similar emerging technologies).

• Bonus: experience with BigQuery, Supermetrics, or API integrations to automate reporting workflows.

Soft Skills & Attributes

• Analytical and strategic: equally comfortable discussing rankings or revenue outcomes with clients.

• Composed under pressure: thrives in a fast-paced, multi-client agency environment without sacrificing precision.

• Collaborative communicator: aligns teams across disciplines to deliver unified growth strategies.

• Forward-thinking and curious: constantly tracking search innovation, AI developments, and emerging tools.

• Accountable and performance-driven: connects SEO execution to quantifiable business results.

• Leadership mindset: inspires, mentors, and raises the agency’s SEO standards continuously.

Base Salary: USD $4,000 – $5,000 per month, depending on experience and performance.

Performance Bonus:

• After 1 Year: Up to 5% annual bonus based on client results and overall performance.

• After 3 Years: Up to 10% annual bonus recognizing strategic impact and leadership.

• After 5 Years: Up to 20% annual bonus for sustained excellence, innovation, and contribution to agency growth.

Employment Type: Independent Contractor (Full-time, long-term). The candidate will be responsible for managing and remitting all applicable local taxes, insurance, and statutory obligations in their country of residence.

Overview:

As part of the hiring process, shortlisted candidates will complete a case study assessment focused on diagnosing and resolving an SEO visibility issue for one of our hospitality clients.

Case Context:

One of our clients, The Pinch, previously ranked at the top for “things to do in Charleston” and hundreds of related variations, generating over 20,000 organic visits monthly.

In March 2025, the site experienced a sharp ranking and traffic decline across this keyword cluster.

Your Task:

Using your professional expertise, provide a written analysis that covers:

1. Potential Causes – What may have led to this loss of visibility?

2. Recommended Actions – What specific steps would you take to diagnose and recover performance?

3. Strategic Insight – How would you future-proof this content in the AI-era of search (e.g., Google SGE, Gemini, etc.)?

Submission Guidelines:

• Submit your response in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.

• Limit your response to 1–2 pages maximum.

• Name your file using this format:

  GM_SeniorSEO_CaseStudy_[FirstName_LastName].docx

  Example: GM_SeniorSEO_CaseStudy_John_Smith.docx

• Upload your file using the “Senior SEO Case Study Upload” field below.

• Avoid including any confidential or proprietary information from past employers.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Depth and clarity of reasoning

• Understanding of modern SEO (semantic, AI, and entity-based)

• Diagnostic approach and recommended actions

• Communication quality and strategic thinking