Job Summary
As an SEO Specialist, you will play a pivotal role on the
University of Utah Marketing and Communication's Digital Team,
serving as the subject matter expert driving organic search
visibility, technical site performance, and content discoverability
across our university's web ecosystem. Reporting directly to the
Associate Director of Digital Research and Operations, you will
work in direct, daily partnership on strategic search
initiatives—aligning search engine optimization with broader
marketing, web accessibility, and digital governance goals.
This role requires a balance of technical execution, SEO strategy
and analytical insight. We are looking for a collaborative,
proactive professional with strong hands-on SEO experience who
thrives on solving technical web challenges and elevating
university digital experiences.
Learn more about the great benefits of working for
University of Utah: benefits.utah.edu
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Collaboration: Work in close, daily partnership with
the Associate Director of Digital Research and Operations and the
digital research team across all core SEO initiatives, establishing
search performance benchmarks and aligning optimization efforts
with university digital goals.
Digital Campaign & SEO Synergy Reporting: Partner with
content strategy and research teams to analyze and report on
organic search results, landing page performance, and organic
traffic impact driven by high-traffic digital advertising
campaigns.
Technical SEO & Site Hygiene: Conduct regular technical
site audits across large-scale university web properties to
identify and resolve issues related to crawlability, indexability,
site speed, mobile usability, canonicalization, site architecture,
and structured data.
Keyword & Content Optimization: Perform comprehensive
keyword research and intent analysis to guide content creators, web
managers, and research teams. Optimize metadata, headings, on-page
copy, and internal linking structures to maximize organic
visibility.
Search Analytics & Optimization: Track, analyze, and report
on organic search performance, keyword rankings, backlink profiles,
and conversion funnels using Google Analytics (GA4), Search
Console, and enterprise SEO software.
A/B Testing & Search Experimentation: Design and execute
SEO experiments, testing title tags, meta descriptions, and
structural layout changes to improve click-through rates (CTR) and
user engagement.
Branded Dashboard Development: Collaborate directly with the
research team to design, build, and maintain branded,
campus-partner-facing dashboards in Looker Studio and Tableau,
ensuring data visualizations follow university brand standards and
UI/UX best practices.
SEO & Accessibility Integration: Collaborate with web and
content teams to ensure on-page SEO strategies align seamlessly
with digital accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) and core
web vitals.
Minimum Qualifications
EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education
can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience
(Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related work
experience).
Search Engine Optimization Specialist, III:
Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master's (or
equivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.
Preferences
Qualifications & Experience:
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications,
Computer Science, Information Design, Information Systems, or a
related field
- SEO Experience: Experience in technical and on-page search
engine optimization, with a proven track record of managing
enterprise or multi-domain web environments. Higher education or
agency experience is strongly preferred.
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 with
Google Analytics (GA4), Webmaster Tools, and tracking SEO impact
for high-traffic paid digital media campaigns.
- Dashboard Design & Branding: Experience creating branded
data visualizations and dashboards (Looker Studio, Tableau) with
strong design principles and brand alignment.
- CMS & Web Standards: Proficiency with WordPress (including
SEO plugins like Yoast), HTML/CSS, basic JavaScript understanding,
and structured data implementation.
- Accessibility & Operations: Working knowledge of digital
accessibility guidelines (WCAG) and project management
platforms.
Key Traits We're Looking For:
- Fast & Careful: You pay close attention to details while
responding quickly to user needs.
- Curious: You love to learn and are always looking for ways to
refine your craft.
- Proactive: You take charge. You don't wait for problems to
happen; you actively hunt for solutions.
- Resilient: You keep your cool and handle high-pressure
situations with patience and a calm attitude.
- Collaborative: You are a true team player who understands that
we're stronger when we work together.
- Humble: You're open to listening, receiving constructive
feedback, 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 – 5:00
pm
Department: 00339 - Marketing & Communications
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: $68,000 - $78,000
Close Date: 11/26/2026
Open Until Filled:
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/9806192"">https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/208900
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