The posting
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About the Role
The Director, Organic Search (SEO/AEO/GEO) provides thought leadership and shares their passion for the discipline of organic search and emerging LLM, AEO, and GEO opportunities for our clients’ businesses.
The ideal candidate has hands-on experience creating and executing organic search strategies, leading client and internal teams through strategy, process, analytics, and cross-discipline collaboration, with a clear history of exceeding client goals and KPIs.
They understand that strong SEO fundamentals are the foundation for AI search visibility, and they know how to extend that foundation into answer-engine and generative-engine strategies that earn brand mentions and citations inside AI-generated answers. This individual will partner with the VP, Integrated Search to help build new product offerings in this fast moving space.
Organic Search Strategy & Innovation (SEO, AEO, and GEO)
- Lead Unified Search Strategy: Own the integrated organic search strategy for each client, treating classic SEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) as one connected program rather than separate silos.
- Maintain Technical & Content Foundations: Build and maintain strong technical and content SEO foundations (crawlability, indexation, rendering, site architecture, page experience, structured data, and helpful, people-first content) as the baseline for classic results and AI search features.
- Drive AEO & Direct Answers: Develop AEO strategies that position client content for direct extraction across featured snippets, People Also Ask, knowledge panels, and voice assistants.
- Execute GEO & AI Retrieval: Develop GEO strategies that increase how often and how accurately client brands are mentioned, cited, and recommended inside AI-generated answers across Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Claude.
- Modernize Content Architecture & Keyword Research: Shift keyword research toward conversational, question-based, and prompt-based inquiries across the funnel. Guide content structure for answer extraction via clear question-based headings, answer-first summaries, comparison tables, original data, and expert attribution.
- Entity & Knowledge Graph Authority: Strengthen entity clarity and brand consistency across owned properties, structured data, knowledge graph sources, and business listings so AI systems accurately represent clients and products.
- Testing, Innovation & Compliance: Design and run tests measuring what moves AI visibility; turn findings into repeatable agency playbooks, workflows, and new product offerings. Ensure all initiatives strictly follow search engine quality and spam policies.
Measurement, Analytics & Insights
- Lead Organic Data Strategy: Analyze performance data to draw key insights that shape the strategic vision, providing QA, reporting, and strategic direction across search and cross-channel opportunities.
- Build Next-Gen Measurement Frameworks: Integrate traditional SEO metrics with AI visibility tracking, reporting on brand mention and citation frequency, AI share of voice against competitors, sentiment/accuracy of AI answers, and AI referral traffic.
- Platform & Dashboard Management: Select, implement, and manage LLM visibility tracking platforms (e.g., Screaming Frog, PromptWatch, Profound, Conductor, Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity), connecting AI visibility signals to business outcomes via Search Console, GA4, and client CRM data.
- Client Education & Expectation Setting: Help clients understand how zero-click and AI-answer behavior is changing user traffic patterns, resetting success metrics and expectations accordingly.
Account Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Client Strategic Guidance: Develop a deep understanding of each client’s business, competitors, and marketing goals. Translate complex concepts (such as how AI search systems crawl, index, and cite content) into clear, actionable narratives for senior stakeholders.
- Partner on Growth & Scoping: Work closely with Planning teams to align programs with client goals, partner with the VP on project plans and scope definition, and actively participate in new business pitches.
- Cross-Discipline Alignment: Partner directly with developers on technical execution (bot management, rendering, schema), and collaborate with content, creative, PR, social, and paid media teams so owned, earned, and paid efforts work together to build brand authority.
Team Leadership & Enablement
- Team Growth & Mentorship: Direct, coach, and support team members across disciplines, demonstrating how to think strategically about organic and AI search within the broader media mix.
- Upskilling & Playbooks: Upskill the practice on AEO and GEO practices, tools, and measurement, building shared playbooks and training modules.
- Performance & Culture: Constructively evaluate team performance, provide support and recognition, and cultivate an environment that encourages testing, intelligent risk-taking, and innovation.
About You
The essentials:
- 6+ years of progressive organic search experience, with a track record of leading strategy, managing teams, and delivering client growth (agency experience preferred).
- Integrated SEO/AEO/GEO Expertise: Proven hands-on experience developing integrated strategies across traditional search, answer engines, and generative platforms.
- AI & Technical Understanding: Working knowledge of how AI search engines retrieve, synthesize, and cite information, paired with strong technical SEO proficiency (site architecture, crawl budget, bot management, rendering, structured data).
- Search & Measurement Stack: Deep experience with Google/Microsoft Search Console, enterprise SEO tools (Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, Conductor), and emerging LLM tracking platforms (PromptWatch, Profound, Scrunch).
- Strategic Communication: Strong ability to interact with clients and cross-functional teams at all levels, translating technical search concepts into high-impact business context.
- People Leadership: Prior experience managing, mentoring, and developing junior to mid-level team members.
Core Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Organic Search Growth: Organic traffic, target achievement, engagement, and conversion metrics across organic channels.
- Rankings & Direct Answer Visibility: Topic visibility for priority terms alongside answer feature wins (featured snippets, PAA, knowledge panels, and local pack performance).
- AI Search Visibility: Brand citation frequency, mention accuracy/sentiment, AI share of voice across tracked prompts, and AI referral traffic/conversions.
- Technical Health: Crawlability, indexation health, Core Web Vitals, and structured data implementation.
- Client & Delivery Excellence: Client retention, satisfaction, and on-time milestone delivery.
- Thought Leadership & Market Presence: Regular delivery of high-impact POVs on algorithm shifts and AI search updates, published whitepapers/case studies, industry speaking or panel contributions, and active contribution to new agency service offerings.
#LI-OG1 #LI-Hybrid
This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within a commutable distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company’s then-current RTO policy, which is subject to change from time to time.
Monks has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what Monks may pay for the position at the time of posting. Monks may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on job-related factors, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.
Salary Range
$184,000—$220,000 CAD
About Monks
Monks is the global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc, where our culture centers on how we show up for the work and for one another. That begins with the commitment to strive for mastery—taking deep pride in our craft and creating work that sets the bar. In everyday execution, we drive momentum by choosing bold action rather than waiting for certainty. Above all, our teams are stronger together, bringing diverse perspectives into a unified team that communicates with clarity, trust, and mutual respect.
This commitment to craft and innovation translates directly into widespread industry acclaim: Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services and a leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Global Digital Marketing Agencies. It ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show’s inaugural AI Pioneer Organization (2025), Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group’s 2026 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in the Human-Machine Interaction Team category. Additionally, Monks.Flow earned AI-based Marketing Solution of the Year at the 2026 AI Breakthrough Awards and a 2026 Global Generative AI Award in the Agentic Marketing Innovation category. Finally, Monks achieved a record-breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner.
We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents—and resonates with—the world around us.
