Head of SEO

ICS-digital; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ICS-digital is seeking a Head of SEO to set the direction, commercial strategy and future proposition for ICDigital's SEO service line. You will lead with our SEO and Digital PR teams to define strategies across technical SEO, on-page, content, and AI-led search.

Based in Leeds with hybrid working, you will own revenue, profitability and client relationships, contribute to pitches and proposals, and ensure the SEO proposition is integrated into wider agency solutions.

Qualifications

• Essential: strong, demonstrable iGaming and regulated industries experience, including link building strategies.
• Significant experience leading an SEO/organic-growth service line in an agency or complex client-service environment.
• Deep strategic knowledge of SEO, authority development, and link building across technical SEO, content, and analytics.
• Strong understanding of Digital PR's contribution to earned media and authority.
• Proven leadership through senior specialists with accountability for delivery.
• Strong commercial leadership experience (revenue, profitability, pricing, forecasting).
• Proposition development and senior client relationship experience.
• Practical understanding of AI-led search adoption.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and stakeholder-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Define strategy, proposition, roadmap and standards across technical/on-page SEO, content, Digital PR, managed link building, international and AI-led search.
• Set measurement expectations for organic performance, earned media, authority, link acquisition, brand visibility, and AI citations.
• Own the strategic direction and commercial development of the managed link-building offering, setting standards for publisher quality, supply, pricing, and customer experience.
• Work with the Head of Client Strategy on key client relationships, and lead strategically important pitches, audits, and proposals.
• Own revenue, profitability, gross margin, conversion, and efficiency, and manage budgets, forecasts, and investment decisions.
• Lead the research, testing, and experimentation agenda, and create case studies, whitepapers, and speaking opportunities.

Skills

SEO leadership

agency experience

strategic SEO

digital PR

AI in search

client relationships

Tools

Analytics tools

Job description

We are hiring a Head of SEO to set the direction, commercial strategy and future proposition for ICDigital's SEO service line. This person will be an accomplished and commercially minded SEO leader who can work closely with our SEO and Digital PR leads to define strategies across technical SEO, on-page, content strategy, off-page SEO, link building and AI search. You will also work closely with the Head of Client Strategy as a senior authority for key and prospective clients, as well as on pitches, audits and proposals, and ensure our SEO proposition is built into wider agency solutions.

Key responsibilities

• Define strategy, proposition, roadmap and standards across technical/on-page SEO, content, Digital PR, managed link building, international and AI-led search.
• Set measurement expectations for organic performance, earned media, authority, link acquisition, brand visibility, and AI citations.
• Own the strategic direction and commercial development of the managed link-building offering, setting standards for publisher quality, supply, pricing, and customer experience.
• Work with the Head of Client Strategy on key client relationships, and lead strategically important pitches, audits, and proposals.
• Own revenue, profitability, gross margin, conversion, and efficiency, and manage budgets, forecasts, and investment decisions.
• Lead the research, testing, and experimentation agenda, and create case studies, whitepapers, and speaking opportunities.

Requirements

• Essential: strong, demonstrable iGaming and regulated industries experience, including link building strategies.
• Significant experience leading an SEO/organic-growth service line in an agency or complex client-service environment.
• Deep strategic knowledge of SEO, authority development, and link building across technical SEO, content, and analytics.
• Strong understanding of Digital PR's contribution to earned media and authority.
• Proven leadership through senior specialists with accountability for delivery.
• Strong commercial leadership experience (revenue, profitability, pricing, forecasting).
• Proposition development and senior client relationship experience.
• Practical understanding of AI-led search adoption.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and stakeholder-management skills.

Location

Hybrid, flexible working, based in Leeds, UK.

Posted by

Laura Smith, Head of Client Strategy