SEO Manager

Tradesmen Agency is a performance-focused digital marketing agency working on high-value marketing contracts.

We operate with few clients, large scopes, and full ownership — not high-volume, high-noise retainers.

We are hiring an SEO Manager to fully own the organic search strategy and execution across internal businesses and select external clients.

This is not a junior role.
This is not a role with daily check-ins.
This is not a role for someone who needs hand-holding.

Compensation

$4–$10 per hour, depending on experience, performance, and ownership
– Hourly work applies to my portfolio of companies

20% of contract value on external client work you manage
– 30% of each contract is allocated to marketing spend

How This Works in Practice

– We pursue high-AOV contracts, not small retainers
– As contract size increases, your upside increases
– Top performers can out-earn hourly through contract participation
– No artificial caps on earnings

This structure rewards:

– Strong performance
– Ownership of outcomes
– Ability to manage and scale SEO independently

What You’ll Be Doing

You will own SEO end-to-end within your scope, including:

– Technical SEO audits & implementation
– On-page optimization & content strategy
– Keyword research & search intent mapping
– Content briefs and optimization guidance
– Link acquisition strategy
– Programmatic SEO where applicable
– Local SEO (GBP, citations, local rankings)
– Performance tracking & reporting (GSC, GA4, Ahrefs/SEMrush)

You are expected to:

– Diagnose issues independently
– Prioritize work based on ROI
– Execute without constant oversight
– Drive measurable ranking and traffic improvements

Founder Involvement (Read Carefully)

– Founder involvement is intentionally minimal.
– You will not have frequent meetings, calls, or constant feedback loops.
– You are expected to operate independently and communicate async.

Founder provides:

– Direction
– Standards
– Work opportunities
– Strategic input when needed
– Additional support as we scale

You provide:

– Execution
– Ownership
– Results

If you require frequent approvals or supervision, this role is not a fit.

Who This Role Is For

You are a strong fit if you:

– Have real SEO experience ranking sites competitively
– Can explain why rankings move (or don’t)
– Understand technical SEO beyond surface-level fixes
– Are comfortable owning results without excuses
– Communicate clearly and proactively
– Can work async and manage your own workload
– Care about outcomes, not busywork

Who This Role Is NOT For

– Entry-level SEO specialists
– VA-style task executors
– Anyone who needs daily direction to move forward

We prioritize output and ownership, not tenure.

Availability Expectations

– Async-first
– Slack check-ins at least weekly
– Prompt responses when work is assigned
– Reliable, professional communication
– Work volume may fluctuate — when work is assigned, execution speed and quality matter

When applying, include:

– A short overview of your SEO experience
– Types of sites you’ve ranked (local, national, ecommerce, etc.)
– Tools you use regularly (Ahrefs, GSC, Screaming Frog, etc.)
– One example of an SEO win
What the problem was
What you changed
The result

How to apply:
Email us!
Subject line: SEO Manager

Include:

– A voice recording
– IQ test result (iqtest.com/take-the-test/ — free version results will be emailed to you)
– Resume or portfolio

Do not apply if you are not comfortable operating independently.