Head of SEO (Partner)

SEO and Content Partner

The SEO & Content Partner will hold a key role in the development and ongoing management of Mindshare UK’s SEO & Content team. As one of Mindshare’s most successful out of scope teams in terms of billings, the role provides the opportunity to lead a highly functioning team of 34 staff, guiding them in their continued success for our clients.

The successful candidate will be responsible for continuing to develop the SEO & Content proposition, leading on the development of new product areas, and driving integration with other teams across Mindshare. They will also contribute towards developing our newer Consumer Experience proposition in collaboration with our insights and data strategy teams. The role also requires an experienced specialist in this area to provide senior strategic input and account leadership to three of our biggest clients; Marks and Spencer’s, Saga and Legal & General.

Reporting Structure:

The SEO & Content Partner will report directly to the Head of Nexus and will work alongside Heads of Department across delivery teams for Paid Search, Social & Programmatic. They will directly line manage three Business Directors and will work closely with them to ensure the continued success of the SEO & Content team.

Key skills & knowledge: 

As a leader within Nexus, the SEO & Content Partner will have a proven track record in managing, leading and inspiring a large team of channel specialists. They will be expected to be able to demonstrate their SEO channel expertise to help drive our SEO & Content solution forward whilst also being comfortable with managing all elements of a soft P&L. The ideal candidate will also have the ability to comfortably discuss the impact and role other channels have on SEO and consumer experience and be comfortable collaborating with other specialists to develop client leading practices.

We’re looking for an exceptional communicator who can act as the point person for SEO & Content internally, as well as taking an active senior role in maintaining & growing relationships with some of our biggest clients.

Principal responsibilities:

Developing our product

• Overall responsibility for our SEO & Content capability within the UK.
• Capable of leading development of both our technical capabilities and content strategy / production capabilities.
• Deep understanding of content strategy, production & Digital PR, and the benefits beyond SEO for each.
• Review changes in the market and lead development of our offerings in these spaces. For example in developing offerings around the future of search (AI) and Amazon content optimisation
• Active lead on development of CX products and offerings in collaboration with the insights teams and data and tech strategists.
• Advise on how to improve our product through automation, better data analysis and use of the best tools and tech to enhance our technical SEO capabilities.
• Proactively lead on integrating SEO and Content with other channels, with particular focus on developing a mature approach to holistic search and Ecommerce SEO.
• Contribute to GroupM wide forums discussing how we can and should improve our product, leveraging experience across the network to make enhancements.
• Be proactive in communicating improvements to our product and services across Mindshare; with Client Leadership, planning teams and other digital teams. Overall responsibility for SEO & Content new business, including but not restricted to building creds, leading pitches, storytelling, launching new products and services, upselling/cross-selling, prospecting etc.

Raising our profile

• Build and maintain relationships both internally and externally, as well as offering strategic guidance to help grow the business and strengthen relationships.
• Surface and share great work from the team and ensuring that case studies of great work are regularly created.
• Regular development of opinion pieces related to SEO to be shared externally, build external and internal profile and act as a thought leader in the SEO and content space.
• Proactive contribution to relevant industry awards.
• Develop the profile of Mindshare’s SEO & Content team through training, presentations and other communication.
• Support senior leadership and line manager with regular updates on up and coming innovation, changes to industry landscape.
• Active participation in social sharing and liking, comments, resharing of company and key Nexus personnel posts to help raise profile of the team.
• Create a consistent, challenging, but exciting recruitment experience for candidates that allows us to find and secure the best talent in the market.
• Work with HR/Finance, and other business leads to ensure the SEO & Content proposition is positioned correctly with recruiters.

Inspiring our people

• Communicate a consistent vision and the initiatives that will help us achieve it.
• Maintain a smooth transition as you take over leadership.
• Maintain a positive attitude towards all areas of our work and constantly look for opportunities and new solutions.
• Inspire the team by encouraging them to be curious, challenging them and coaching them to deliver the best work for our clients.
• Work with the UK Managing Partner to ensure the team is resourced correctly.
• Regular maintenance of talent mapping and career path development plans.

• Play an active role in defining the profile of candidates entering the SEO and Content team.
• Provide direct support to your Business Directors, Account Directors and wider team.
• Create development plans for all direct reports.
• Ensure there is a consistent and welcoming onboarding experience for all new starters.
• Regularly update the team on live initiatives, business performance, new business opportunities and any other relevant topics.
• Ensure all team members have SMART objectives and development plans, tailored to their needs.
• Work with our HR team to develop training plans to plug any skill gaps around the team.
• Work with the UK Managing Partner to create development and succession plans for the team when required.
• Oversee recruitment & management of freelance creative resource, including production management, copywriters and designers.

Driving our process

• Overall responsibility for Defining, Designing and Delivery of all SEO processes, way of working etc.
• Look to improve and scale what’s already in existence, creating new ways of working and eradication of ineffective and inefficient ways of working and where possible the inclusion/development of automation to help us operate more effectively.
• Collaborate with head of PPC to aligns copes, products, outputs and suggestions.
• Identify and drive the implementation of the right technology to remove silos and streamline communication.
• Work with the Business Director and Production Manager to ensure content production processes are operating efficiently and to client expectations.
• Develop and maintain on-boarding process for new starters.
• Work with your line manager, HR and Finance teams to develop and maintain a clear, simple finance process that eradicates errors.
• Constantly review all optimization, budget management and other processes to identify opportunities for improvement in effectiveness or efficiency
• Development of SEO budget management and forecasting processes to help eliminate inefficient areas and drive profitable revenue for the business.

Ensuring our profitability

• Overall responsibility for the UK SEO & Content soft P&L. Build, own and operate the P&L and provide regular monthly updates to the UK Managing Partner.
• Act as the single point of contact for all finance related requests and delegate where appropriate including; providing the finance team with regular updates on client finances, people costs etc. for the entire SEO offering.
• In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, identify opportunities for negotiation with clients/client leads where additional funding is required for resource, or SLA/SOWs need to be reviewed/amended. Suggesting up sells & cross selling opportunities
• Work with the Business Directors/Account Director(s) to ensure client resource allocations are adhered to or flagged if/when scope negotiations are required.
• Lead in delivering new business pitches and drive new revenue streams agenda.
• Commercially driven and forward thinking in the expansion of business opportunities, entrepreneurial in mind-set and always looking to develop incremental or new services both centrally and locally.
• Competent and confident with managing media finance and agency revenue reporting.

Delivering client performance

• Ensure you are delivering on the hours scoped at Partner level across clients: Marks and Spencer’s, Apple, TK Maxx and Legal & General.
• Act as the senior lead for these accounts, maintaining senior relationships, going the extra mile for these key accounts and being the point of escalation.
• Providing strategic oversite and solution resolution for key accounts across the team
• Support and train the Business Directors where needed across the team’s client portfolio, especially with annual strategy planning, budgeting and forecasting.
• In Partnership with Client Teams, SEO & Content Partners, Heads of/Business and Account Director(s), lead the Content and SEO conversation for clients.

• Ensure the team is creating and updating account roadmaps for every client in line with their scopes of work, covering testing, innovation, growth.
• Ensure reporting is focused on actionable insights and look for ways to automate and drive value.
• Lead a consistent, best-in-class approach to SEO & Content across our clients and push the team to deliver a performance focused approach to everything that we do.

Personal performance measures: 

The SEO & Content Partner will predominantly be measured on the output of others – the primary objective is to create an environment where others will be inspired and motivated to deliver world-class work for our clients and continue to develop in their career.  Specific measures include:

• Motivated teams - measured via 360 and informal feedback.
• Reduced staff turnover and deliver against talent annual retention rate.
• Client satisfaction via formal and constructive feedback and Customer Scores.
• Strong relationships with other departments via 360 and informal feedback.
• Regular involvement in New Business, internal projects and new revenue streams such as added-value services and growth solutions.
• Demonstrating skills and behaviours as outlined above, leading by example.
• Year on Year revenue growth & increased profitability for SEO & Content.
• Increase client profitability through commercially focused plans, automation, and innovations.
• Increase in revenue contribution from out of scope services and cross-selling.
• Quality of work delivered by you and your team and performance against client objectives.

Key requirements:

• Substantial demonstrable success in managing and leading large teams.
• Successfully worked in a senior role in the digital media space for a significant duration (BD, “Head of” level)
• Passionate about delivering the best possible service for our clients and for inspiring teams to achieve their best work.
• Proven success in stakeholder management and ability to build close working relationships with clients and partners.
• Experience in leading new business pitches and driving organic growth.
• Proven commercial success of driving business growth and creating new revenue streams.
• Proven track record in performance marketing and good understanding of the wider media mix.