SEO Strategist

Depth first. You own the SEO thinking on a set of accounts with no reporting line, so the recommendation has to carry itself. It is the first role where influence matters more than output, so you set the direction of the work through the quality of your thinking rather than through a team. You own your client accounts directly, leading the client relationship and doing the strategic work on them yourself. Your expertise in SEO is your main contribution, and you deepen it deliberately.

EquivalentSEO Lead

How this role differs

You move from being trusted on complex work to owning the strategy and roadmap for your accounts, influencing delivery without a reporting line.

The Strategist holds the craft as the account's thinking and solves the more complex issues that arise. The SEO Lead applies the craft through Executives and makes sure the delivered output is as expected.

Roles and responsibilities

Set the SEO strategy and roadmap for your accounts, with the sequencing rationale explicit, and communicate it to clients.
Own technical strategy and prioritise by commercial impact rather than issue severity.
Solve the technical problems that Executives escalate.
Present recommendations to clients and defend them when challenged, without a Head of in the room.
Approach SEO and GEO as one organic strategy.
Test new approaches, document what worked, and feed it back into the discipline.
Own a minimum of 3 client accounts (or £10k MRR) directly, leading the client relationship and doing the work yourself, including scope and hours, and flag commercial risk early.
Make sure you and the team members on your accounts follow the client quality SOPs for reporting, communication and daily work.
Lead client calls and manage your own projects end to end.
Prepare and present quarterly business reviews.
Support the sales team in scoping new projects and proactively identifying upsell opportunities.