SEO & GEO Strategy Director in Leeds

About Havas Market

We are Havas Market, part of the Havas Media Network.

We believe in the fusion of commerce and performance to drive limitless performance.

We break down barriers between commerce and performance to build cohesive multichannel purchase experiences that powerfully combine tech and human flair.

Havas Market expertise spans four core specialist services: paid media (PPC, paid social, shopping international), owned (SEO, CRO, content, creative, localisation), commerce (Amazon, Marketplaces, Retail Media, social commerce) and earned (digital PR, social).

We help clients such as Kia, Hyundai, BBC, TOAST and Merrell to

• Connect with the human behind the click – we harness human‑led planning and technology to create experiences that connect more deeply and drive superior digital performance.
• Capture meaningful metrics that matter – we focus on meaningful results that drive business impact, not just superficial metrics, ensuring client strategy delivers real commercial success.
• Combine curious minds and powerful technology – we turn data into actionable insights, all powered and delivered by cutting‑edge technology, giving clients a competitive edge in market.

The Role

This is a critical role within our SEO & GEO team and is an exciting opportunity for a solutions‑oriented, strategic organic expert to lead a talented team of managers located across Leeds and London offices.

This role requires an expert‑level knowledge of SEO & GEO across all disciplines of content, digital PR and technical.

We’re looking for someone who is future‑facing, keeping up with a rapidly changing industry to keep our strategic offering at the cutting edge.

This person will act as a senior point of contact across our key clients, including Kia, Hyundai, Rockwell and more.

You will challenge and support your campaign teams in delivering a strategy that hits commercial targets for clients and oversee campaign activities to ensure QA and best practice is of the highest standard.

You will be a natural leader, an excellent communicator and be able to communicate a clear strategic vision to your team.

We need you to have strong experience with new business pitches and proposals, and work with the SEO Business Director and HOD to continue to develop our strategic process to meet changing needs of potential clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on and support your team to develop future focused SEO & GEO strategies and roadmaps – pulling together input from all areas from content, technical, DPR and measurement (where relevant) to effectively deliver on client KPIs.
• Lead best practice through the SEO team to manage and improve the SEO strategy process, to incorporate a future facing audience first approach.
• Guide your team in the preparation and delivery of client meetings, QBRs, mid and annual strategies and any other client touchpoints.
• Use Brand Insights AI with clients and the wider team and use the tool to feed into strategies for GEO.
• Be comfortable working alongside the wider AD team within the department to form a strong team leadership approach.
• Be a problem solver, with the ability to sell in bigger, more advanced SEO tactics and link these to overall commercial strategy.
• Work with the SEO Leadership team to lead development of new products and services for Strategy and content outputs.
• Ability to report back both internally and externally on client progress, as well as keeping abreast of digital development opportunities for clients across all areas of the market.
• Use research to uncover key insights about markets, audiences and brands that inspire great work and inform better decisions—translating client briefs into clear, innovative agency approaches.
• Be aware of resourcing requirements across the SEO team, ensuring we’re maximising resource effectively within the team across clients.
• Continuously look for opportunities to drive commerciality through upsell/cross‑sell.
• Support with new business by feeding in insights and where appropriate, be able to confidently present to clients across smaller engagements.
• Create first‑class case studies to represent our best work, enter and win industry awards.
• Oversee accurate and timely financial processes for clients.
• Be a leader, and an advocate of our team and our work, supporting Havas Market and engaging in knowledge sharing with your peers across the group.
• Manage, motivate, develop and support your team to fulfil their potential, via regular catch‑ups, performance appraisals, and the development of training programmes.
• Foster collaboration and transparency across the SEO department.
• Develop, maintain, and grow relationships with relevant client stakeholders, ensuring strong client satisfaction through LIFT scores and client retention.
• Build strong relationships internally – initially within Havas Market to ensure all SEO disciplines and paid search teams collaborate in an effective manner.

Desirable Skills And Experience

• Agency experience in a strategy centric SEO role, involving management of a team is essential.
• Previous experience with client facing responsibilities and building strong relationships.
• Good storytelling and presentation capability, with the ability to communicate confidently and interpret performance marketing to clients and manage client expectations.
• Passion for, and an expert level understanding of all aspects of SEO and digital more broadly.
• Strong project management skills, with ability to manage multiple deadlines and stakeholders.
• Expert knowledge of key SEO tools (Google Analytics, SEMRush, Accuranker, etc.).
• A data driven mindset and the ability to strategise with cross‑functional teams and successfully execute campaigns.
• Lead on and/or contribute towards new business efforts (research and pitch delivery).
• Experience of understanding customers, tone of voice and ability to drive performance whilst protecting brand values.
• Experienced SEO thinker who consistently is looking to find incremental gains and uses innovation to drive the SEO agenda.
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