Backlink Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Description

Central Garden & Pet is seeking a Sr. Manager, Digital Marketing, SEO & Website Content to join our team. This role leads SEO strategy and website content management across brand websites and eCommerce platforms by driving search optimization, overseeing technical and content enhancements, managing agency and cross-functional partnerships, and measuring digital performance against business goals. 

This position will based in either our Walnut Creek, CA or Schaumburg, IL corporate offices. At both locations, we operate in a hybrid work environment that balances in-person collaboration with workplace flexibility. Employees are currently expected to work from the office at least three (3) days per week. Beginning in September 2026, our hybrid model will transition to four (4) in-office days per week to support greater collaboration, learning, and team connection.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead SEO across owned websites and eComm

• Monitor and analyze internal and competitor/retailer metrics affectable by SEO (e.g. keyword performance, traffic/estimated traffic, topical authority) to inform brand, customer, digital, and eComm partners
• Compile recommendations for content optimization and technical development, taking a leading role managing agencies, developers, eComm, and digital teams on SEO projects
• Audit brand websites for technical issues that can affect brand site UX and search rankings, continually work with dev team to resolve glitches and optimize website performance
• Audit domains for current and historical backlink authority profile, create and maintain 301 redirect mappings to retain and grow search authority/trust
• Recommend and project manage advanced SEO projects (e.g. link-building, toxic backlink disavow lists, schema automation)
• Measure and report performance of website and eComm SEO against goals/KPIs, provide analysis and content/technical optimization recommendations
• Track and communicate ongoing and completed website and eComm optimization projects and development tickets

Lead website content management

• Coordinate deployment of creative assets, optimizing content, and brand promotions as planned in coordination with brand and digital teams across brand websites and landing pages
• Lead projects to gather, format, update, maintain, and optimize product data for brand site content, third party review syndication, and online purchase functionality
• Assist in managing external agencies on website and microsites builds, site structure changes, technical and content QA

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with internal brand, digital marketing and design teams, agencies, and other vendor partners, especially where Marketing and Development intersect
• Active partner to Web Dev to prioritize activities and communicate with brand teams

Training & Upskilling

• Provide relevant SEO 101 training to developers, creative, eComm, brand, digital and customer marketing teams as needed
• Provide basic CMS update training for any internal partner, and advanced CMS training as needed for digital marketing teams
• Provide training to creative, digital, and eComm teams on best practices for article, image, and product content creation/optimization
• Provide digital teams training on best practices and process for troubleshooting/QAing technical and backend projects (e.g., website redesigns, third-party linking and syndication, scripted content load, etc.)

Capability Thought Leadership

• Be externally oriented to research, understand and cascade trends and new technologies
• Provide expertise/insights for adoption where appropriate at either BU or enterprise level

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree with 10 years minimum of digital marketing experience, with 5 years focused in Content Marketing, SEO, and/or Marketing Technologist roles 
• Extensive experience leading projects implementing and QAing new website functionality & content load, website redesign & migration 
• Content management system experience (minimum 3+ years’ experience in Sitecore, WordPress a plus) 
• Knowledge of marketing technology software (HubSpot CRM a plus) 
• Extensive experience with SEO analytics platforms like Search Console, SEMrush, Majestic, Lumar, etc. 
• Extensive experience with HTML and JSON-LD (JavaScript and CSS a plus) 
• 5+ years’ experience in setting up tracking and reporting of digital marketing campaign engagement, events, and conversion using Google Tag Manager, tracking and distribution traffic/event tracking, etc. 
• Strong project management and organizational skills 
• Experience in dealing with multiple and diverse internal stakeholders, and interacting with both business and development partners 
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, across a variety of organizational levels (Spanish fluency a plus) 
• Ability to translate data into easy-to-understand reports 
• Strong analytical skills and data-driven thinking 

POSITION INFORMATION   

• This position pays $120,000 - $130,000 per year depending on experience and geographic location of Walnut Creek, CA or Schaumburg, IL. This position is also eligible for a management incentive bonus based on individual and company performance.

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Free Life and Disability Insurance
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401k with 3% company match and annual employer discretionary contribution
• Paid vacation, holidays and sick time
• Employee Assistance Program
• Access to thousands of free online courses
• Discounts on cell phones, movie tickets, gym memberships, and more!
• Education Assistance (both college degrees and professional certifications)
• Referral Program with cash bonus
• Access to on-demand pay
• Paid parental leave