Search Engine Optimization Manager Jobs in Norfolk, VA

Location: Remote
Department: Marketing
Employment Type: Full-Time
Reports To: Mike Saia
Salary: 100-140k

Milestone Treatment Center is a growing behavioral healthcare organization providing substance use disorder and mental health treatment across multiple locations throughout the United States.

We are seeking an experienced SEO Director to own and grow Milestone's organic search strategy across our locations, services, and digital properties. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can combine strategy, technical SEO, content, local search, analytics, and emerging AI search to drive measurable growth.

• Work closely with ownership and executive leadership to develop Milestone's long-term organic search strategy and lead its execution across the organization.

• Own the full SEO lifecycle, from strategy and prioritization through implementation, measurement, optimization, and ongoing iteration.

• Serve as Milestone's internal subject-matter expert on organic search, advising ownership on competitive threats, new opportunities, resource allocation, and changes in traditional and AI-driven search.

• Develop and manage the annual SEO budget, including technology, content, link acquisition, contractors, agencies, and other SEO-related services.

• Evaluate SEO investments and outside services based on expected business impact and return on investment.

• Maintain, improve, and expand Milestone's existing organic-search assets while identifying and developing new websites, content properties, location assets, and other opportunities for organic growth.

• Develop and execute Milestone's SEO strategy across multiple locations, markets, and treatment services.

• Conduct keyword, competitor, content-gap, and search-intent research to identify growth opportunities.

• Lead local SEO, including Google Business Profiles, location pages, listings, citations, reviews, and local search visibility.

• Conduct technical SEO audits and address issues involving crawling, indexing, site architecture, redirects, schema, internal linking, and Core Web Vitals.

• Optimize website content, metadata, headings, internal links, landing pages, and other on-page elements.

• Develop SEO-driven content strategies for treatment services, locations, conditions, and educational resources.

• Partner with developers, writers, marketing teams, contractors, agencies, and outside vendors to implement SEO initiatives.

• Build strategies for AI-driven search, GEO/AEO, Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and other emerging search platforms.

• Track organic traffic, rankings, calls, form submissions, and other conversion metrics.

• Translate SEO data into clear recommendations and report results, opportunities, risks, and ROI to executive leadership.

• Develop SEO strategies for new locations and markets as Milestone continues to expand.

• Stay ahead of algorithm updates, competitors, search trends, and emerging technology.

• 5+ years of hands-on SEO experience with a proven record of driving measurable organic growth.

• Strong knowledge of technical SEO, content optimization, local SEO, link building, and multi-location SEO.

• Experience with Google Analytics (GA4), Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or comparable platforms.

• Experience managing and optimizing Google Business Profiles.

• Working knowledge of schema markup, Google Tag Manager, conversion tracking, and WordPress or comparable CMS platforms.

• Understanding of AI-driven search, GEO/AEO, and the evolving search landscape.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to connect SEO performance and investment to business results.

• Ability to independently identify opportunities, prioritize initiatives, and drive projects from strategy through execution.

• Experience managing SEO budgets, vendors, agencies, contractors, or other external resources.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to present recommendations and strategic direction to ownership and executive leadership.

• Healthcare, behavioral health, addiction treatment, or another competitive consumer search environment.

• Managing SEO across multiple locations or geographic markets.

• Healthcare/YMYL content and E-E-A-T principles.

• Conversion rate optimization (CRO).

• Coordinating developers, agencies, freelancers, or content teams.

• Paid search and broader digital marketing experience.

• Local services and local SEO.

This isn't a role where you'll simply monitor rankings and produce reports. You'll have the opportunity to build, own, and shape Milestone's organic search strategy as we expand nationally.

We want someone who will test ideas, challenge assumptions, identify opportunities, and stay ahead of where search is going. You'll have direct access to ownership and executive leadership and the ability to influence how Milestone invests in and builds its organic-search capabilities.

Your work will directly impact Milestone's growth—and help people searching for behavioral health and addiction treatment find the care they need.

• Competitive compensation

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement plan

• Paid time off

• Professional growth opportunities

• Direct impact within a growing national behavioral healthcare organization

If you're an experienced SEO leader who enjoys solving problems, digging into data, testing new ideas, and turning organic search into measurable business growth, we'd like to hear from you.