SEO, GSC & Analytics Specialist

Seeking a highly experienced SEO, Google Search Console, and Analytics Specialist to take ownership of our organic-search performance, technical SEO, conversion measurement, reporting, and performance-recovery planning.

This is not a basic content-publishing, indexing, or keyword-entry position. We need someone who can independently analyze complex performance data, identify declines before management discovers them, determine their likely causes, and develop measurable plans that improve qualified traffic, conversions, and business growth.

Primary Responsibilities

SEO Performance and Google Search Console

* Monitor GSC clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position
* Separate branded and non-branded search performance
* Analyze results by page, query, device, country, and search appearance
* Identify the highest-gaining and highest-declining queries and pages
* Proactively report material ranking, impression, CTR, indexing, and traffic changes
* Diagnose whether losses resulted from rankings, search demand, migration issues, content changes, cannibalization, technical problems, or other causes
* Identify commercial, informational, local, branded, and decision-stage opportunities
* Create and maintain a prioritized keyword-to-URL map
* Identify content overlap, search-intent conflicts, and keyword cannibalization
* Develop recovery plans for declining and underperforming pages
* Monitor completed changes after 7, 14, and 28 days

Reports must go beyond exported data. They must explain what changed, why it matters, which URLs and queries are affected, what actions are recommended, and how success will be measured.

Technical SEO and Website Auditing

* Audit redirects, canonicals, robots directives, XML sitemaps, and indexing controls
* Review HTTP/HTTPS and www/non-www configurations
* Identify 404 errors, redirect chains, broken links, duplicate pages, and crawl issues
* Evaluate website migrations and redesigns for lost URLs, changed content, missing redirects, altered internal links, and ranking impact
* Establish pre-change and post-change baselines for redesigns and major website updates
* Monitor Core Web Vitals, mobile SEO, crawlability, renderability, and page performance
* Review titles, metadata, headings, schema, internal links, and URL architecture
* Determine when pages should be created, updated, consolidated, redirected, retained, or removed
* Maintain a detailed SEO change log
* Coordinate technical implementation with WordPress developers or implement changes directly when qualified and authorized
* Validate significant changes before and after deployment
* Use staging, backups, testing, and rollback procedures for changes that could affect the live website

Repeatedly testing or resubmitting URLs is not considered a substitute for diagnosing the underlying indexing, canonical, content-quality, or technical problem.

GA4, Google Tag Manager, and Lead Attribution

* Audit or configure GA4 and Google Tag Manager from the ground up
* Install and verify GTM and GA4 across the website
* Configure tags, triggers, variables, events, and key events
* Track consultation forms, calls, appointment bookings, signups, CTA clicks, and other qualified lead actions
* Configure source, medium, campaign, landing-page, device, and conversion attribution
* Prevent duplicate, missing, or incorrectly triggered events
* Test configurations through GTM Preview, Tag Assistant, and GA4 DebugView
* Exclude internal, developer, spam, and other inappropriate traffic
* Create useful GA4 reports, Explorations, or Looker Studio dashboards
* Connect organic landing-page performance with engagement, lead activity, and conversion results
* Document the complete tracking configuration and monitor its continued accuracy
* Clearly distinguish general events from actual leads, appointments, enrollments, and other business outcomes

The specialist must understand that increases in total users or events do not automatically demonstrate SEO or business growth. Performance conclusions must separate Organic Search from Direct, Social, Referral, Paid, internal, and unassigned traffic.

Reporting and Performance Accountability

Extensive and accurate reporting is a core requirement of this position. Reports must provide decision-ready analysis—not screenshots, automated summaries, raw exports, or lists of completed activities.

The specialist will establish reliable historical baselines, compare current performance with relevant prior periods, identify developing trends, recommend corrective actions, and measure whether completed actions produced the intended results.

Initial Baseline Report

The initial report must establish the website’s condition before major corrective work begins, including:

* Available historical GSC and GA4 performance
* Pre-redesign, redesign, launch, and post-launch comparisons when data is available
* Current clicks, impressions, CTR, average position, users, sessions, engagement, and qualified lead activity
* Branded versus non-branded performance
* Organic versus Direct, Social, Referral, Paid, internal, and unassigned traffic
* Leading and declining queries, pages, and landing pages
* Commercial versus informational search visibility
* Current indexing, canonical, redirect, sitemap, Core Web Vitals, mobile, and technical status
* Current conversion events, tracking gaps, and attribution limitations
* Confirmed findings, reasonable hypotheses, immediate risks, and recommended priorities

Weekly Performance Report

A complete report will be required every Monday and must include:

* Current 7-, 28-, and 90-day performance compared with corresponding prior periods
* Clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position
* Branded and non-branded search performance
* Top gaining and losing queries
* Top gaining and losing pages
* Organic traffic by landing page
* Qualified leads and conversion rates by source, medium, landing page, campaign, and device
* Significant ranking, indexing, technical, or conversion changes
* Exact URLs affected and supporting evidence
* Work completed during the previous week
* Results of previously completed changes
* Items awaiting recrawl, implementation, additional data, or validation
* Corrective actions for declining performance
* Priorities for the next seven days, ranked by expected impact
* Risks, blockers, and decisions requiring management attention

Monthly Trend and Business-Impact Report

The monthly report must include:

* Month-over-month and year-over-year trends when sufficient data is available
* Progress against established baselines and performance targets
* Commercial versus informational visibility
* Organic traffic quality and engagement
* Consultations, signups, qualified calls, appointments, and other tracked lead actions
* Pages and queries producing meaningful business activity
* Actions that produced measurable improvements
* Actions that did not produce the expected results
* Content that should be retained, refreshed, retitled, consolidated, redirected, expanded, or stopped
* Technical issues affecting growth
* Priorities for the next 30, 60, and 90 days

Change and Validation Reporting

Every significant SEO or analytics change must document:

* Exact URL or tracking component
* Date of change
* Previous condition and baseline
* Problem being addressed
* Supporting evidence
* Action completed
* Person responsible
* Expected result
* Validation method
* Status after 7, 14, and 28 days
* Actual result
* Decision to retain, revise, expand, or reverse the change

Material performance declines, tracking failures, indexing problems, or website issues must be reported when discovered. The specialist should not wait until the next scheduled report when an issue could materially affect rankings, traffic, leads, or website functionality.

Strategy and Performance Planning

The selected specialist must transform data into a prioritized performance plan—not simply provide screenshots, exports, generic recommendations, or lists of completed activities.

The specialist will be expected to:

* Identify and explain material declines proactively
* Separate verified findings from reasonable hypotheses
* Prioritize the highest-impact actions based on evidence
* Create realistic 30-, 60-, and 90-day performance plans
* Establish baselines, targets, and measurable success indicators
* Protect existing informational authority while expanding commercial visibility
* Improve qualified organic traffic, search CTR, service-page visibility, consultations, and lead activity
* Connect work to specific URLs, queries, business objectives, and expected outcomes
* Develop on-page, technical, content, local, and legitimate off-page recommendations
* Review completed work and change direction when the data does not support continuing the same activity
* Communicate risks before making changes that could affect rankings, traffic, tracking, or website functionality

Content and Website Coordination

The specialist will provide or approve SEO content briefs containing:

* Approved topic and working title
* Primary and supporting queries
* Search intent and intended audience
* Create, update, consolidate, or redirect decision
* Target URL
* Existing pages checked for overlap
* Recommended outline and questions to answer
* Internal links and anchor text
* CTA and conversion destination
* Metadata and schema requirements
* Measurement checkpoint

A content and WordPress assistant may implement approved instructions, but the SEO specialist will remain responsible for strategy, performance analysis, and validation.

The specialist is not automatically expected to build complete websites. However, they must be highly trained in WordPress technical SEO and capable of directing developers during redesigns, migrations, page-speed work, plugin changes, and other SEO-sensitive projects.

Advanced Website Development — Preferred

Advanced website-development experience is not required for the core SEO and analytics position, but it is a significant advantage. A candidate who can safely implement complex website improvements—not merely identify or recommend them—may qualify for additional hours and higher compensation based on demonstrated ability.

Preferred development capabilities include:

* Advanced WordPress development beyond basic page builders
* HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and child-theme customization
* Custom post types, templates, hooks, and theme modifications
* Plugin configuration, conflict diagnosis, and safe troubleshooting
* Website migrations, staging environments, backups, and rollback procedures
* Redirect implementation, canonical controls, schema, robots directives, and sitemap configuration
* Core Web Vitals and advanced page-speed optimization
* Database, hosting, CDN, caching, DNS, SSL, and server-level troubleshooting
* Secure form, CRM, API, webhook, and third-party platform integrations
* Mobile-responsive and conversion-focused website development
* Ability to diagnose frontend, backend, plugin, hosting, and performance problems
* Ability to document, test, validate, and safely deploy changes without disrupting the live website

Basic WordPress page building, theme installation, or plugin installation alone will not be considered advanced development experience. Candidates claiming advanced development skills must be prepared to demonstrate them through a live technical walkthrough and provide examples of completed work.

A candidate with verified development abilities may also be assigned:

* Website redesigns and new website builds
* Technical SEO implementation
* Complex WordPress corrections
* Website migration and launch management
* Performance and Core Web Vitals improvements
* Plugin, theme, hosting, and server troubleshooting
* Conversion-focused landing-page development
* GA4/GTM, CRM, form, and API integrations

These additional assignments may increase the available weekly hours and approved hourly rate. Expanded hours, responsibilities, and compensation will be determined by demonstrated skill, project requirements, quality of work, and prior approval.

Required Experience

* Advanced hands-on SEO experience with measurable results
* Expert-level Google Search Console analysis
* Strong GA4 and Google Tag Manager implementation experience
* Proven experience diagnosing and recovering ranking or traffic losses
* Experience managing SEO-sensitive website redesigns and migrations
* Advanced technical SEO and WordPress knowledge
* Strong understanding of keyword intent, content architecture, cannibalization, and internal linking
* Experience configuring lead and conversion attribution
* Extensive experience producing actionable SEO and analytics reports
* Ability to establish historical baselines and interpret short- and long-term trends
* Ability to identify performance problems without waiting for management to point them out
* Ability to prioritize high-impact work instead of repeatedly completing low-impact routine tasks
* Ability to independently validate AI-assisted findings, recommendations, and technical instructions
* Ability to explain complex findings in clear business language
* Strong documentation, testing, prioritization, and reporting skills

Experience within consumer finance, credit, financial services, legal, healthcare, or another high-trust/YMYL industry is strongly preferred.

This Position Is Not a Fit If You

* Primarily rely on AI-generated recommendations without independently validating the data or possessing the advanced knowledge required to correct problems and improve performance
* Can explain advanced SEO concepts in writing but cannot demonstrate them using live data, tools, and real website examples
* Only perform basic content publishing, metadata entry, internal linking, or indexing requests
* Report completed activities without connecting them to rankings, qualified traffic, conversions, or measurable outcomes
* Provide automated reports or screenshots without analysis, trends, causes, recommended actions, and expected results
* Treat impressions, total users, total events, or short-term increases as proof of SEO or business growth without reviewing traffic sources and comparison periods
* Cannot distinguish Organic Search from Direct, Social, Referral, Paid, internal, or unassigned traffic
* Wait for management to identify major performance declines before investigating them
* Cannot diagnose redesign- or migration-related ranking losses
* Recommend continuing routine on-page work when the data indicates a more urgent technical or strategic problem
* Provide generic audits without exact URLs, evidence, priorities, ownership, validation, and review dates
* Make URL, redirect, canonical, plugin, caching, or technical changes without documentation and testing
* Use cache purges, plugin adjustments, or repeated indexing submissions as trial-and-error solutions without identifying the root cause
* Claim expertise in GA4, GTM, technical SEO, or WordPress troubleshooting but cannot demonstrate hands-on implementation
* Cannot work collaboratively with content assistants, WordPress developers, and automation specialists
* Cannot demonstrate experience through a live technical walkthrough

Estimated Weekly Commitment

The anticipated commitment is approximately **15–20 hours per week during the initial audit, GA4/GTM setup, reporting, and SEO-recovery phase**.

After the initial implementation, ongoing SEO and analytics work is expected to average approximately **8–12 hours per week**, depending on performance needs and approved priorities.

Candidates with verified advanced website-development skills may receive additional project hours for approved website builds, redesigns, migrations, technical corrections, performance improvements, and integrations. Major development projects will be scoped and approved separately.

Hours worked beyond the approved weekly schedule must receive prior authorization.

Application Requirements

Please provide:

1. Your requested hourly rate
2. Weekly availability and preferred working schedule
3. Earliest available start date
4. Years of hands-on SEO, GSC, GA4, GTM, and WordPress experience
5. A brief example of a traffic or ranking decline you independently identified, diagnosed, and corrected
6. A brief example of a website redesign or migration you monitored or recovered
7. A brief example of a GA4/GTM lead-tracking system you implemented
8. An example of how your reporting identified a trend and led to measurable improvement
9. The tools you regularly use for crawling, technical SEO, reporting, and performance analysis
10. An anonymized SEO report, technical audit, dashboard, change log, or recovery plan
11. Examples of advanced WordPress or website-development work, if applicable
12. Two professional references or verifiable client reviews, if available

Please answer in your own words. You may use tools to organize your application, but you must be able to independently explain and demonstrate every statement, recommendation, and example during the live verification.

Technical Verification

Final candidates will participate in a live screen-sharing session. During the session, they may be asked to:

* Analyze sample GSC page and query data
* Identify material performance losses
* Separate branded and non-branded search activity
* Diagnose one declining landing page
* Explain how a redesign or migration could have affected performance
* Identify technical, content, reporting, and conversion risks
* Prioritize corrective actions under a limited time or budget
* Explain how results would be validated after 7, 14, and 28 days
* Design a GA4/GTM lead-event tracking plan
* Explain how they distinguish general activity from qualified lead actions
* Demonstrate how they would present findings, trends, and recommendations to management
* Demonstrate advanced development abilities if claiming those qualifications

The purpose of this session is to verify practical experience, independent reasoning, technical ability, reporting quality, and the ability to connect SEO and analytics findings with measurable business outcomes.

Engagement

This is a remote contractor position. Initial hours will be based on the technical audit, analytics setup, recovery priorities, and ongoing performance-management needs.

Continued work will depend on:

* Communication and responsiveness
* Accuracy and independent reasoning
* Proactive identification of problems
* Documented and validated execution
* Reporting quality
* Efficient use of approved hours
* Measurable progress toward qualified traffic, conversions, and business growth

To apply, use the subject line:

SEO & Analytics Specialist – [Your Name]