Local SEO Specialist (Contract/Freelance)

Do you thrive on the details and love seeing how local search works to help businesses grow? Are you fascinated by the complexities and puzzles local search presents? Do you enjoy uncovering why businesses are or are not showing up in the local pack/local finder? If you thrive on these tough questions, enjoy troubleshooting problems and love crafting a story with the data provided by local search, then this might be a great role for you.

Vert is searching for a highly organized, self-motivated Local SEO Specialist to support our Search Engine Optimization team in a part-time, contract capacity. This person will work closely with Vert’s SEO Manager to implement strategies to improve our clients’ position and listings within local search results.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Research, test, and analyze local SEO strategies
• Drive implementation of emerging and advanced local SEO tactics for new and existing clients
• Improve clients’ online presence by verifying NAP data and optimizing local listings on key platforms including Google Business Profiles, Bing Places, Yelp, and Apple Maps. 
• Work in local SEO platforms and paid professional tools to analyze trends, evaluate performance, as well as make updates to listings directly through Google Business, Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Apple Maps. 
• Identify and present opportunities to enhance efficiency, profitability, innovation and client partner satisfaction
• Develop and present client recommendations based on reports and data trends
• Audit and optimize existing client business listings in collaboration with local listings management providers
• Analyze Google Analytics to provide data-driven recommendations for SEO improvements
• Identify link building/citation opportunities for improved local search presence
• Create high-quality and relevant optimized content for location and/or service pages
• Establish and manage keyword targeting for on-page SEO strategies
• Assist with SEO audits using the latest technology and direct assessment for best practices, ideation, and problem-solving
• Collaborate with internal/external teams for implementing SEO improvements
• Maintain working knowledge of current trends in SEO, local SEO, Google algorithm updates, etc.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment

WHAT YOU’LL HAVE

• An advanced understanding of local SEO tactics and strategies
• Experience managing local listings. This individual must be HIGHLY detail oriented to ensure we are representing our client in the best way possible.
• Experience writing location schema markup for multi-location businesses is a plus
• Expert knowledge of local search ranking factors
• Experience using tools like Whitespark, LocalFalcon, Brightlocal, Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, Semrush, and ahrefs
• Google Local Service Ads experience is a plus
• Solid problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and organizational skills

This is an opportunity to be a “fractional #Vertbag” who gets to be an integrated and important part of our growing agency – but maintains personal flexibility as an external freelancer. This role will be needed for as many as 20 hours per week on a very regular basis, and the opportunity to grow this into a full-time, salary + benefits role is high if that’s something that interests you. This role will have flexible working hours and pay rate will be determined on an individual basis.