JOB SUMMARY
The Digital Engine Optimization (DEO) Manager owns how PODS Moving & Storage is discovered, understood, represented, and referenced across search engines, AI assistants, answer engines, local search, and other machine-mediated discovery experiences.
The role brings Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), local search, and emerging AI discovery into one discipline. The DEO Manager will build and maintain a high-quality public knowledge layer about PODS and the moving and storage category, ensuring that information about our products and services is technically discoverable, easy for machines to interpret, authoritative enough to reference, and useful to customers.
Success is measured not only by rankings and organic traffic, but by whether PODS is accurately represented and visible when customers research moving and storage, whether that interaction produces a click, an AI citation, a brand mention, a quote start, or another measurable influence on consideration and conversion.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Search & AI Discoverability
- Own PODS’ organic discoverability strategy across traditional search, AI-powered search experiences, AI assistants, answer engines, and emerging discovery platforms.
- Monitor how PODS appears for priority brand, category, service, comparison, local, and customer queries.
- Identify opportunities to increase the likelihood that PODS information and expertise are accurately represented, retrieved, referenced, cited, and mentioned.
- Develop content designed to provide clear, useful, authoritative answers that customers can trust and machines can easily understand and extract.
- Identify inaccurate or outdated claims about PODS’ services, pricing, container options, service areas, policies, and scheduling flexibility and coordinate appropriate corrections.
- Evaluate emerging optimization practices, crawler policies, machine-readable formats, and discovery platforms and recommend where PODS should invest based on evidence and business value.
SEO, Content, & Information Architecture
- Own technical and on-page SEO for PODS.com, including site architecture, crawlability, indexation, duplicate content, canonicals, redirects, internal linking, page performance, Core Web Vitals, and structured data.
- Conduct regular technical and content audits and maintain a prioritized optimization backlog tied to customer experience and business outcomes.
- Partner with Web Development on releases, migrations, redesigns, and template changes to protect and improve organic performance.
- Own organic information architecture across service, location, informational, comparison, FAQ, and editorial content.
- Identify content gaps, duplication, cannibalization, thin or outdated content, and pages that should be expanded, consolidated, redirected, or removed.
- Conduct keyword, topic, question, and intent research across the customer journey.
- Partner with subject matter experts to turn proprietary PODS data, operational expertise, customer research, and moving trends into useful, authoritative, reference-worthy content.
- Own PODS’ structured data strategy and ensure machine-readable information accurately reflects customer-visible content.
Local, Brand, & Distributed Presence
- Own organic local search strategy across PODS markets and service areas, including location pages, Google Business Profiles, business listings, and other local discovery platforms.
- Develop standards for when location and service area pages should be created, expanded, consolidated, redirected, or retired.
- Ensure location, service area, hours, contact, and other business information remain accurate and consistent across owned properties, directories, aggregators, and partner sites.
- Partner with subject matter experts to incorporate reviews, responses, sentiment, and market-level reputation into the local discovery strategy.
- Monitor how PODS, its services, policies, locations, and brand attributes are represented across search engines, AI systems, review platforms, publishers, social platforms, forums, video platforms, and other relevant sources.
- Partner with teams to strengthen authoritative third-party signals and improve the discoverability of PODS content across YouTube, Reddit, and other relevant platforms.
Measurement & Collaboration
- Establish and maintain PODS’ measurement framework across organic search, local search, AI-powered search experiences, and major answer engines.
- Track traditional organic performance alongside emerging indicators such as AI citations, brand mentions, citation share, answer accuracy, AI referrals, qualified entry points, quote starts, and bookings where measurement is possible.
- Develop a repeatable set of priority queries and prompts and monitor how PODS is represented over time.
- Establish baselines and testing methodologies to evaluate changes in search and AI visibility while clearly communicating the limitations of zero-click and influence-based attribution.
- Partner with others so organic and AI discovery efforts reinforce broader marketing initiatives.
- Translate technical findings and emerging search trends into clear recommendations for non-technical stakeholders and make the case for investment with data.
- Manage relevant agency/vendor relationships, platforms, budgets, and invoices as assigned.
- Stay current on search engine and AI platform changes and help the organization distinguish meaningful developments from industry noise.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILTIES
- Typically reports to Management. Direct supervisor job title(s) typically include: Manager / Director
- Job is not directly responsible for direct report (e.g., hiring/termination and/or pay decisions, performance management)
JOB QUALIFICATIONS: Education & Experience Requirements
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Digital Media, or a related field.
- 3-5 years of hands-on experience in SEO, organic search, digital content, or a related discipline, including ownership of organic performance for a large or complex website.
- Strong understanding of technical SEO, including crawlability, indexation, canonicals, redirects, internal linking, site architecture, page performance, JavaScript rendering, and structured data.
- Experience with content optimization, information architecture, keyword and intent research, and organic performance measurement.
- Comfortable reading HTML, understanding how JavaScript affects crawlability, and writing clear requirements for developers.
- Strong writing and editing skills with the ability to evaluate content based on customer usefulness, clarity, accuracy, and authority.
- Strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Ability to evaluate emerging search technologies, distinguish durable opportunities from unproven tactics, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Preferred
- Experience measuring or improving brand visibility within AI-generated answers, AI-powered search, AEO, or GEO.
- Experience with Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, Google Business Profile, Bing Webmaster Tools, and enterprise SEO and AI visibility platforms such as Semrush, Ahrefs, Conductor, Scrunch, BrightEdge, or similar.
- Local or multi-location SEO experience across a large number of markets or service areas.
- Familiarity with review and reputation platforms as digital discovery signals.
- Experience with structured data, YouTube/video optimization, original research, digital PR, Reddit, or link earning.
- Previous experience working with or managing SEO, content, media, creative, analytics, or PR agencies.
JOB QUALIFICATIONS: Essential Skills, Abilities and Example Behavior(s)
- PRESENT SKILLFULLY: Able to prepare and deliver clear, effective, and professional presentations
- QUESTION: Able to use effective fact-finding techniques to discover all relevant information; Able to ask questions that are not leading or biased; Able to challenge assumptions
- BE STRAIGHT-FORWARD: Able to communicate directly (to-the-point) and rely on fact-based positions; Able to avoid the use of ambiguous language or statements that contain hidden or double meanings; Able to avoid being deceptive
- NEGOTIATE: Able to apply effective questioning and listening techniques to determine each party's position; Able to look for common ground and build on areas of agreement to reach win-win outcomes; Able to ensure the agreed-upon alternatives have the support of all parties involved
- SELL: Able to identify the needs of internal and external customers through effective questioning and listening techniques; Able to apply technical / professional knowledge, interpersonal and sales skills to obtain customers' commitment to ideas, services or products
- ACT WITH INTEGRITY: Able to demonstrate uncompromising adherence to ethical principles; Able to demonstrate honesty in all actions; Able to admit and correct mistakes promptly; Able to assume full responsibility and accountability for own actions
- ADAPT: Able to maintain effectiveness by changing personal behavior and work routines / habits in response to new circumstances and requirements
- TAKE INITIATIVE: Able to exhibit tendencies to be self-starting and not wait for signals; Able to be proactive and demonstrate readiness and ability to initiate action; Able to take action beyond what is required and volunteers to take on new assignments; Able to complete assignments independently without constant supervision
- DEVELOP SELF: Able to accurately assess own strengths and development needs; Able to strive to improve those areas identified as needing development; Able to seek opportunity for development through the job, special assignments, training, or external activities
- BE PERSONALLY PRODUCTIVE: Able to use own time efficiently and avoid wasting time; Able to organize work with realistic priorities for self and others; Able to demonstrate stamina to sustain effort over a period of time; Able to set high but realistic standards for self; Able to produce a high volume of work; Able to balance personal and work commitments to maintain "personal best" conditions
- BE PROFESSIONAL: Able to project a positive, professional image with both internal and external business contacts; Able to create a positive first impression; Able to gain respect and trust of others through personal image and demeanor
- DELIVER QUALITY RESULTS: Able to deliver top quality service to all customers (internal and external); Able to ensure all details are covered and adhere to company policies; Able to strive to do things right the first time; Able to meet agreed-upon commitments or advises customer when deadlines are jeopardized; Able to define high standards for quality and evaluate products, services, and own performance against those standards
- BE ANALYTICAL: Able to effectively gather all relevant information; Able to identify key issues; Able to qualitatively and / or quantitatively process data; Able to identify relationships, draw logical conclusions and interpret results for use in decision-making
- BE A QUICK STUDY: Able to quickly learn and apply new information, skills and processes; Able to build on current knowledge and skills; Able to gather information from the appropriate resources to develop and execute plans when entering new situations
- BE INNOVATIVE / CREATIVE: Able to examine the status quo and consistently look for better ways of doing things; Able to recommend changes based on analyzed needs; Able to develop proper solutions and identify opportunities.