About the opportunity
Contentful is searching for an AEO, SEO Lead to join our Brand Studio team. As generative engines, answer engines, and AI-powered interfaces become the primary way people discover information, brands need a new kind of search leadership — one that goes beyond rankings and traffic and focuses on visibility, authority, and influence in both human and AI-experiences. You will own the strategy, evolution, and execution of Contentful’s approach to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and AI Optimization (AIO) — with SEO as a critical, supporting foundation. This includes direct ownership of search and discovery performance for Contentful’s marketing website, contentful.com. You’ll deeply impact the entire lifecycle — from inclusion and citation in AI-generated responses to measurable impact on traffic, engagement, conversions, pipeline, and closed-won revenue.
You will design and lead a modern discovery program that spans AI search engines and answer engines, structured content for machine interpretation, brand authority and trust signals, and traditional SEO where it still matters.
This is a strategic, programmatic, and leadership role. You’ll work cross-functionally with content, product marketing, web, brand, cross-functional technical teams, and demand generation to ensure Contentful is discoverable, citable, and authoritative in all the ways people find information today.
What to expect?
Lead our AI-era discovery strategy
- Own the design and execution of a multi-quarter roadmap for GEO, AEO, AI discovery, and traditional search initiatives – including priorities, success metrics, and operating models
- Lead ongoing performance measurement and analysis, defining success beyond traffic, including AI visibility, citations, authority, and downstream impact like conversions, pipeline and revenue.
- Design and run experiments, analyze outcomes, and refine strategy based on results; share learnings with leadership to inform content, web, and product strategy
- Establish clear guidance for how Contentful content should be created, structured, optimized, and distributed to maximize visibility in AI-generated responses
- Create operating rhythms, documentation, and enablement so best practices are consistently adopted across teams
- Identify and implement improvements with web team to allow AI agents, including search bots, LLM crawlers, and conversational assistants, to efficiently interpret, index, and act on Contentful content
- Own Contentful’s search and discovery tooling strategy, including evaluation, selection, and ongoing use of platforms across SEO, GEO, and AI discovery (e.g., Profound, AirOps, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, Search Console, Contentful Analytics, and emerging AI search analytics tools)
Thought leadership and external visibility
- Serve as an internal and external subject matter expert on modern search, GEO, and AI discovery
- Partner with Brand, Comms, and Product Marketing to shape POVs, content, talks, and narratives about the future of search
- Act as a visible, authentic “Customer Zero,” representing how Contentful uses its own platform to power a cohesive search and discovery program in customer conversations, webinars, and events
Cross-functional partnership and leadership
- Influence and align senior stakeholders around priorities, tradeoffs, and investment decisions
- Directly manage a team of agencies, contractors, and full-time employees supporting search and discovery initiatives
- Partner closely with Demand, PMM, and Product to connect discovery efforts to pipeline impact, revenue, and product adoption
- Serve as a subject matter expert to the Product team to inform product roadmap decisions and innovation
SEO foundations
- Ensure strong SEO fundamentals across technical health, content performance, and site structure
- Use SEO insights as inputs to broader GEO and AEO strategy and consistently advise the team on best-practices and data-driven decision making
What you need to be successful?
- 10+ years of experience in search, with deep expertise in SEO and a clear, informed point of view on how search is evolving in the age of AI, including GEO, AEO, and emerging discovery models
- Proven ability to design and lead strategic, multi-quarter programs, translating complex systems into clear priorities, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes
- Strong analytical judgment, with a track record of interpreting data, running experiments, and turning insights into clear, actionable recommendations
- Experience leading and influencing cross-functional teams, including direct management of agencies, contractors, or full-time contributors
- Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex technical and AI-driven concepts to senior stakeholders
- Comfort operating in ambiguity, building structure where none exists, and evolving strategy as platforms, algorithms, and behaviors change
- Solid technical fluency across modern web and content systems, including CMS platforms, structured content, and the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Hands-on experience with search, analytics, and modern discovery tooling, including traditional SEO platforms and AI-driven discovery, evaluation, and measurement tools
Strong pluses
- Direct experience optimizing content for LLMs, answer engines, or AI-powered discovery platforms
- Background in content strategy, information architecture, or structured content design – experience with Contentful app is a huge plus!
- Experience influencing product or platform roadmaps without direct ownership
- Public thought leadership through writing, speaking, research, or industry contribution
What success looks like
- Contentful is consistently visible, cited, and referenced in AI-generated answers and summaries
- Search strategy evolves proactively
- Contentful has a credible, differentiated POV on AI-era discovery
- Drive quality traffic that ultimately converts into closed-won customers
What's in it for you?
- Join an ambitious tech company reshaping the way people build digital experiences
- Full-time employees receive Stock Options for the opportunity to share in the success of our company
- Comprehensive healthcare package covering 100% of monthly health premiums for employees and 85% of costs for your dependents.
- Fertility and family building benefits, including a lifetime reimbursable wallet to support your growing family.
- We value** Work-Life balance and You Time**!** **A generous amount of paid time off, including vacation days, sick days, compassion days for loss, education days, and volunteer days
- Company paid parental leave to care for and focus on your growing family
- Use your personal annual education budget to improve your skills and grow in your career
- Enjoy a full range of virtual and in-person events, including workshops, guest speakers, and fun team activities, supporting learning and networking exchange beyond the usual work duties
- An annual wellbeing stipend to care for your physical, financial, or emotional health
- A monthly communication stipend and phone hardware upgrade reimbursement.
- New hire office equipment stipend for hybrid or distributed employees. Get the gear you need to work at your best.
This role will need to be conducted in a state in which we are currently registered to do business. In addition, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.
This position is eligible for equity awards in accordance with the terms of Contentful’s equity plans.
New York Salary Statement: The salary range displayed is specifically for those potential hires who will work or reside in the state of New York if selected for the role. Any offered salary is determined based on internal equity, internal salary ranges, market data/ranges, applicant's skills and prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications (e.g. JD/technology), for example.
New York Salary Range: $170,000 - $230,000
Who are we?
Contentful is a leading digital experience platform that helps modern businesses meet the growing demand for engaging, personalized content at scale. By blending composability with native AI capabilities, Contentful enables dynamic personalization, automated content delivery, and real-time experimentation, powering next-generation digital experiences across brands, regions, and channels for more than 4,200 organizations worldwide. More than 700 people from more than 70 nations contribute their energy and creativity to Contentful, working from hubs in Berlin, Denver, San Francisco, London, New York, and distributed worldwide.
Everyone is welcome here!
“Everyone is welcome here” is a celebrated component of our culture. At Contentful, we strive to create an inclusive environment that empowers our employees. We believe that our products and services benefit from our diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, physical [dis]ability, or length of time spent unemployed. We invite you to apply and join us!
If you need reasonable accommodations at any point during the application or interview process, please let your recruiting coordinator know.
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