Company Description
About the Group/Team
At Canva, we create tools that empower the world to design. Our mission is to democratize design and empower creativity for anyone and everyone, on every platform. Since launching in August 2013, Canva has grown exponentially—we're one of the world's fastest-growing startups, and the journey has only just begun.
International is becoming Canva's biggest growth driver in 2026 and beyond. To reach our foundational goal of having 1 in 5 internet users use Canva every month, we're shifting from translating English successes to implementing truly local strategies that resonate with and convert local audiences.
The LOX group spans the globe with keyword researchers, technical SEO specialists, content specialists, copywriters, engineers, data analysts, designers, and operations specialists. As SEO Outreach Specialist for Japan, you'll be part of the Logged Out Experience (LOX) Group and International Supergroup, working in a dual alignment model, embedded in your Country team locally while contributing to the global outreach team.
Job Description
About the Role
Link building is evolving fast : LLMs are changing how authority signals work, and what earned placements yesterday might not work tomorrow. This role requires someone who can balance proven tactics with experimentation, adapt quickly, and think beyond just securing backlinks.
You'll build high-quality backlinks for priority landing pages in Japan while exploring brand mention opportunities. You'll report to both your Japan SEO Country Lead and the Global Outreach Lead, executing local strategy while contributing to global coordination.
This role combines three things:
- Core link building execution: Research prospects, write personalized outreach, build relationships with Japan publishers, and secure editorial placements, all without paying for links. You'll negotiate creative value exchanges, turn rejections into alternative opportunities, and build a contact network that compounds over time.
- Cross-functional contribution: Stay connected to Japan's community, marketing, partnerships, and product teams. Spot where outreach can amplify their initiatives and where their work creates link opportunities. Support your SEO Country Lead with content optimization, landing page improvements, or urgent SEO tasks when needed.
- Innovation and knowledge sharing: Run experiments on tactics, messaging, and automation. Document what works (and what doesn't). Share findings with the global outreach team. Use AI tools to automate repetitive work and test faster. Contribute to making the entire team better.
What makes this different from typical outreach roles:
You're not just executing a list handed to you. You're expected to be proactive, spotting opportunities, proposing optimizations, contributing to strategy discussions, and solving problems resourcefully. You'll operate with significant autonomy while staying aligned to your SEO Country Lead's priorities.
Success means delivering measurable authority growth that improves Canva's rankings and search visibility, helping more local users discover Canva and contributing to the country's market penetration goal.
What you’ll do (responsibilities)
Link Building Execution
Campaign planning and execution:
- Collaborate with your Country SEO Lead and Global Outreach Lead to identify priority landing pages and set backlink targets
- Research and build prospect lists using Canva's proven frameworks: guest posting, resource page insertions, broken link building, and press releases. Focus on strategic outreach by creating original data-driven content and surveys to naturally earn backlinks, while leveraging customer case studies to build authority
- Analyze competitor backlink profiles to uncover replicable opportunities
- Prioritize prospects based on relevance, authority, and likelihood of success
Outreach and relationship building:
- Write personalized, culturally fluent outreach emails that resonate with Japan publishers and editors
- Manage end-to-end outreach workflows: initial contact → follow-ups → negotiation → placement → relationship maintenance
- Build authentic, long-term relationships with website owners, journalists, and content creators
- Maintain detailed records of all outreach activity, responses, and outcomes in shared tracking systems
Quality assurance and reporting:
- Ensure all backlinks meet Canva's strict white-hat quality standards (relevant, editorial, on-topic placements)
- Monitor link placements for compliance, indexation, and longevity
- Report monthly on progress toward goals, flagging risks or blockers proactively
- Contribute insights to monthly performance reviews with Country SEO Lead and Global Outreach Lead
Brand Mentions
Platform Engagement:
- Identify key platforms where our brand can gain beneficial recognition
- Create outreach initiatives that align with each platform's culture and standards
- Assess and record which mentions enhance visibility
Content Strategy:
- Explore how content is prioritized across various sources
- Work with relevant teams to find suitable content opportunities
- Monitor performance and share insights to refine our overall approach
Strategic SEO Support & Cross-Functional Integration
Supporting your Country SEO Lead:
- Support the Country SEO Lead with content optimization, technical SEO tasks, or strategic projects as needed
- Contribute insights from outreach campaigns (what's working, competitor intel, publisher feedback) to inform country SEO strategy
Country team integration:
- Stay connected to Japan's community, marketing, partnerships, and product teams—spotting backlink and brand mention opportunities from their initiatives (events, campaigns, launches, partnerships)
- Proactively propose how outreach can amplify other teams' work (e.g., turning community events into press coverage, partnerships into co-marketing with backlinks)
AI-Powered Efficiency
Enhance productivity with AI:
- Utilize AI tools for tasks like research, drafting communications, and analyzing responses
- Develop workflows to automate routine activities, such as data processing and report generation
- Explore new AI solutions and share successful practices with the team
Process improvement:
- Spot inefficiencies in workflows and suggest AI-driven improvements
- Record automation strategies and add them to the shared resources
Experimentation & Global Team Contribution
Run and document experiments:
- Design and execute A/B tests on outreach tactics: messaging angles, email formats, follow-up timing, personalization techniques
- Test new link building tactics or platforms and document results
- Share experiment findings with the global team via written reports, presentations, or team workshops
Knowledge sharing:
- Contribute to monthly global outreach team syncs with insights, learnings, and questions
- Update the global outreach playbook with Japan-specific tactics, templates, or best practices
Qualifications
What we're looking for
Japan Market Expertise
- Native Japanese speaker with business-level English (to collaborate globally and access English-language resources)
- Deep understanding of Japan digital publishing landscape, content creator ecosystem, and outreach norms
- Ability to identify locally relevant opportunities that non-locals would miss
Relationship Building & Communication
- Positive, enthusiastic, and personable with excellent written communication skills
- Proven ability to build authentic, trust-based relationships remotely
- Resilient in handling rejection—able to reframe conversations, identify alternative value exchanges, and negotiate win-win placements without paid links
- Skilled at tailoring messaging for different audiences (journalists, bloggers, YouTubers, community moderators)
SEO or Marketing Experience
- 1-2 years experience in link building, digital PR, content marketing, or related outreach-focused roles
- Basic understanding of how search engines work and what makes a high-quality backlink
- Familiarity with SEO tools (Ahrefs, Google Search Console, Screaming Frog) or willingness to learn quickly
- Experience in interviewing and writing case studies for link exchange purpose.
- Hands-on experience with CMS platforms for publishing/optimizing content.
AI Fluency & Technical Comfort
- Comfortable using AI tools for drafting, research, and analysis
- Basic understanding of how LLMs work
- Not afraid of learning new software
Attention to Detail & Process Discipline
- High attention to detail—able to closely follow detailed written instructions and quality standards
- Organized and systematic in tracking outreach activity, managing contacts, and reporting progress
- Comfortable working within structured frameworks while proposing improvements
Ownership & Proactive Mindset
- You don't wait for instructions—you propose optimizations, identify opportunities, and solve problems resourcefully
- You're comfortable with autonomy and accountability
- You escalate strategically when blockers arise but default to solving problems yourself
Collaborative & Experimental Mindset
Thrives in a highly collaborative environment—both within the global SEO team and across country functions (marketing, community, PR)
Excited to embed with non-SEO teams and spot opportunities where outreach expertise adds value
Skilled at building trust across teams and making collaboration feel natural, not forced
Comfortable with experimentation, iteration, and occasional failure as part of the learning process
Curious and growth-oriented—always looking for ways to improve your craft and support others
Strategic Thinking (Growing Capability)
- Ability to connect individual outreach campaigns to broader SEO goals
- Comfortable participating in strategy discussions and contributing ideas
- Willingness to step beyond pure execution and think about "why" not just "how"
Nice-to-Haves
- Previous link building or digital PR experience
- Experience creating content (blog posts, infographics, design assets) for outreach campaigns
- Familiarity with Japan-specific search engines or social platforms (e.g., Yahoo, Bing, Line, local forums)
- Basic design skills or comfort using Canva to create outreach assets
- Experience with CRM (Pitchbox, BuzzStream)
- Active participation in Japan SEO, marketing, or content creator communities