Search Engine Specialist (SEO, GEO & AEO) at Virtual Nation

Role Overview

Virtual Nation is looking for a Search Engine Specialist to scale organic and AI-driven search performance across our brands and client sites. Search behaviour is shifting fast. People now find and compare content through Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI Overviews just as often as a traditional results page. You'll make sure we show up strongly wherever that search happens.

About Virtual Nation

Virtual Nation is an operating platform behind multiple independent brands, including Veycl, Apply2unis, and Sellable Marketing, alongside client work through Sellable Marketing's agency arm. Visibility across search and AI answer engines is critical to how each of these brands and clients grow.

Job Description

You will own keyword research, on-page optimisation, technical SEO, and AI/answer-engine visibility across Virtual Nation's brands and client accounts. This means making sure our pages compete strongly on classic search results and increasingly on AI-generated answers that cite us as a source.

Key Responsibilities

SEO strategy and keyword research:

• Conduct keyword research at scale across all brands and client accounts
• Turn insight into clear, prioritised optimisation plans
• Keep keyword mapping and tracking up to date as search behaviour evolves
• Feed keyword and search trend insight into wider marketing planning

On-page and technical optimisation:

• Drive on-page optimisation across key page types (guides, articles, landing pages)
• Set and maintain on-page SEO standards, including titles, meta data, structured data, and internal linking
• Conduct regular technical SEO audits (broken links, 404 errors, redirect chains, crawlability, indexation)
• Monitor page performance after optimisation and iterate where results fall short

AI search, GEO, and AEO visibility:

• Grow visibility in AI search surfaces such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Perplexity, and AI Overviews
• Build genuine understanding of how AI search surfaces and cites content, and apply it to our pages
• Improve presence in featured snippets, People Also Ask, and zero-click results
• Test and adapt GEO/AEO approach as best practice continues to form in this space

Collaboration and reporting:

• Partner with content teams so new and refreshed pages are search-ready and AI-ready from the start
• Share keyword and search insight with paid search where relevant
• Work with the tech team when an SEO or GEO change needs building into a site
• Report on organic and AI channel performance clearly, in a way the wider business can act on

Skills & Competencies Required

Must-have:

• 4+ years of hands-on SEO experience, having owned keyword research and on-page optimisation end to end, with results to show for it
• Strong knowledge of technical SEO principles (crawlability, indexation, site architecture, schema, Core Web Vitals)
• Working understanding of how AI search surfaces and cites content (GEO/AEO), with genuine interest in the space
• Confidence with core SEO tooling (Google Search Console, SEMrush or Ahrefs, Screaming Frog)
• Comfort with data; able to pull performance numbers and explain what they mean
• Excellent organisation and communication skills, including explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders