Associate Director - SEO, GEO, and Content Performance

Job Description

The Associate Director, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Content Performance will be responsible for evolving our Company's Animal Health’s web search strategy to an integrated SEO & GEO approach, ensuring our content is discoverable, authoritative, and cited across both search engines and AI-driven platforms (e.g., AI Overviews, Copilot, ChatGPT).  The role will partner closely with stakeholders in Global Marketing, Customer Engagement and IT to embed search optimization into omnichannel content and customer engagement strategies.

This role requires a customer-centric strategic thinker with a strong background in digital marketing and data analytics, coupled with exceptional collaboration, leadership and communication abilities. The ideal candidate will possess the skills to inspire and guide cross-functional teams, effectively communicate complex strategies to stakeholders, and foster a collaborative environment that encourages innovation.

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Global SEO & GEO Strategy:

–     Define and lead an integrated SEO & GEO strategy aligned to species marketing and other enterprise priorities.

–     Evolve KPIs from traditional metrics (rankings, traffic) to include AI citations, share of voice, and discoverability.

–     Identify high-impact use cases across brands, markets, and customer segments.

• Content & Experience Optimization:

–     Partner with Content Hub stakeholders to optimize content for search rankings and AI consumption; Ensure content is structured, authoritative, and citation ready.

–     Establish standards for AI-friendly content (clarity, structure, factual accuracy)

–     Collaborate with MarTech and IT stakeholders to establish standards for taxonomy, metadata, and schema to improve machine readability.

• AI Search (GEO) Enablement:

–     Build and operationalize GEO capabilities, including monitoring visibility in AI-generated answers and identifying opportunities to improve content inclusion in AI outputs.

–     Develop frameworks to ensure content is trusted, referenced, and surfaced by AI systems.

• Performance & Analytics:

–     Define and track performance across SEO (rankings, CTR, organic traffic) and GEO (citations, mentions, AI visibility, “zero-click” outcomes).

–     Share performance insights with stakeholders on a regular basis

Qualifications:

• 7+ years in SEO, digital marketing, or search strategy.

• Proven experience in enterprise/global SEO programs.

• Strong understanding of Technical SEO (site structure, crawlability, schema) and content strategy and optimization.

• Familiarity with AI-driven search trends and Large Language Models (LLMs).

• Strong English communication skills and leadership presence to effectively engage stakeholders from around the globe.

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Experience in animal health or regulated industries.

• Exposure to AI search / GEO concepts and emerging tools.

• Experience of tools such as SEMRush, Google Analytics and similar

• Background in content strategy, omnichannel marketing, or MarTech platforms.

• Strong analytical mindset with experience defining new measurement frameworks.

• Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to work well with ambiguity.

• Strong peer leadership skills and ability to successfully lead in a highly matrixed global organizational structure.

• Demonstrated ability to understand and distill complex information and communicate in a meaningful way to specific audiences.

Education:

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, information management, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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The salary range for this role is

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Relocation:

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