About Darkroom

Darkroom is the leading next-generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact.

At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Matter, a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive-level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey.

Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e-commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos). Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The way consumers discover, evaluate, and choose brands is being rewritten in real time. LLM-powered search, AI agents, and generative experiences are replacing the decade-old playbook of keywords and blue links. Darkroom is building a new AI Marketing division to own this space, and we need an SEO Specialist who can operate at the intersection of traditional organic search and the emerging world of AI-mediated discovery.

As an SEO Specialist within the AI Marketing division, you will manage all aspects of SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) strategy and execution for a portfolio of high-growth consumer brands. This is not a traditional SEO role. You will be responsible for ensuring that Darkroom clients are discoverable, recommended, and cited by both traditional search engines and LLM-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini.

You will report to the Associate Director of AI Marketing and work closely with content, creative, paid media, and data teams to deliver integrated organic growth strategies. This is a fast-paced, high-accountability environment for someone who is curious about AI, obsessed with search, and ready to help define a category that is still being written.

Please note: We are not actively hiring for this role at the moment, we are building a talent pool for future opportunities we anticipate opening soon. Strong candidates may be contacted proactively as our team continues to expand.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

SEO STRATEGY & EXECUTION

• Develop and implement comprehensive SEO strategies aligned with client business objectives across e-commerce, DTC, and consumer brands.

• Conduct keyword research, site audits, and competitor analyses to identify growth opportunities in both traditional and AI-powered search environments.

• Continuously analyze and report on SEO performance metrics, providing actionable insights and clear recommendations to clients and internal stakeholders.

• Monitor rankings, organic traffic, and AI citation frequency, adjusting tactics based on performance data.

AI SEARCH & GENERATIVE ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (GEO)

• Optimize client content and digital properties for visibility within LLM-powered search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Claude).

• Develop and execute strategies to increase how often and how favorably client brands are referenced in AI-generated answers and recommendations.

• Monitor the rapidly shifting landscape of how LLMs source, rank, and cite information, and translate changes into actionable client strategies.

• Build and maintain frameworks for tracking “AI share of voice” across generative search platforms.

ON-PAGE & TECHNICAL SEO

• Optimize website content, meta tags, structured data, and internal linking structures to improve visibility in both traditional and AI search.

• Perform technical audits to identify crawl issues, indexation bottlenecks, site performance concerns, and schema markup opportunities.

• Architect technical SEO, knowledge graphs, and entity-based optimization to maximize machine readability and AI citation potential.

• Collaborate with development teams to recommend and implement SEO-friendly site structures and code enhancements.

CONTENT STRATEGY & OFF-PAGE

• Collaborate with content teams to build strategies that serve dual purposes: ranking in traditional search AND being surfaced by AI systems as authoritative, trustworthy sources.

• Build and maintain effective link-building campaigns to enhance domain authority and AI discoverability.

• Identify high-value external partnership opportunities, guest posting placements, and relevant industry directories.

• Monitor and manage backlink profiles to maintain a strong online reputation.

• Create and manage content briefs, oversee article creation, and perform QA to ensure premium quality outputs across all content deliverables.

COLLABORATION & COMMUNICATION

• Partner with cross-functional teams (Content, Creative, Paid Media, Marketplaces, Retention) to deliver integrated marketing campaigns.

• Present complex SEO and GEO insights to clients and stakeholders in clear, accessible language.

• Support the Associate Director in developing proprietary methodologies, playbooks, and reporting frameworks for AI marketing services.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, sharing AI search best practices across the broader Darkroom organization.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

EXPERIENCE

• 2–4 years of experience managing SEO strategies for e-commerce, consumer, or digital-first brands.

• Proven track record in driving organic traffic growth, keyword ranking improvements, and ROI-focused SEO campaigns.

• Familiarity with SEO and analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or Moz.

• Agency experience is a strong plus.

SKILLS

• Deep understanding of on-page SEO, link-building, technical SEO, and structured data best practices.

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate data into actionable insights and client-ready reports.

• Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, or JavaScript is a plus.

• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly.

• Adaptability to stay ahead of ever-changing search engine algorithms and emerging AI search platforms.

NICE TO HAVE

• Background in local SEO, multi-location brands, or programmatic SEO.

• Knowledge of PR and digital authority-building strategies that support LLM trust signals.

• Experience in e-commerce SEO or product discovery optimization.

WHAT SETS YOU APART

• You’re already experimenting with GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), LLM-SEO, or AI search strategies — even if those terms barely existed a year ago.

• You understand how ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews decide what to cite, and why that matters for brands.

• You’re obsessed with AI and LLMs — not just “interested.” You’ve played with the APIs, tested prompts, and you have opinions about structured vs. unstructured content for machine readability.

• You think about search as a broader ecosystem that includes AI assistants, voice search, agentic browsing, and recommendation engines — not just Google page one.

• You see what’s happening in AI search not as a threat to SEO, but as the biggest opportunity in a decade.

WORKING AT DARKROOM

Darkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players who want to build something great. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership — but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape — just world-class talent building something remarkable.

We believe in autonomy with accountability, truth over comfort, and outcomes over optics.

• Unlimited PTO + Local holidays (Relevant to your hub): Rebooting is part of the work. Take the time you need to stay sharp.

• Remote-First Culture: Many roles are fully remote. Employees based in or near our New York or Lisbon HQs are expected to work hybrid with weekly in-office time. Hub locations include the Brazil and Spain.

• Parental Leave: Flexible parental leave to support new parents during this important transition.

• Growth: Our interdisciplinary model gives every Darkroomer exposure far beyond their core role. Grow your skills, expand your influence, and stay at the forefront of the industry.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace — we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.