SEO and Digital Marketing Specialist

About the role

The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Digital Marketing Specialist supports the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's mission to expand access to high-quality online education. This position is responsible for enhancing the visibility, discoverability, and reach of Illinois Online and its portfolio of online degree and certificate programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a modern search optimization strategy to improve visibility and rankings for online programs across search engines.
• Support efforts to standardize digital performance reporting across colleges while streamlining operations by reducing duplicative SEO contracts campus-wide.
• Optimize site structure, metadata, and content for usability, accessibility, and SEO performance for Illinois Online website.
• Collaborate with campus web support and IT partners to ensure proper implementation of SEO best practices.
• Maintain and monitor search performance trends and recommend content and structural improvements based on analytics.
• Provide SEO consultations for designated departments or programs as directed by the Office of the Provost.
• Coordinate with other StratCom colleagues on Illinois Online content creation and optimization across web and social media channels.
• Cultivate content-led SEO by identifying gaps in the prospective student journey (e.g., tuition info, career outcomes).
• Support storytelling efforts by showcasing faculty innovation, student success, and program impact through optimized content.
• Ensure all content adheres to Illinois branding, voice, and accessibility best practices.
• Track website traffic, search performance, and conversion metrics using Google Analytics, Tag Manager, Search Console, and related tools.
• Develop and maintain dashboards that inform data-driven decisions about online program marketing priorities and site enhancements.
• Report regularly on ROI and provide actionable recommendations to improve engagement and lead generation to OOL, campus partners and leadership.
• Conduct keyword research and trend analysis to inform content strategy, landing page development, and program promotion.
• Collaborate with StratCom, OOL, academic units, and Illinois Online leadership to ensure consistent messaging and alignment with enrollment goals.
• Attend weekly OOL team meetings and meet with the OOL Program Manager as needed to consult on campus SEO service model.
• Provide guidance on digital content best practices during website updates and content management processes.
• Contribute to shared marketing initiatives and support cross-functional campaign execution as needed.
• Partner with the Analytics & Alignment team within StratCom on SEO best practices and contribute to training or documentation as needed.
• Aid in other StratCom marketing projects as capacity allows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field.
• Two (2) years (24 months) of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management, or a related professional area.
• Demonstrated experience with web analytics platforms such as Google Analytics (GA4), Search Console, Tag Manager, etc.
• Demonstrated experience with search engine optimization (SEO) platforms/tools such as SEMrush, BrightEdge, or Ahrefs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, online program marketing, or recruitment-focused campaigns.
• Familiarity with university marketing processes, brand governance, and data privacy policies.
• Experience with CRM or marketing automation systems such as Slate, Salesforce, or HubSpot.
• Experience generating analytics reports and dashboards.
• Google Analytics or SEO certification.
• Basic understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG) and digital best practices.