Intermediate SEO Strategist (Contractor)

About Northern

Headquartered in London, Ontario, Canada, Northern is an integrated digital solutions agency specializing in helping leading commercial and public service brands navigate digital change. By leveraging our expertise and deep understanding of our clients’ businesses, we collaborate to design, create, and enable tailored digital experiences that drive growth. 

Since our founding in 2015, Northern has grown into a team of 200+ digital experts, receiving multiple recognitions in employee engagement from Great Place to Work® Canada, including Best Workplaces™ for Inclusion, Women, Mental Health, Hybrid Work, and more.

What We’re Looking For

Northern is seeking an intermediate SEO Strategist to execute discovery, site audits, and implementation of on-page, technical, and content SEO programs across client websites and landing experiences. You'll own keyword research and strategy, optimization roadmaps, and performance reporting. You will collaborate with content, development, and media teams to drive organic growth, resolve issues quickly, and communicate insights clearly to clients and internal stakeholders.

Benefits of Becoming a Northern Contractor

In exchange for your talent, Northern offers:

Competitive rates

Flexible work to promote work-life integration

Remote-first or hybrid flexibility

Asynchronous work

Supportive Operations Team

20 - 40 hours a week

Opportunity to collaborate with top industry talent!

What You’ll Be Doing

SEO / GEO Execution

Implement on-page, technical, and off-page SEO recommendations to improve rankings, traffic, and conversions

Execute keyword research and mapping tasks aligned to client goals and strategic direction

Write and publish high-quality, SEO-optimized content including blog posts, landing pages, product descriptions, and website copy

Execute metadata updates, internal linking changes, alt text optimization, and other on-page tasks

Perform competitor and backlink analysis to support broader SEO initiatives

Maintain keyword tracking, rank monitoring, and optimization checklists

Technical SEO Implementation

Execute technical SEO recommendations and audits (crawlability, indexing, Core Web Vitals, schema)

Identify and resolve crawlability, indexation, and site structure issues

Implement schema markup and structured data

Optimize page speed and Core Web Vitals

Coordinate with development teams to ensure technical fixes are implemented correctly and on time

Support site migrations and platform transitions

Maintain optimization checklists and document findings

Reporting & Analysis

Track, measure, and report on SEO performance using Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMRush and other industry tools

Develop custom dashboards and reports that communicate impact to stakeholders

Present strategies, findings, and results to clients with confidence

Maintain documentation of experiments, changes, and outcomes to inform future work

Assist in shaping the narrative for client-facing performance recaps and QBRs

What You'll Bring

3–5 years of digital marketing experience, including 1–3 years of hands-on SEO execution

Post-secondary education in a relevant field (marketing, advertising, web development, computer science) or equivalent experience

Proficiency with SEO tools (e.g., Google Search Console, GA4, Ahrefs/SEMrush, Screaming Frog/DeepCrawl)

Working knowledge of HTML/CSS basics, common CMSs (e.g., WordPress, Shopify), and tag management

Demonstrated experience with multiple digital channels (analytics, email, CRO, or social) and how they integrate with SEO

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to turn data into clear recommendations

Effective communicator and collaborator with internal teams and clients

Google Analytics (GA4) certification preferred

Nice to have

Experience with local SEO, structured data, and link-building programs

Familiarity with Looker Studio/Excel (or similar) for reporting automation; basic SQL a plus

Agency experience and comfort managing multiple client projects concurrently

Compensation & Tools

We’re looking for independent contractors to join our team and contribute to exciting, high-impact projects. Compensation will be based on your proposed rate, relevant skills, experience, and market alignment. Contractors are responsible for providing their own tools and equipment needed to perform the work. Payment will be issued within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice.

Equity and Diversity

Northern welcomes applications from all qualified individuals and is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusivity, employment equity, and diversity in the workplace. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, including but not limited to members of visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, individuals with diverse abilities, and those of all gender identities and expressions.

We are also committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Accommodations are available at every stage of the hiring process. If you require support or adjustments to participate fully, please let us know when you apply, and we will work with you to meet your needs.

AI Use & Interview Transparency

Northern uses AI tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as drafting interview questions and organizing candidate information. We may also record and transcribe interviews to ensure accuracy and consistency in our evaluations. Rest assured, you will be speaking with real live human beings!

If you prefer not to be recorded or require an accommodation, please let us know in advance. This will not affect your candidacy. All interview information is used solely for recruitment purposes and managed in accordance with Ontario privacy requirements.

Why Join Northern?

You’ll work alongside a team of 200+ digital experts at one of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Inclusion, Women, Mental Health, Hybrid Work, and more. We’re intentional about growth, collaboration, and creating meaningful digital experiences that move our clients forward.