University SEO and Digital Marketing Strategist

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The University Marketing and Communications SEO and Digital Marketing Strategist will play a pivotal role in enhancing Ball State University's digital presence, ensuring that its web content is highly discoverable, strategically optimized for search engines, and aligned with evolving AI-driven search trends. As a key member of the Marketing and Communications digital team, this role will lead search engine optimization ( SEO) initiatives and collaborate on search engine marketing efforts ( SEM), leveraging Brightedge and other SEO tools to conduct audits, develop strategies, and implement technical and content optimizations across bsu.edu and affiliated web properties.

In addition to traditional SEO best practices, the University Marketing and Communications SEO and AI Specialist will lead the division's AI research and implementation efforts, identifying emerging technologies, AI-generated search trends, and evolving ranking factors that impact organic and advertising visibility and digital discoverability. This position will collaborate closely with content creators, web developers, and digital strategists to optimize page structures, improve search rankings, and ensure Ball State's SEO and AI strategies remain at the forefront of digital marketing advancements. This position will also collaborate with key campus units such as IT and Enrollment Planning and Management.

By integrating AI tools, search data, and technical expertise, the University Marketing and Communications SEO and AI Specialist will drive engagement with prospective students, faculty, staff, and external audiences, maximizing Ball State's organic search performance and enhancing the University's broader digital marketing efforts.

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

Minimum of one year of experience in SEO strategy, search engine optimization, or digital marketing with a focus on organic search.

Bachelor's degree in marketing, digital media, communications, computer science, or a related field from an accredited institution.

Minimum of two years of professional experience in SEO strategy, content optimization, and search engine ranking improvements.

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Ball State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, genetic information, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, age, protected veteran status, or any legally protected status.

Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana, on an attractive campus 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Approximately 20,000 graduate and undergraduate students enroll in one of eight academic colleges that offer 270+ undergraduate and graduate programs. Many of our master's, doctoral, certificate, and specialist degrees rank among the best in the nation. We engage students in educational, research, and creative endeavors that empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives enriched by lifelong learning and service, while we enhance the economic, environmental, and social vitality of our community, our state, and our world.

The digital team in the division of Marketing and Communications at Ball State

University is responsible for oversite of bsu.edu and related sites, digital marketing efforts including emails, social media by the University's primary branded accounts, and more. Members of the digital team are afforded the digital tools and platforms that ensure Ball State's marketing efforts remains competitive and effective in an ever-changing digital landscape. Members of the digital team work collaboratively with other members of the Marketing and Communications division as well as with many partners around campus.

Serve as the University's SEO expert within the Marketing and Communications division, driving strategies that enhance organic search visibility and improve website rankings for prospective students, faculty, staff, and community engagement.

Manage and optimize pages using Brightedge and/or other SEO platforms or tools by conducting regular audits, analyzing performance, and developing data-driven recommendations for web content improvements.

Conduct keyword research, competitive analysis, and search intent evaluations to guide advertising and web content creators in developing highly discoverable, user-friendly, and conversion-optimized content for Ball State University's digital platforms.

Implement on-page SEO best practices, including meta tags, header structures, internal linking strategies, and schema markup, ensuring pages are optimized for both search engines and AI-driven search assistants.

Collaborate with digital strategists, content creators, web developers, and advertising and web team to ensure Ball State's website structure, page templates, and site hierarchy align with SEO and UX best practices.

Continuously optimize 350-plus academic program pages to ensure Ball State is maximizing search and AI visibility and reaching prospective students at critical decision-making moments.

Monitor and analyze SEO performance metrics, generating ongoing reports for leadership and insights to inform decision-making and continuously improve search performance.

Ensure compliance with Google algorithm updates, AI search trends, mobile optimization requirements, and accessibility standards to maintain and enhance organic search rankings.

Work with paid search and digital advertising colleagues to ensure SEO strategies align with SEM campaigns, helping improve quality scores and maximize return on investment for paid search efforts.

Manage relationships with Brightedge's Managed Services team, overseeing their optimization efforts to ensure Ball State maximizes this service. Also, deploy AI tools within Brightedge and other SEO tools to ensure maximum value of the University's investment in such technologies.

Stay informed on industry trends, AI search advancements, and emerging technologies, making proactive recommendations to leadership for continuous improvements in Ball State's SEO and AI discoverability strategy.

Conduct training sessions and provide ongoing guidance for digital marketing team members, content contributors, and campus CMS publishers to ensure best practices in SEO, AI-driven search optimization, and digital content discoverability.

Lead AI research and implementation within the digital marketing team, ensuring Ball State remains at the forefront of AI-driven search trends. Research and deploy best practices for AI search engine visibility, including Google AI Overviews, Perplexity AI, voice search optimization, and AI-generated featured snippets and more.

Perform other related duties as assigned, supporting the University's digital transformation efforts and web content strategy.

In support of your application for this position, please prepare and submit a cover letter that describes how your qualifications and experience align with the elements of the position description (or leadership profile). In your cover letter, please select one of our enduring values and describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to that value in your professional endeavors.