Head of SEO

We're not here to chase rankings or write meta descriptions like it's 2012.

Search is evolving, and fast. It's no longer just about keywords and backlinks. It's about being the best answer, whether that's on Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity or whatever comes next.

We're building one of the most advanced digital ecosystems in retail, and search is central to how we scale it. But this isn't old-school SEO. This is Answer Engine Optimisation - and we need someone who knows how to lead it.

With over £884 million in annual revenue and a 35% share of the UK's online wellness market, we're outpacing the sector's growth and expanding fast. From AI-powered recommendations to mobile-first wellness journeys, we're not just keeping up - we're setting the pace.

Now we need someone who can do the same for search.

The Role

What you'll actually be doing:

• Leading the SEO and AEO strategy. UK, international, technical, content, authority - across traditional search engines and emerging answer platforms.
• Optimising for prompts, not just keywords. Structuring content and data to surface in LLMs, answer engines and AI-powered search experiences.
• Tracking brand visibility across platforms. Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini - wherever customers are searching, we need to show up.
• Driving technical SEO. Site speed, crawlability, schema, canonicalisation, Core Web Vitals - working closely with Product & Engineering.
• Using AI and LLMs. Automating metadata, internal linking, content classification and structured data - without sacrificing quality.
• Building forecasting models. Predicting traffic, revenue and ROI - and using that to secure investment.
• Defining content strategy for AEO. Creating formats LLMs prefer - listicles, comparisons, structured Q&A - and aligning with Health Hub and commercial priorities.
• Expanding off-site presence. Partnerships, syndication - building authority beyond our own domains.
• Running audits and governance. Across multiple domains and markets - making sure best practices stick.
• Embedding SEO into everything. Trading plans, marketing campaigns, product launches - SEO isn't an afterthought here.
• Collaborating cross-functionally. Paid Media, CRM, Analytics, International - making sure SEO plays well with others.
• Educating the business. Helping teams understand the shift from keywords to prompts - and what that means for how we show up online.
• Tracking performance. Organic traffic, AI visibility, conversions - and reporting it in a way stakeholders actually care about.
• Driving innovation. Deploying scalable, AI-powered SEO workflows that make the team faster, smarter and more efficient.
  
  

How We'll Know You're Nailing It

• You're showing up in places Google can't reach - LLMs, answer engines, AI platforms.
• Our content's being cited, not just crawled.
• Organic traffic's up. Conversions are up. And no one's asking “what does SEO actually do?”.
• Teams are using your frameworks without needing a reminder.
• You've made old-school SEO look like dial-up.
  
  

Location: We've got offices in Nuneaton (Head office) and London. You'll need to spend at least one of your office days a week in Nuneaton, but beyond that, we're flexible. We ask for two days a week in the office - and if you're based in London, that works. Plenty of the team operate from there and move between the two when needed.

The Person

What you'll need:

• You've led SEO before - not just managed it, but owned it.
• You know technical SEO inside out. Site speed, crawl budgets, schema, canonicalisation - you've fixed it, scaled it and made it stick.
• You've moved beyond keywords. You understand how LLMs surface content and how to influence what gets seen.
• You've built workflows using AI and LLMs - not just played with tools, but deployed them at scale.
• You've scaled SEO across multiple markets. Localisation, international domains, market-entry strategies - you've delivered them.
• You can forecast and build business cases. You speak the language of ROI, not just rankings.
• You've worked with affiliates, syndication and external partners to build authority beyond your own domain.
• You're comfortable in chaos. AI search, rapid indexing, shifting SERPs - you adapt fast.
• You know how to get Product, Content and Marketing working together - and keep them aligned.
  
  

What You'll Get

• A competitive salary - we'll talk numbers early.
• Bonus scheme - you help drive growth, you share in the reward.
• 25% off everything at H&B - even the fancy supplements.
• Pension contributions - because future-you deserves a break.
• Perks from other retailers - discounts, advice and savings from brands you actually use.
• And more - but we won't pretend free fruit is a selling point.
  
  

Holland & Barrett does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Please do not forward resumes to our job alias, employees, or any other company location. Holland & Barrett is not and will not be responsible for any fees if a candidate submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless otherwise agreed with respect to specific open position(s).