SEO Outreacher Japan (12 months contract)

About the Role Link building is evolving fast : LLMs are changing how authority signals work, and what earned placements yesterday might not work tomorrow. This role requires someone who can balance proven tactics with experimentation, adapt quickly, and think beyond just securing backlinks. You'll build high-quality backlinks for priority landing pages in Japan while exploring brand mention opportunities. You'll report to both your Japan SEO Country Lead and the Global Outreach Lead, executing local strategy while contributing to global coordination. This role combines three things: Core link building execution: Research prospects, write personalized outreach, build relationships with Japan publishers, and secure editorial placements, all without paying for links. You'll negotiate creative value exchanges, turn rejections into alternative opportunities, and build a contact network that compounds over time. Cross-functional contribution: Stay connected to Japan's community, marketing, partnerships, and product teams. Spot where outreach can amplify their initiatives and where their work creates link opportunities. Support your SEO Country Lead with content optimization, landing page improvements, or urgent SEO tasks when needed. Innovation and knowledge sharing: Run experiments on tactics, messaging, and automation. Document what works (and what doesn't). Share findings with the global outreach team. Use AI tools to automate repetitive work and test faster. Contribute to making the entire team better.   What makes this different from typical outreach roles: You're not just executing a list handed to you. You're expected to be proactive, spotting opportunities, proposing optimizations, contributing to strategy discussions, and solving problems resourcefully. You'll operate with significant autonomy while staying aligned to your SEO Country Lead's priorities. Success means delivering measurable authority growth that improves Canva's rankings and search visibility, helping more local users discover Canva and contributing to the country's market penetration goal.   What you’ll do (responsibilities) Link Building Execution Campaign planning and execution: Collaborate with your Country SEO Lead and Global Outreach Lead to identify priority landing pages and set backlink targets Research and build prospect lists using Canva's proven frameworks: guest posting, resource page insertions, broken link building, and press releases. Focus on strategic outreach by creating original data-driven content and surveys to naturally earn backlinks, while leveraging customer case studies to build authority Analyze competitor backlink profiles to uncover replicable opportunities Prioritize prospects based on relevance, authority, and likelihood of success Outreach and relationship building: Write personalized, culturally fluent outreach emails that resonate with Japan publishers and editors Manage end-to-end outreach workflows: initial contact → follow-ups → negotiation → placement → relationship maintenance Build authentic, long-term relationships with website owners, journalists, and content creators Maintain detailed records of all outreach activity, responses, and outcomes in shared tracking systems Quality assurance and reporting: Ensure all backlinks meet Canva's strict white-hat quality standards (relevant, editorial, on-topic placements) Monitor link placements for compliance, indexation, and longevity Report monthly on progress toward goals, flagging risks or blockers proactively Contribute insights to monthly performance reviews with Country SEO Lead and Global Outreach Lead Brand Mentions Platform Engagement: Identify key platforms where our brand can gain beneficial recognition Create outreach initiatives that align with each platform's culture and standards Assess and record which mentions enhance visibility Content Strategy: Explore how content is prioritized across various sources Work with ... (truncated, view full listing at source)