Role: SEO Manager
Location: Bournemouth
Reference: HOB1151380
Closing Date: 21.11.25
SEO Manager - Hobbycraft Head Office, BH23 6HG
This is a full-time role, working 37.5 hours. Our core business hours are Monday to Friday – 10am to 3pm with a flexible approach to start and finish times. Our hybrid working model is 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home
About the Role
Hobbycraft is the UK’s leading art and craft retailer with 108 stores across the UK, a website that has grown substantially over the last 5 years and an app that was launched in 2023.
We’re seeking a commercially minded, data-driven SEO Manager to lead our search strategy and play a pivotal role in driving customer acquisition, retention, brand visibility, and revenue growth across our website, app, and stores.
As part of our wider Digital Marketing team - which also includes Digital Advertising, CRM, Customer Insight, Loyalty and Subscriptions – you’ll own the SEO roadmap, ensuring our brand achieves greater visiblity, authority, and performance in search engines. Reporting to the Head of Digital Marketing, you’ll also work closely with key stakeholders across Digital Advertising, eCommerce, Trading, IT, and Content to deliver a best-in-class SEO experience that supports our business goals.
This is an exciting opportunity in a fast-paced, creative, and collaborative environment – perfect for something who thrives on delivering measurable results, communicates clearly, and embraces a test-and-learn mindset.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead the SEO strategy: Develop, implement, and continuously refine the SEO strategy to drive organic growth, improve search visibility, and increase qualified traffic.
* Performance analysis: Use SEO tools and analytics platforms to monitor performance, identify opportunities, and deliver actionable insights that improve rankings and conversions.
* Cross-channel collaboration: Partner with the Digital Advertising Manager to align paid and organic search efforts, ensuring a cohesive and efficient search marketing strategy.
* Content and technical SEO: Work with content, trading, and IT teams to optimise website architecture, content, metadata, and internal linking structures for SEO impact.
* Project support: Collaborate with IT and digital product teams to ensure SEO best practices are implemented across all technical developments and platform changes.
* Forecasting and reporting: Forecast organic traffic, sessions, and revenue impact of SEO initiatives, and communicate performance to senior stakeholders.
* Strategic integration: Represent SEO in marketing planning sessions, ensuring search considerations are embedded across campaigns and content strategies.
* Market awareness: Stay informed on the latest SEO trends, search engine algorithm updates, and industry innovations — including GEO — to keep our strategy ahead of the curve.
About You
* Proven experience as an SEO Manager or similar role, ideally within eCommerce or retail.
* Strong track record of developing and executing SEO strategies that have demonstrably driven business growth.
* Experience managing or collaborating with SEO agencies and external partners.
* Highly analytical with deep knowledge of SEO tools, including Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Screaming Frog, and keyword ranking tools.
* Collaborative communicator able to build strong relationships and influence cross-functional teams to deliver impactful SEO initiatives.
* Proactive problem solver with a commercial mindset and the confidence to challenge, innovate, and drive continuous improvement.
* Organised and adaptable, comfortable operating in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment.
* Curious and data-driven, with a passion for digital innovation and staying ahead of SEO best practices.
Benefits
* 33 days holiday including bank holidays pro rata, growing with you during your time with us
* 40% colleague discount
* Access to a personal pension scheme
* Fun event days to fundraise for our charity partners
* Annual paid-for charity volunteer day
* Cycle2Work scheme
* Discounted gym membership
* Employee Support Programme, for overall wellbeing for you and your family, including financial and mortgage advice
* Access to a range of high street discounts
* An inclusive and creative working environment, so you can truly be you and enjoy your time at work
* Long service awards and gifts
We are completely committed to supporting anyone with a disability in applying for our vacancies. If you have a disability and require support throughout our recruitment process, you can contact us at and let us know what adjustments you may need.
At Hobbycraft we celebrate the joy of crafting, and we celebrate all of our colleagues and customers. As a retailer we have a diverse Colleague base from a broad range of all communities. Our colleagues are recruited for their skill, passion, love of craft and customer service, which is also reflected in our customer base. It is this skill and love of crafting which defines them. Hobbycraft, is an equal opportunity employer who takes equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging very seriously, we regularly review our policies and practices to ensure not only compliance, but also best practise from an employment perspective.
Hobbycraft are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, and we are committed to equal and fair treatment for all colleagues or potential colleagues irrespective of race, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic origins, religion or belief, disability, age, gender, marital or family status.