About Specialist Holidays Group
Specialist Holidays Group (SHG) is a leading specialist travel group, bringing together a family of trusted, expert-led brands that create exceptional holidays for discerning travellers. Each brand combines deep destination knowledge with personalised, high-service experiences — expertise that sits at the heart of everything we do.
Our portfolio spans accessible luxury and cruise through Destination2 and Destination2Cruise; ultra-premium, bespoke travel through Sovereign Luxury Travel; the USA, Canada, Caribbean and Latin America through American Holidays; authentic Italy through Citalia; and great-value getaways through Holiday Gems. Together they share one promise: Travel. Expertly Delivered.
The Role
The Interim Group SEO & Discoverability Specialist is responsible for leading organic growth, search visibility and digital discoverability across the Group's portfolio of travel brands.
Reporting directly to the CMO, the role will own the Group SEO strategy, ensuring that organic search remains a significant driver of customer acquisition, brand awareness and commercial performance.
As search behaviour evolves, the role will also lead the Group's approach to AI-driven discoverability, ensuring that brands remain visible and authoritative across both traditional search engines and emerging generative search experiences.
Working closely with Brand, Content, Commercial and Technology teams, the role will deliver both immediate SEO performance improvements and longer-term organic growth opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
Group SEO Strategy
- Own and deliver the Group SEO roadmap across all brands.
- Drive growth in qualified organic traffic, enquiries and revenue.
- Identify opportunities to increase search visibility across the customer journey.
- Embed SEO insight into wider marketing and commercial planning.
Content & Organic Growth
- Lead the organic content strategy across the Group portfolio.
- Identify content opportunities aligned to customer intent and commercial priorities.
- Work with content, social and brand teams to improve content effectiveness.
- Develop content strategies that build authority, trust and visibility.
AI Seach & Discoverability
- Develop the Group's approach to AI search optimisation and digital discoverability.
- Monitor changes in consumer search behaviour and generative search platforms.
- Improve brand visibility within AI-generated search experiences and answer engines.
- Implement strategies that strengthen authority, expertise and brand presence across emerging search channels.
Technical SEO
- Provide technical SEO guidance and recommendations across all brands.
- Support website teams on crawlability, indexation, site performance and structured data.
- Work alongside technology and commercial teams to prioritise technical improvements.
- Ensure SEO considerations are embedded within website developments and projects.
Performance & Reporting
- Monitor and report on organic performance across the Group.
- Develop clear reporting frameworks for senior stakeholders.
- Identify risks, opportunities and areas for investment.
- Demonstrate the commercial contribution of organic growth.
Leadership
- Lead and develop two SEO team members.
- Provide coaching and guidance to wider marketing teams.
- Manage external SEO agencies and specialist partners.
- Act as the Group subject matter expert for search and discoverability.
Key Relationships
- Website and Technology teams
- External agencies and partners
Experience & Skills
Essential
- Significant SEO experience within a multi-brand digital business.
- Strong understanding of content-led SEO strategies.
- Sound technical SEO knowledge.
- Experience managing SEO agencies and external partners.
- Proven ability to deliver organic growth and commercial outcomes.
- Strong stakeholder management skills.
- Experience leading or mentoring team members.
Desirable
- Travel industry experience.
- Experience working across multiple brands or markets.
- Knowledge of CRO and digital customer journeys.
- Experience working with enterprise SEO tools and reporting platforms.
Future Search & AI Expertise
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Advanced understanding of changing search behaviours.
- Knowledge of AI-driven search and generative search experiences.
- Understanding of how brands become discoverable within AI platforms and answer engines.
- Experience building authority, expertise and trust signals through content and digital PR.
- Ability to develop strategies that improve visibility beyond traditional search engines.
Success Measures
- Growth in organic traffic and visibility.
- Increase in organic contribution to enquiries and revenue.
- Improvements in brand discoverability.
- Delivery of technical SEO initiatives.
- Enhanced authority and content performance.
- Reduction in dependency on paid acquisition channels.
- Successful development of the SEO team.
Why This Role Matters
Organic search remains one of the Group's most valuable long-term growth channels. As customer search behaviour evolves, this role will ensure our brands remain visible, discoverable and commercially competitive across both traditional search engines and emerging AI-powered search experiences.
The role will help strengthen organic demand generation, improve marketing efficiency and support the Group's ambition to reduce long-term reliance on paid media investment.
Working with us
Join us and, in return, you’ll be rewarded with:
- Competitive basic salary and commission structure.
- Various employee discounts and offers.
- Contributory Pension scheme.
- Career progression opportunities.
Please note that all benefits are accurate as at the date of publication. Any changes will be notified to you upon joining the Company.
Benefits:
- Canteen
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Referral programme
- Store discount
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Horsham RH12
