About us

Rural King is America’s Farm and Home Store, providing essentials to the communities we serve. With a wide array of necessities ranging from food and feed to farm and home products, Rural King serves over 150 locations across 17 states and is constantly expanding. Our annual sales exceed $2.5 Billion, and our heart beats in Mattoon, IL, home to our corporate office, distribution center, and flagship store.

One thing our customers appreciate is our unique shopping experience, complete with complimentary popcorn and coffee. It's just one way we show our appreciation for their support.

At Rural King, we value our associates and strive to create a positive, rewarding workplace. We offer growth opportunities, competitive benefits, and a people-first environment where dedicated individuals come together to serve rural communities passionately. Join us, and you'll find not just a job but a chance to grow professionally, contribute meaningfully, and make a difference in the lives of those we serve.

How we reward you

401(k) plan that provides a 100% match on the first 3% of your contributions and 50% of the next 2%

Healthcare plans to support your needs

Virtual doctor visits

Access to Centers of Excellence with Barnes Jewish Hospital and Mayo Clinic’s Complex Care Program

15% Associate Discount

Dave Ramsey’s SmartDollar Program

Associate Assistance Program

RK Cares Associate Hardship Program

24/7 Chaplaincy Services

Company paid YMCA Family Membership

What You’ll do

As a Content SEO Manager you will be driving Rural King’s organic growth by leading content strategy and overseeing technical site health. This role manages the "Rural Living" Subject Matter Expert (SME) to produce high-authority content and serves as the primary internal lead for Technical SEO initiatives. While technical execution is supported by external contractors, this manager is responsible for technical oversight, ensuring that vendor deliverables meet brand standards, improve LLM visibility, and support the broader search roadmap.

• Content Leadership: Own the end-to-end content lifecycle, managing a Rural Living SME to ensure high-quality, authoritative copy that ranks for high-intent keywords.
• Technical Oversight: Act as the internal lead for technical SEO, managing external contractors and agencies to ensure site audits, speed optimizations, and crawlability fixes are executed correctly.
• LLM & Semantic Modeling: Oversee the implementation of advanced schema and structured data to ensure Rural King’s content is optimized for Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI-driven search.
• Roadmap Alignment: Partner with the Sr. Search Manager to prioritize technical tickets and content updates that offer the highest ROI for the e-commerce platform.
• Vendor Management: Review contractor deliverables (Screaming Frog audits, JavaScript rendering checks, etc.) to ensure technical recommendations are sound before implementation.
• Performance Monitoring: Use SEMrush, GSC, and GA4 to track the success of both content initiatives and technical site improvements. Lead associates in a way that exemplifies the leadership principles taught in Rural King’s Thrive Leadership Program.
• Use discretion and independent judgment in daily decisions while maintaining a high level of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Actively participate in learning initiatives offered such as training programs, workshops, and webinars. Leverage these opportunities to acquire new knowledge, refine existing skills, and stay current on the latest developments.
• Provide friendly, proactive, and professional internal and external support to others, assisting with inquiries, concerns, and issues promptly and effectively.
• Demonstrate behaviors that exemplify Rural King’s Values: People First, Integrity, Attitude, Initiative, Teamwork, Accountability, and Continuous Improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Yes

Essential Qualities for Success

• A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications or a related technical field or equivalent combination of experience and education.
• At least 4 years of SEO experience along with a strong background in content strategy and a high level of technical literacy (site architecture, schema, core web vitals) impacts content performance and AI/LLM discovery.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn systems.
• Comfortable navigating computer systems and software to assist customers or manage activities.
• Excellent verbal and written interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.

Physical Requirements  

• Ability to maintain a seated or standing position for extended durations.
• Capability to lift 15 pounds periodically.
• Able to navigate and access all facilities.
• Skill to effectively communicate verbally with others, both in-person and via electronic devices.
• Close vision for computer-related tasks.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

The pay range for this position is $56,000 - $68,000 annualized and is bonus eligible. Exact compensation is determined by factors such as relevant geographic location, education, certifications, experience, job level, shift, and organizational needs. To learn more about our benefits, review here https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:14539c15-191a-4b77-9c13-f6ccfce10094.