Japan SEO Content Specialist

About the Position

The International SEO team at Canva is looking for a passionate SEO Content Specialist to join our team and help scale our next phase of growth in Japan! This is a 12-month contract role, starting at 20 hours per week, with the option to scale up to 40 hours per week.

About the Role

As Canva scales, change continues to be part of our DNA. The SEO Content Specialist will work closely with the Japan SEO Lead and local team. The role involves creating and managing engaging, SEO-optimized copy and content that informs, inspires, and converts local audiences.

Responsibilities

Content Creation & Optimization

• Champion content requirements for landing pages and blog articles, supporting the development of long-term content strategy by maintaining an up-to-date editorial calendar and publishing plan.
• Create and edit SEO-optimized, engaging content about various design topics that align with the SEO team's content strategy and resonate with local audiences.
• Upload and publish content that follows the latest SEO best practices and fits our local tone of voice (as defined by our language managers).
• Regularly track and optimize landing pages to maintain freshness, improve content credibility, and enhance user engagement.
• Maintain a high level of quality and consistency in alignment with Canva's brand guidelines.
• Provide feedback on content management systems, translation quality, and page layout to continuously improve efficiency and quality.

Collaboration & Strategic Partnership

• Work closely with the wider Japan SEO team to align on goals, priorities, and SEO best practices that drive growth.
• Support broader SEO activities such as keyword research, competitor analysis, and collaboration with Outreach Specialists for content production.
• Collaborate with the country SEO team and broader marketing/community teams to ensure content strategy reflects local market dynamics and user needs.
• Contribute local market intelligence and user insights that inform content priorities and opportunity identification.
• Build relationships across functions to understand how your content work supports broader country initiatives.

Navigating the Evolution of Search & Discovery

• Stay curious about emerging search and discovery trends in your market-including how users find information through AI-powered platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews, etc.).
• Understand where traditional SEO drives value versus where new channels and approaches may be more effective in your country.
• Stay up to date on GEO/AEO evolutions and next-generation optimization techniques.
• Be open to experimenting with new content formats and optimization approaches as the search landscape evolves.
• Share observations and learnings about how users in your market discover content, contributing to our global understanding of emerging trends.

Requirements

Core Skills & Experience

• Native or near-native proficiency in Japanese with business-level English.
• Proven experience in SEO content writing and/or content marketing, with a portfolio demonstrating successful outcomes (minimum of 3 years of SEO experience required).
• Strong copywriting and copy editing skills, including experience giving constructive feedback to other writers.
• Experience with editorial planning and publishing content in a CMS (content management system).
• Solid understanding of SEO fundamentals: keyword optimization, content structure, user intent, and how content fits within broader SEO strategy.
• Familiarity with SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or similar platforms (bonus!).
• Experience using web analytics tools to understand how users engage with content and to measure content performance.
• High attention to detail with the ability to closely follow detailed written instructions and maintain quality standards.
• Strong time management: Ability to self-manage capacity, meet project deadlines, and balance multiple priorities.
• Experience in creating landing page assets.

Cultural & Market Intelligence

• Deep understanding of local cultural and linguistic nuances that goes beyond language fluency-you know what resonates with audiences in your market.
• Appreciation of local writing trends and content preferences, ensuring content feels native rather than translated.
• Ability to identify opportunities specific to your market that may not be obvious from a global perspective.

Collaboration & Communication

• Excellent communication skills: Clear, proactive, and transparent in both written and verbal communication.
• Collaborative mindset: You build relationships easily, work well across teams, and contribute positively to team culture.
• Willingness to give and receive feedback constructively, always aiming to improve quality and impact.

Future-Oriented & Adaptable Mindset

• Curiosity about emerging channels: You're actively interested in how discovery is evolving-including AI search, LLMs, social search, and new platforms-and you're eager to learn.
• Comfort with ambiguity: You can experiment with new approaches (like content formatting for AI-generated answers) even when best practices are still being established.
• Channel-agnostic thinking: You understand that "SEO" increasingly means "discoverability"-whether through traditional search engines, AI tools, social platforms, or channels yet to emerge.
• Data-driven adaptability: You can objectively assess what's working and adjust your approach based on performance and market signals.
• Early adopter energy: You're the type of person who's already exploring how Canva appears in new discovery channels, bringing insights and ideas rather than waiting for direction.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with YouTube SEO and video content discoverability, given YouTube's strong presence in the Japanese search landscape.
• Prior experience in SEO strategy development and planning is a plus.

We Offer

• Opportunity to work in a fast-growing, mission-driven company.
• Significant opportunities for growth and development.
• Collaborative and innovative team environment.

About the Company

Canva is a global design platform that empowers everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere. Our mission is to help people create, collaborate, and communicate more effectively.

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Interested? Apply now

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