ABOUT US 🚀

Hostelworld Group, the global hostel-focussed online booking platform, inspires adventurous minds to meet the world and come back with life-changing stories to tell. Our customers are not your average tourists, they crave cultural connection and unique experiences that we make possible by providing an unbeatable selection of hostels in unmissable locations – all in the palm of their hand.

It is the social nature and community feel of hostels and their environment, that enable travellers to embrace journeys of discovery, adventure and meaning. We have more than 13 million reviews across 17,800 hostels in more than 179 countries, making the brand the leading online hub for social travel. The website operates in 19 different languages and our mobile app in 13 languages.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Dublin, Hostelworld has a growing, high-calibre team of 230 people within Technology, Product, Global Markets, HR, Finance & Legal and Marketing Teams across our Dublin, London, Porto, Shanghai and Sydney offices. Hostelworld is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Dublin Euronext. You can read more about our story here.

LOCATION🌍

This role is based in Portugal. We have an office hub in Porto available for those who prefer a hybrid model where you can spend time with colleagues in-person. You will need to be able to commute to our office hub as required from time to time.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 👩‍💻

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated SEO Content Strategist to join our SEO department. This mid-level role is ideal for professionals with a minimum of four years of SEO experience, focusing on content strategy and creation. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in driving performance-oriented results through SEO strategies and content development. A collaborative mindset, creativity, and a passion for travel are essential for this role.

1. Content Strategy:

• Develop, support and execute data-driven SEO content strategies to achieve performance-oriented results, considering:
• Keyword Research: identify efficient solutions, balancing search volume, competition, trends, seasonality, and ranking opportunities.
• SERPs Analysis: Understand diverse search result types, structured data importance, algorithm updates, and AI-driven search trends.
• Competitor/GAP Analysis: Assess competitive landscapes, identify content opportunities, and reverse-engineer successful tactics.
• Measurement and reporting: understand SEO metrics and capacity to adjust strategy according to established goals

2. Content Creation:

• Craft high-quality, SEO-optimised copy and articles tailored to various goals, including awareness, engagement, and conversion.
• Apply SEO best practices in URL structuring, metadata optimisation, header formatting, and keyword integration in every content.
• Develop unique, SEO-driven articles for the blog, aligning with strategic opportunities to enhance visibility and engagement.
• Produce scalable content for the Hostelworld website, including city, country, and regional descriptions, as well as optimised page titles and meta descriptions.
• Exhibit proficiency in English (additional languages such as Spanish, French, or German are a plus).

3. CMS Implementation:

• Implement and optimise content on our CMS platforms. Familiarity with WordPress and Kentico/KontentAI a plus.
• Leverage basic HTML, JavaScript, and CSS knowledge to enhance content presentation (preferred).

4. SEO Tools Expertise:

• Utilise tools such as AHREFS, Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Google Analytics (GA), and Google Search Console (GSC) for audits, reports, and project creation.
• Monitor and analyse performance metrics to inform strategy adjustments.

5. AI Integration:

• Leverage AI tools to streamline content generation and optimisation processes for large-scale, multilingual websites. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate using AI with human curation to grow content at scale.

6. Industry-Specific Knowledge:

• Apply experience in the travel and accommodation sector to create relevant, impactful content.
• Manage SEO strategies for large, multi-language websites effectively.

7. Cross-Department Collaboration:

• Identify opportunities for integrated strategies between SEO content and other departments, such as social media, branding, and product teams, to maximise results.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR 👀

Experience & Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of SEO experience with a focus on content strategy and creation.
• Very strong written language skills, you can craft compelling, punchy and effective copy.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and derive actionable insights.
• Proficiency in CMS platforms and SEO tools.
• Experience in AI-driven content optimisation and automation.
• Knowledge of SEO best practices and algorithmic updates.
• Proven experience in creating and publishing content for live websites, with a portfolio or examples to demonstrate your work.

Soft Skills:

• Team-oriented with excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• Performance-driven mindset with a focus on measurable results.
• Creative thinker with the ability to develop innovative content solutions.
• Adaptability to evolving SEO trends and technologies.

WHAT WE OFFER 💯

• Competitive salary & benefits 
• Enhanced annual leave plus 3 Wellbeing Days per year 
• Paid family leave (maternity, paternity, surrogacy & adoption) 
• Agile working (plus a Working from Abroad Policy!) 
• Support for your ongoing growth & development 
• Inclusive people policies (sickness, menopause, compassionate and fertility leave) 
• A chance to give back to your local community with 5 paid volunteering days

OUR BEHAVIOURS 🏆

• Grow others - We fundamentally believe that investing in growing others benefits everyone, whether it's helping them develop hard or soft skills. We want learning and growing to be part of our DNA to help makes us a better team, together.
• Master it - We are obsessed with our area of expertise and enjoy developing our skills. We rarely take things at face value; we investigate, interrogate, and always look for ‘the why,’ and wherever possible, we use data to find the best solution.
• Collaborate - We are in it together, for the tough stuff and the celebrations too. To achieve the best results, we need expertise from all areas of the organisation, and we wholeheartedly welcome diverse thinking.
• Adapt - We work fluidly, adapting to new information and the evolving environment while staying committed to our goals. Innovation and experimentation fuel our projects and we’re never afraid to pivot.
• Deliver - Our focus is always on the end result; we value outcomes over activity. We collaborate to deliver work at speed without dropping any of our other behaviours.

We believe in talented and diverse teams that reflect the diversity of our customers and the communities in which we operate. Everyone brings different perspectives and experiences. We lay out the above requirements to guide applicants to the experiences that we believe will allow you to be successful in the role. If you don’t meet them all, please consider applying if you think you can still perform the role as described.