About this role
About the Role
Link building is evolving fast : LLMs are changing how authority signals work, and what earned placements yesterday might not work tomorrow. This role requires someone who can balance proven tactics with experimentation, adapt quickly, and think beyond just securing backlinks.
You'll build high-quality backlinks for priority landing pages in Japan while exploring brand mention opportunities. You'll report to both your Japan SEO Country Lead and the Global Outreach Lead, executing local strategy while contributing to global coordination.
This role combines three things:
Core link building execution: Research prospects, write personalized outreach, build relationships with Japan publishers, and secure editorial placements, all without paying for links. You'll negotiate creative value exchanges, turn rejections into alternative opportunities, and build a contact network that compounds over time.
Cross-functional contribution: Stay connected to Japan's community, marketing, partnerships, and product teams. Spot where outreach can amplify their initiatives and where their work creates link opportunities. Support your SEO Country Lead with content optimization, landing page improvements, or urgent SEO tasks when needed.
Innovation and knowledge sharing: Run experiments on tactics, messaging, and automation. Document what works (and what doesn't). Share findings with the global outreach team. Use AI tools to automate repetitive work and test faster. Contribute to making the entire team better.
What makes this different from typical outreach roles:
You're not just executing a list handed to you. You're expected to be proactive, spotting opportunities, proposing optimizations, contributing to strategy discussions, and solving problems resourcefully. You'll operate with significant autonomy while staying aligned to your SEO Country Lead's priorities.
Success means delivering measurable authority growth that improves Canva's rankings and search visibility, helping more local users discover Canva and contributing to the country's market penetration goal.
What you’ll do (responsibilities)
Link Building Execution
Campaign planning and execution:
Collaborate with your Country SEO Lead and Global Outreach Lead to identify priority landing pages and set backlink targets
Research and build prospect lists using Canva's proven frameworks: guest posting, resource page insertions, broken link building, and press releases. Focus on strategic outreach by creating original data-driven content and surveys to naturally earn backlinks, while leveraging customer case studies to build authority
Analyze competitor backlink profiles to uncover replicable opportunities
Prioritize prospects based on relevance, authority, and likelihood of success
Outreach and relationship building:
Write personalized, culturally fluent outreach emails that resonate with Japan publishers and editors
Manage end-to-end outreach workflows: initial contact → follow-ups → negotiation → placement → relationship maintenance
Build authentic, long-term relationships with website owners, journalists, and content creators
Maintain detailed records of all outreach activity, responses, and outcomes in shared tracking systems
Quality assurance and reporting:
Ensure all backlinks meet Canva's strict white-hat quality standards (relevant, editorial, on-topic placements)
Monitor link placements for compliance, indexation, and longevity
Report monthly on progress toward goals, flagging risks or blockers proactively
Contribute insights to monthly performance reviews with Country SEO Lead and Global Outreach Lead
Brand Mentions
Platform Engagement:
Identify key platforms where our brand can gain beneficial recognition
Create outreach initiatives that align with each platform's culture and standards
Assess and record which mentions enhance visibility
Content Strategy:
Explore how content is prioritized across various sources
Work with relevant teams to find suitable content opportunities
Monitor performance and share insights to refine our overall approach
Strategic SEO Support & Cross-Functional Integration
Supporting your Country SEO Lead:
Support the Country SEO Lead with content optimization, technical SEO tasks, or strategic projects as needed
Contribute insights from outreach campaigns (what's working, competitor intel, publisher feedback) to inform country SEO strategy
Country team integration:
Stay connected to Japan's community, marketing, partnerships, and product teams—spotting backlink and brand mention opportunities from their initiatives (events, campaigns, launches, partnerships)
Proactively propose how outreach can amplify other teams' work (e.g., turning community events into press coverage, partnerships into co-marketing with backlinks)
AI-Powered Efficiency
Enhance productivity with AI:
Utilize AI tools for tasks like research, drafting communications, and analyzing responses
Develop workflows to automate routine activities, such as data processing and report generation
Explore new AI solutions and share successful practices with the team
Process improvement:
Spot inefficiencies in workflows and suggest AI-driven improvements
Record automation strategies and add them to the shared resources
Experimentation & Global Team Contribution
Run and document experiments:
Design and execute A/B tests on outreach tactics: messaging angles, email formats, follow-up timing, personalization techniques
Test new link building tactics or platforms and document results
Share experiment findings with the global team via written reports, presentations, or team workshops
Knowledge sharing:
Contribute to monthly global outreach team syncs with insights, learnings, and questions
Update the global outreach playbook with Japan-specific tactics, templates, or best practices
What we're looking for
Japan Market Expertise
Native Japanese speaker with business-level English (to collaborate globally and access English-language resources)
Deep understanding of Japan digital publishing landscape, content creator ecosystem, and outreach norms
Ability to identify locally relevant opportunities that non-locals would miss
Relationship Building & Communication
Positive, enthusiastic, and personable with excellent written communication skills
Proven ability to build authentic, trust-based relationships remotely
Resilient in handling rejection—able to reframe conversations, identify alternative value exchanges, and negotiate win-win placements without paid links
Skilled at tailoring messaging for different audiences (journalists, bloggers, YouTubers, community moderators)
SEO or Marketing Experience
1-2 years experience in link building, digital PR, content marketing, or related outreach-focused roles
Basic understanding of how search engines work and what makes a high-quality backlink
Familiarity with SEO tools (Ahrefs, Google Search Console, Screaming Frog) or willingness to learn quickly
Experience in interviewing and writing case studies for link exchange purpose.
Hands-on experience with CMS platforms for publishing/optimizing content.
AI Fluency & Technical Comfort
Comfortable using AI tools for drafting, research, and analysis
Basic understanding of how LLMs work
Not afraid of learning new software
Attention to Detail & Process Discipline
High attention to detail—able to closely follow detailed written instructions and quality standards
Organized and systematic in tracking outreach activity, managing contacts, and reporting progress
Comfortable working within structured frameworks while proposing improvements
Ownership & Proactive Mindset
You don't wait for instructions—you propose optimizations, identify opportunities, and solve problems resourcefully
You're comfortable with autonomy and accountability
You escalate strategically when blockers arise but default to solving problems yourself
Collaborative & Experimental Mindset
Thrives in a highly collaborative environment—both within the global SEO team and across country functions (marketing, community, PR)
Excited to embed with non-SEO teams and spot opportunities where outreach expertise adds value
Skilled at building trust across teams and making collaboration feel natural, not forced
Comfortable with experimentation, iteration, and occasional failure as part of the learning process
Curious and growth-oriented—always looking for ways to improve your craft and support others
Strategic Thinking (Growing Capability)
Ability to connect individual outreach campaigns to broader SEO goals
Comfortable participating in strategy discussions and contributing ideas
Willingness to step beyond pure execution and think about "why" not just "how"
Nice-to-Haves
Previous link building or digital PR experience
Experience creating content (blog posts, infographics, design assets) for outreach campaigns
Familiarity with Japan-specific search engines or social platforms (e.g., Yahoo, Bing, Line, local forums)
Basic design skills or comfort using Canva to create outreach assets
Experience with CRM (Pitchbox, BuzzStream)
Active participation in Japan SEO, marketing, or content creator communities