About this role
About the Group/Team
The International SEO team sits within Canva’s Growth SuperGroup and plays a critical role in helping users across the globe discover Canva through search. We work across markets, languages, and content surfaces—from templates to landing pages—driving both top-of-funnel growth and long-term user value.
Our team thrives on combining craft excellence with systems thinking, making SEO a force multiplier for international impact.
About the role
As Canva scales, change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think that's all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavor of the type of things you'll be working on when you start, but this will likely evolve.
Canva's SEO is world-class, and we're looking for a passionate SEO Content Specialist to join the International SEO team to 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.
The SEO Content Specialist will work closely with the Japan SEO Lead and local team. The role of an SEO Content Specialist is to create and manage engaging, SEO-optimized copy and content that informs, inspires, and converts local audiences.
As an SEO Content Specialist, you will provide initiative, direction, and support to create helpful and culturally relevant content for users in the Japan market. You are a native Japanese speaker with proficient reading and writing skills in English, and having conversational English abilities is a nice to have.
Canva is a fast-growing, mission-driven company, and we're looking for talented people who want to contribute to something meaningful. If you're excited about the opportunity to make an impact, show us what you've got—strong performers in this role have significant opportunities to grow with us.
About the team
The International SEO team is responsible for improving SEO performance of logged-out pages across the Canva website. Our mission in SEO is to empower every user in the world to discover Canva.
We're a global team of specialists spanning keyword research, technical SEO, content strategy, outreach, engineering, data analytics, design, and operations. We work across many regions and languages, combining proven frameworks with deep local market expertise.
What you’ll do (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 planCreate and edit SEO-optimized, engaging content about various design topics that align with the SEO team's content strategy and resonate with local audiencesUpload 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 engagementMaintain a high level of quality and consistency in alignment with Canva's brand guidelinesProvide feedback on content management systems, translation quality, and page layout to continuously improve efficiency and qualityCollaboration & Strategic Partnership
Work closely with the wider Japan SEO team to align on goals, priorities, and SEO best practices that drive growthSupport broader SEO activities such as keyword research, competitor analysis, and collaboration with Outreach Specialists for content productionCollaborate with the country SEO team and broader marketing/community teams to ensure content strategy reflects local market dynamics and user needsContribute local market intelligence and user insights that inform content priorities and opportunity identificationBuild relationships across functions to understand how your content work supports broader country initiativesNavigating 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 countryStay up to date on GEO/AEO evolutions and next-generation optimization techniquesBe open to experimenting with new content formats and optimization approaches as the search landscape evolvesShare observations and learnings about how users in your market discover content, contributing to our global understanding of emerging trends What we're looking for
Core Skills & Experience
Native or near-native proficiency in Japanese with business-level EnglishProven 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 writersExperience 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 strategyFamiliarity 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 performanceHigh attention to detail with the ability to closely follow detailed written instructions and maintain quality standardsStrong time management: Ability to self-manage capacity, meet project deadlines, and balance multiple prioritiesExperience in creating landing page assetsCultural & Market Intelligence
Deep understanding of local cultural and linguistic nuances that goes beyond language fluency—you know what resonates with audiences in your marketAppreciation of local writing trends and content preferences, ensuring content feels native rather than translatedAbility to identify opportunities specific to your market that may not be obvious from a global perspectiveCollaboration & Communication
Excellent communication skills: Clear, proactive, and transparent in both written and verbal communicationCollaborative 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 learnComfort with ambiguity: You can experiment with new approaches (like content formatting for AI-generated answers) even when best practices are still being establishedChannel-agnostic thinking: You understand that "SEO" increasingly means "discoverability"—whether through traditional search engines, AI tools, social platforms, or channels yet to emergeData-driven adaptability: You can objectively assess what's working and adjust your approach based on performance and market signalsEarly 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 directionBonuses
Familiarity with YouTube SEO and video content discoverability, given YouTube's strong presence in the Japanese search landscapePrior experience in SEO strategy development and planning is a plus
The A-Player Standard
We're setting a high bar—because International is becoming Canva's biggest growth driver, and we need exceptional people driving it.
What "A-Player" means in this role:
Strategic thinker: You define what should be done and why (not just execute)Relationship builder: You make collaboration easy and productiveProblem solver: You're resourceful and resilient when challenges ariseData-driven: You use insights to drive decisions and demonstrate impactOwnership mindset: You act like it's your business, not just your jobGrowth-oriented: You're constantly learning, adapting, and improving