AI Search & Digital Growth Specialist

About Us

Educate. Radiate. Elevate. (E.R.E.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free online tutoring to under-resourced students in grades 6–12 in Illinois and Texas. Our mission is to support students from underserved communities in overcoming educational challenges, and to strengthen the economic, social, and emotional stability of students, their families, and their communities.

This Volunteer Role

More and more families, donors, and volunteers ask AI tools questions like "Where can my child get free tutoring in Chicago?" ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot recommend organizations they can find, read, and verify. We're looking for a volunteer to make sure E.R.E. shows up and is described accurately in those answers and in regular search results.

You'll work on our WordPress website (Elementor, hosted on DreamHost) and our online listings, in close collaboration with our Google Ads team and our WordPress Editor volunteer. As the role grows, you'll also help with other digital growth projects, such as attracting donors, volunteers, and corporate partners.

What You'll Do

• Run a baseline check. Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google, Claude, and Copilot the questions families, donors, and volunteers might ask, and record whether and how E.R.E. appears.
• Set up search tools. Verify the site in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools and submit our sitemap. ChatGPT's search draws heavily on Bing's index.
• Open the door to AI crawlers. Review robots.txt so AI search crawlers (such as GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot, and Google-Extended) aren't blocked.
• Create an llms.txt file that summarizes who we are and links to our most important pages.
• Add structured data (schema) for our organization and FAQs, using an SEO plugin such as Yoast or Rank Math.
• Write short, plain-language summaries and FAQ sections for key pages: Tutoring Program, Nominate a Student, Donate, Volunteer, and Partner.
• Make our listings consistent. Match our name, address, and description across Google Business Profile, Candid (GuideStar), Idealist, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other directories.
• Partner with our Google Ads team. Share Search Console and AI-search findings to shape ad keywords and landing pages, and use their ad data to decide which pages and FAQs to improve first.
• Support other growth projects. Help search engines and AI tools find our workplace professional development programs, which fund our tutoring, and improve pages that recruit donors, volunteers, and partners.
• Re-test monthly and send a short report: where we appear, what changed, and what to do next.

What We're Looking For

• Experience with SEO, WordPress, and Google Search Console
• Familiarity with structured data and how AI search tools choose their sources (sometimes called GEO or AEO) is a strong plus
• Ability to work independently from written instructions and explain technical changes in plain language
• Experience with Elementor, DreamHost, or basic HTML is a plus

Why Join Us

• Hands-on experience in AI search optimization, one of the fastest-growing areas of digital marketing
• Measurable before-and-after results you can add to your portfolio
• Real impact: every family who finds us is a student who can get free tutoring
• Flexible, fully remote schedule
• Collaboration with our marketing, IT, and Google Ads volunteers
• Recognition in our Volunteer Spotlight

Commitment & Logistics

• 100% remote and unpaid (volunteer position)
• 3–5 hours per week on a flexible schedule, for at least 6 months
• Website and listing access is provided after onboarding
• We cannot provide visa sponsorship or support documentation for F-1/OPT applicants

How to Volunteer for This Opportunity

Email Lindsey@EducateRadiateElevate.org with "AI Search & Digital Growth Specialist" in the subject line, and answer the questions below in your email.

1. Do you understand that this is an unpaid volunteer position?
2. Are you legally able to volunteer in the U.S.? Do you need a visa or any paperwork from us? (We cannot provide visa sponsorship or support documentation for F-1/OPT applicants.)
3. When can you start? Can you commit to 3–5 hours per week for at least 6 months? If you need to leave, can you give one month's notice and help recruit a replacement?
4. Please share your resume and/or LinkedIn URL.
5. Please list two professional references (full name, email address, and phone number).
6. What relevant certifications do you have (for example, Google Analytics, HubSpot SEO, or Semrush)?
7. Which of these have you done? Check all that apply:
   • Edited a WordPress site using Elementor
   • Used Google Search Console, Google Analytics, or Google Ads data
   • Used Bing Webmaster Tools
   • Edited a robots.txt file
   • Added schema or JSON-LD structured data
   • Configured Yoast or Rank Math
   • Created an llms.txt file
   • Managed a Google Business Profile
   • Tracked how a brand appears in AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity
8. A parent asks ChatGPT, "Where can my middle schooler get free tutoring in Chicago?" and E.R.E. doesn't appear. What are the first three things you would check or change, and why?
9. Using our website, write a two- to three-sentence summary of our Tutoring Program that an AI tool could quote accurately.
10. Which schema types would you use for our homepage and for an FAQ section, and how would you add them to a WordPress site built with Elementor?
11. How would you measure whether your work is improving E.R.E.'s visibility in AI answers over six months?
12. Why are you interested in this role, and what do you hope to gain from it?