About me

I've spent 11+ years helping brands grow through organic search — from hands-on technical audits to leading cross-functional teams and shipping SEO at scale.

John Caiozzo

How I think about SEO

I lead the development and execution of SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) strategies at TenStrat, helping brands improve visibility across both traditional search engines and AI-driven answer platforms.

My work focuses on building durable organic growth by aligning technical SEO, content structure, and product development with how modern search and answer engines actually interpret, cite, and surface information.

I've led SEO strategies across enterprise clients including Mattel, World Market, Petco, Canon, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire, Wotif, CheapTickets, ebookers, and IHG — both agency-side and in-house.


What I've built & shipped

  • Led two dev squads at Petco — one focused on SEO improvements and A/B testing for petco.com, another building a new content experience using AEM.
  • Built long-tail PLPs leveraging product catalog data, customer reviews, and GenAI to target specific search queries and increase organic traffic.
  • Redesigned store detail and services page templates on stores.petco.com, driving significant traffic and conversion rate improvements.
  • Developed workflows with Yext to submit location-specific photos to Google Business Profiles, improving local search visibility.
  • Created SEO forecasting models for business development teams, generating business case justifications for SEO projects and initiatives.
  • Built the technical SEO audit framework and template at SEO Inc, standardizing delivery across the agency.

Experience

Sep 2024 – Present

Senior Director, SEO & AEO

TenStrat Performance Marketing

Leading SEO and Answer Engine Optimization strategy, driving visibility across traditional search engines and AI-powered answer platforms (Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot). Building data-backed business cases and roadmaps focused on organic growth, AI citation visibility, and downstream revenue impact.

Apr 2020 – Sep 2024

Senior Manager, SEO → SEO Manager

Petco

Led two dev squads, managed three direct reports, and drove SEO strategy for both eCommerce and Pet Services. Partnered cross-functionally with Site Merch, IT, Product, and Marketing teams. Led SEO A/B testing initiatives and built long-tail PLPs using GenAI.

Jun 2019 – Apr 2020

Senior SEO Manager

Merkle

SEO channel lead for enterprise eCommerce and travel clients including Canon, IHG, and Leesa. Created SEO forecasts for business development teams and managed SEO specialists.

Nov 2017 – May 2019

SEO Manager

PACIFIC

SEO lead focused on growing enterprise travel companies — Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, and Wotif. Mentored SEO specialists on best practices and daily work scopes.

May 2014 – Nov 2017

Jr. SEO Engineer → SEO/PPC Analyst → Senior SEO Analyst

SEO Inc

Progressed from development and optimization through PPC management to senior technical SEO consulting. Built the agency's technical SEO audit framework and automated monthly client reporting.


Beyond SEO

John Caiozzo — The SEO Dad, Family Edition

Based in San Diego, I'm a proud girl dad, husband, and mentor on GrowthMentor. When I'm not deep in crawl logs or structured data, you'll find me spending time with my family and our pets.

I also mentor SEO professionals through GrowthMentor — helping others navigate career growth and complex technical challenges.


Education

California State University San Marcos


Speaking

Conference Talk

Breaking the Code: How GenAI Empowers Non-Techies in Technical SEO

brightonSEO San Diego — September 24, 2025

Demystified technical SEO for content-focused marketers. Covered leveraging GenAI to simplify challenges like generating regex for redirects, automating technical audits, and identifying site improvements — all without coding expertise.

View slides
Video

SEO Video Show with Dre

How GenAI empowers non-techies in technical SEO

Watch on YouTube

Get in touch