What can this research not establish?

Hiring advertisements are evidence of organisational intent, not a reliable expenditure ledger. This research cannot determine:

• How many roles were filled, cancelled, replaced or left open.
• How much advertised work is incremental to existing SEO, content and PR activity.
• Accepted salaries, time to hire or candidate scarcity.
• Average software, agency or publisher budgets attached to these roles.
• Whether a dedicated hire outperforms an expanded existing remit.
• Whether any advertised optimisation method produces repeatable causal effects.
• A national median salary or a defensible market-wide growth rate for AEO/GEO employment.

Bottom line: the reviewed roles support investment in accountable, cross-functional execution. They do not support buying an AI label, assuming a universal salary premium or funding a new department without a diagnosed workload. For a mid-market software buyer, the practical priority is a capable owner, implementation access and evidence that can withstand scrutiny.