The Remote Work Pioneer: How FlexJobs Built a $27M Traffic Empire Before Remote Was Cool
898K
Monthly Visitors
$27.5M
Traffic Value/yr
DR 84
Domain Rating
31.4K
Ref. Domains
Sara Sutton founded FlexJobs in 2007 because she was pregnant and couldn't find a good remote job.
That might sound like a startup cliché, but here's the thing: this was 2007. The iPhone had just launched. "Remote work" wasn't a category—it was a curiosity. Most companies didn't offer it, and those that did hid it in fine print.
Sutton saw what others missed: millions of professionals wanted flexible work, but had no way to find it. So she built FlexJobs, a curated job board focusing exclusively on remote, part-time, freelance, and flexible positions.
Eighteen years later, FlexJobs attracts 898,000 monthly organic visitors and generates an estimated $27.5 million in annual traffic value. When the pandemic made remote work mainstream, FlexJobs was already the established leader—perfectly positioned for a moment that validated everything Sutton had believed since 2007.
The Challenge
The Problem Sara Faced
In 2006, pregnant with her first child, Sutton experienced a frustration that would define her next company. She wanted to keep working, but in a role with flexibility. When she searched for professional jobs that offered remote or part-time options, she found chaos.
Job boards mixed flexible positions with scams, MLM schemes, and envelope-stuffing gigs. Legitimate remote jobs were buried. There was no reliable way to find professional-level work that also offered flexibility.
Sara Sutton wasn't new to the job board industry. In 1995, she dropped out of university to co-found JobDirect, the first online entry-level job site. They sold it to Korn|Ferry International in 2000—the kind of exit that lets you take your time with your next move.
The insight: The problem wasn't a lack of flexible jobs. It was a lack of curation.
Directory Overview
| Website | flexjobs.com |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Sara Sutton |
| Focus | Remote, flexible, and part-time professional jobs |
| Related Properties | Remote.co (launched 2015) |
| Recognition | WEF Young Global Leader (2014) |
Key Metrics (Ahrefs, January 2026)
898K
Monthly organic traffic
$27.5M
Annual traffic value
84
Domain Rating
3.0M
Total backlinks
Traffic value represents what they'd pay to acquire equivalent search traffic through paid advertising. The high value reflects competitive "remote jobs" keyword space.
Traffic Sources
What The Numbers Tell Us
Brand Searches = Dominance: FlexJobs' top keywords are branded ("flexjobs," "flex jobs"). When people search for your brand directly, you've won the awareness game.
Category + Intent Keywords: "Data entry jobs," "online jobs," "remote jobs near me"—these are high-intent searches from people actively looking for work. FlexJobs ranks #2 for many of these massive keywords.
18 Years of Content Authority: FlexJobs has published thousands of articles about remote work, flexible careers, and job search advice. This content captures informational searches and builds compounding authority.
Monetization
The Flipped Business Model
Traditional Job Board
- • Free for job seekers
- • Employers pay to post
- • Incentive: maximize postings (regardless of quality)
FlexJobs Model
- • Job seekers pay subscription
- • Employers post free (after verification)
- • Incentive: maximize job quality
This was controversial when FlexJobs launched. Their initial employer-pay model didn't work—revenue was unsustainable and listing quality suffered. The pivot to job seeker subscriptions aligned FlexJobs with their users: every scam listing hurts retention, every quality job increases value.
Why This Model Works
Aligned Incentives: When job seekers pay, FlexJobs is motivated to serve job seekers. Traditional job boards serve employers (who pay) while claiming to serve candidates (who don't). The subscription model fixes this misalignment.
Curation as Value: FlexJobs doesn't just aggregate jobs—they screen every listing to eliminate scams, MLM schemes, and low-quality postings. This curation justifies the subscription and builds trust.
Recurring Revenue: Subscription models create predictable revenue and sustainable business operations without the volatility of per-posting fees.
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SEO & Content Strategy
Top Ranking Keywords
| Keyword | Volume | Position |
|---|---|---|
| flexjobs | 142,000 | #1 |
| flex jobs | 42,000 | #1 |
| data entry jobs | 77,000 | #2 |
| online jobs | 141,000 | #2 |
| remote jobs near me | 94,000 | #2 |
The Content Flywheel
First-Mover Advantage: In 2007, "remote job board" wasn't a thing. FlexJobs created the category, built authority over 13 years, and was the established leader when COVID made remote work mainstream.
Remote Work Expertise: By positioning as experts on remote work (not just a job board), FlexJobs earns links from media coverage, speaking engagements, and thought leadership. Sara Sutton became a go-to expert quoted in major publications.
Pandemic Tailwind: When millions of workers suddenly needed remote jobs in 2020, FlexJobs had 13 years of content, SEO authority, and brand recognition. Perfectly positioned for a moment they'd been preparing for since 2007.
Competitive Landscape
| Competitor | Focus | FlexJobs Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| glassdoor.com | Job board + reviews | Remote/flexible specialization, curation |
| indeed.com | General aggregator | Quality over quantity, no scams |
| linkedin.com | Professional network | Dedicated remote focus, curated |
| weworkremotely.com | Remote jobs only | Broader flexible options, longer history |
| remote.co | Remote work resources | Same parent company (Sara Sutton) |
Key Lessons
🔮 Build for the Future
In 2007, remote work was niche. Sutton saw where the world was heading and built for that future. When it arrived (faster than expected), FlexJobs was already there.
✨ Curation Has Value
The internet has infinite information and infinite garbage. Curation—carefully selecting and verifying what makes it onto your platform—has real value. People will pay for quality.
🔄 Flip the Model
FlexJobs' original employer-pay model didn't work. Instead of forcing it, they flipped to job seeker subscriptions. That willingness to pivot saved the company.
⚖️ Align Incentives
When job seekers pay, FlexJobs is motivated to serve job seekers. Traditional job boards serve employers while claiming to serve candidates. Subscription fixes this.
❤️ Personal Conviction
Sutton built FlexJobs because she personally experienced the problem. That conviction sustained her through 13 years of building before the market fully validated her vision.
🎯 Create, Don't Compete
FlexJobs didn't compete with Indeed on general job search. They created "flexible/remote job board" and dominated it. Better to define a category than fight for scraps.
Conclusion
Here's what FlexJobs taught me: Sometimes you have to build for a future that hasn't arrived yet—and wait.
Sara Sutton knew in 2007 that flexible work was the future. She knew millions of professionals wanted remote options. She knew the traditional job board model created misaligned incentives. She built FlexJobs based on these convictions.
Then she waited. For 13 years, FlexJobs grew steadily while the rest of the world slowly caught up. Remote work moved from curiosity to option to preference.
When COVID-19 made remote work mandatory for millions, FlexJobs wasn't scrambling to enter a new market. They were the established leader, with years of content, SEO authority, and brand recognition.
The core insight: If you see a trend before others, build for it now. The market will catch up. When it does, you'll be perfectly positioned—not because you were fast, but because you were early.
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Sources: Ahrefs (traffic data, January 2026), The Muse, World Economic Forum, FlexJobs media page, Crunchbase.