Freelance SEO Consultant

Having been working in the SEO space since 2009 in various capacities, I am excited to now offer my services as a freelance SEO consultant. Over the years, I’ve seen the evolution of what it takes to gain visibility in search, and it’s been a dynamic journey, to say the least.
My experience is wide-ranging, both in my skills and expertise (content strategy, technical SEO, AI search, etc.) and in the consulting dynamics I’ve operated in.

I’ve worked with corporate marketing teams, startup founders, small business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and development teams that need an SEO hand. And I’ve demonstrated measurable growth and ROI in those engagements, with many lasting several years.

Learn more below about me, my background, and my offering as a freelance SEO consultant. Or if you’re eager to get started, reach out now.

SEO Has Changed, and So Should Your Consultant

In my early days, I helped SEO agencies build ethically questionable doorway pages for their clients, targeting every relevant keyword imaginable. While the practices back then seemed sketchy (because they were), they actually worked. Until they didn’t. Nowadays, those techniques would get your site de-indexed.

Fast-forward to today, and AI is the topic of conversation. Not only has AI reshaped Google search and how users interact with it, but generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are becoming new ways to search for answers and information. Love it or hate it, Harvard reports that more than two-thirds of Gen Z are using an AI chatbot as a replacement for Google. 

Learn more about my AI SEO services.

Here’s what I am getting at: what worked yesterday isn’t guaranteed to work tomorrow. If you choose to work with a freelance SEO consultant, it’s important that the individual is hyper-aware of the highly dynamic search landscape and respects all contributing facets of the craft (even if they don’t necessarily like where it’s heading).

Like many professions, SEO is saturated in ego. There are many consultants who are quick to say that they know it all and can guarantee outcomes. But any guarantee should be a red flag. The best SEO consultants are those who are humble, honest about what they don’t know, and set realistic outcomes based on genuine intentions and relevant practices.

SEO Consulting Services I Provide

As I alluded to above, a lot has changed in the world of SEO. And what I’ve noticed about really good SEO professionals is that they learn, adapt, and pivot their offering based on what’s relevant and what’s working. They don’t let their ego get in the way, and shrug off trends (like AI) just because they don’t like them.

Just in the last couple of years, my offering has changed immensely. Here’s a look at some of the services I provide as a freelance SEO consultant.

• SEO audits: I will audit your website’s current SEO standing, including its information architecture, technical SEO performance, top keywords and organic pages, backlinks, your presence in AI, and any other specifics you need digging into. 
• Keyword research: The fundamentals still apply, and gaining intelligence into what people are searching for that pertains to your offering can inform your strategy.
• Competitive analysis: I can do a deep dive on your competitor’s SEO efforts and pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, and reveal potential opportunities and threats. 
• SEO strategy: I’ll help your team formulate a cohesive SEO strategy that’s aligned with your growth objectives and aspirations to scale. This may include technical SEO, content marketing, a website overhaul, and/or minor tweaks, among other strategic initiatives. 
• Content strategy: I use the audit and research findings to develop a strategic content plan to improve your search visibility. Not limited to SEO, this may include AI overviews (AIO), generative engine optimization (GEO), and answer engine optimization (AEO), which are emerging strategies to gain visibility through AI mechanisms.
• Technical SEO: If certain technical bottlenecks are present, our SEO efforts could be significantly hampered. I can help reveal what (if any) technical issues may be present and what steps we need to take to fix them.
• Analytics monitoring and reporting: I can help keep your team in the know on how well your SEO investment is paying off, including regular reporting on organic traffic, keyword rankings, and AI citations/mentions. 

These are just some of the services I offer at a glance. Every consulting program is custom-tailored to the unique needs of the business, its website, and goals. Interested in working with me as your SEO consultant? Get in touch.

Why Hire a Freelance SEO Consultant vs. an Agency

I’ve worked for enough SEO agencies to know that they add considerable bloat in more ways than one. Agencies generally cost much more than working with an SEO consultant, with rates averaging $150 to $300 per hour. Most freelance SEOs, including myself, are substantially less than $100 per hour.

For enterprise SEO that demands volume implementation, an agency can be beneficial. Perhaps you need to roll out hundreds of new pages within a month or two. A single SEO consultant might not be able to execute that ask. However, if those implementation resources are available in-house, a consultant can help identify and delegate tasks to get the job done, even if that means outsourcing and contracting out the roles.

SEO consultants are typically more flexible to customize services to accomodate the immediate and long-term needs of the company. They’re adaptable to shift gears without the bureaucratic infrastructure to drastically reallocate resources or discuss reworking contract agreements.

Lastly, there’s the working relationship and how things actually get done. Speaking of bloat, you may be interacting with multiple people when working with an SEO agency. A consultant is the primary point of contact and the one who delivers or instructs the work. The latter is often a simpler and more efficient operation.

My Professional Background in SEO

I’ve worked in various capacities, from an SEO copywriter to a senior consultant with some of the industry’s leading experts. For a quick resume-at-a-glance, below is a brief timeline of history in the SEO space:

• SEO Copywriter: Immediately after college, I landed a job as an SEO copywriter at Peak Positions in Traverse City. Back then, “doorway pages” and keyword stuffing worked, and the tactics were definitely not what you’d call “white hat.”
• Internet Marketing Manager: An Illinois-based web design shop, OIC Group, Inc., with a fully remote, distributed team, poached me from Peak Positions to serve as their Internet marketing manager. There, I led and executed client SEO and PPC advertising campaigns.
• Senior SEO Specialist: A colleague and friend of mine from OIC Group branched out and started Captivate Search Marketing, an agency based in Atlanta. I worked with him and his team for several years as a senior SEO specialist, spearheading client campaigns.
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO): I always wanted to take my experience to a company in-house and help scale the business through search marketing. I landed that opportunity with Bearclaw Bicycle Co., where I ran all facets of the company’s marketing and technology.
• Director of Content Strategy: Alongside my work with Bearclaw, I started a contractor role with the Gray Dot Company, which later turned into an employment opportunity. It was a rewarding experience working with the upper echelon of the world’s SEO community.
• Freelance SEO Consulting: In 2023, I branched off on my own to work as a freelance SEO consultant with a focus on content strategy and organic growth. Today, I maintain this role while running a few side-hustle blogs.

My SEO Toolkit at a Glance

SEO should never be automated, and that includes using AI to do the heavy lifting. SEO tools are essential for gaining intelligence and informing the strategy. But they demand a human-in-the-loop to maximize their value. Here are some of the weapons in my SEO arsenal.

• Ahrefs to conduct audits, content gap analysis, keyword research, and monitor performance. It’s also a helpful tool for investigating competitors and understanding what’s driving organic traffic.
• Semrush offers similar capabilities to Ahrefs, but with more robust competitive analysis at scale and organic performance tracking.
• Screaming Frog is the gold standard among SEO crawler tools and the foundation of every technical SEO audit I run. It surfaces crawl anomalies, redirect chains, broken links, and on-page issues at scale.
• AI-assisted tools like Perplexity are powerful tools for research and gathering information. While generative AI shouldn’t be relied on for content development and facts, it can fast-track finding data, uncovering trends, and understanding the latest tidal wave that is AI search.

I also have experience with platforms like Google Analytics, Google Ads, Moz, BrightLocal, and Yext.

What It’s Like to Work With Me: Getting Started

Clear communication is key in any relationship, especially when it comes to doing business together. My goal is to deliver exceptional quality work that delivers on your expectations and achieves your short- and long-term objectives.

During the initial phases of your project, we can discuss details over email and video conferencing calls before we nail down the strategic vision and scope of work. Once we’re aligned, I’ll provide a detailed proposal that includes an outline of the project’s scope, key deliverables, timeline, and cost. 

Most SEO consulting engagements start with an audit of your website, its content, and an analysis of your search landscape and competition. Even a cursory glance can reveal a wealth of insight on how minor improvements can make a dramatic difference.

For lean companies that also need executional SEO services and support (someone to actually get the job done), I can handle the ongoing implementation of the work I deliver. Often based on a streamlined approval process, I can take the burden off your team of uploading content, sourcing images, and executing the overall publishing process.

For ongoing projects, I can also track the performance of your investment. Data from Google Analytics is helpful in measuring progress, but it’s not required. I also use tools like Ahrefs to track the performance of content, SEO, and other strategic initiatives.

Let’s get the ball rolling. Contact me to get started.

Go back to see all my freelance services.