I’m a rant-fanatic. There are too many important issues facing humanity for anyone to sit on the sidelines anymore.
How it Started — Military Police — Undercover Investigations & Crime Prevention
In the early 80s, I was in the US Army’s Military Police. I specialized in crime prevention. First at Ft. Meade in Maryland, then for the 3rd Infantry Division when they were still based in Bavaria.
That work built the foundation of my investigative skills. Seeking out weaknesses and vulnerabilities in a military environment during the cold war, with Russian and East German troops just a rock-throw distance away, became invaluable when I later began doing SEO work.
My Internet Career — From a BBS to my First Site & Beyond
As for my internet career — I began building an online bulletin board service for the real estate company I was managing at the time, way back in the winter of 1994. It was that work that led me to being introduced to the “world wide web” in January of 1995.
And in that introduction, I knew, that very first day, the internet was going to be the future. And that it was going to be my career.
World Class Project Management
Over the years, as Direct of Web Development for ANT Internet (a company later acquired by Computer Associates, Inc), I managed a team of devs, designers & IT professionals in the building and ongoing maintenance of some of the world’s most well known sites. From the American Heart Association to Princess Cruises, Macy’s, Weight Watchers International, New York Business to Business Yellow Pages, and beyond.
Then, in 2000, I was introduced to SEO for the first time. So I began learning and integrating SEO into my web dev and web PJM work.
It was in late 2006 when I performed my first proper SEO site audit. Helped a site recover from a massive Google penalty. Got them on top of the 1st page organically after months of rebuilding their site from the ground up.
SEO Audits As A Career Path
My work in SEO was so blessed once I began seriously focusing on audits. I was providing what I refer to as “forensic” SEO audits to some of the biggest brands in the world. Just a few of these include:
- ACLU.org
- Auto & General Insurance
- Beats By Dre
- Carlos Santana
- Disney
- FTD
- GoodTherapy.org
- Liberty Mutual Insurance
- MBA.com
- NBC / Universal
- Rocket Lawyer
- Sammy Hagar
- Union Bank
The list of big name brands and sites I’ve been fortunate enough to have audited, and where my SEO consulting further guided in-house teams at these companies, is mind-boggling, even to me, to this day.
Smaller Clients As Well
I don’t just help big, well established brands though. I also help smaller and medium sized businesses. Many times, I have helped show such clients that they truly CAN compete with big brands. With the right strategy, a well mapped-out action plan, and support from me, even mom & pop shop owners have a chance to win at SEO.
Semi-Retired SEO Asshat
I became semi-retired in the summer of 2012 when I shifted to exclusively offering SEO audits & related consulting as my primary business model.
Over the years, I have been truly blessed, in that my work allows me to travel.
I’ve lived at the beach in Encinitas California, at the beach on Oahu, and at Lake Tahoe.
I’ve flown more and driven more miles purely for pleasure than most people fly or drive in a lifetime. And it’s humbling. Why? Because life is precious. Delicate. Fragile.
Circumstance and happenstance mean that I could have just as likely ended up in a much more challenging situation. With less opportunities. Less privilege.
So I can’t, won’t allow myself to take things for granted like I used to. The arrogance that results from being flippant about the gifts we receive, the joys we experience, is toxic.