SEO for businesses where organic performance
actually matters.
Most of the businesses I work with have the same underlying issue: organic is underperforming, nobody is entirely sure why, and the recommendations that have been made so far haven't stuck. The work starts with a clear diagnosis, then moves into whatever combination of strategy, implementation, and oversight the situation actually needs.
Start with an audit
Almost every engagement starts here. An audit surfaces issues a proposal never could, and almost always reveals follow-on work worth doing.
Technical SEO deep-dive
Not a tool export with a summary stuck on top. I read the site the way Googlebot does: crawl behaviour, log files, architecture decisions. Then I work out what's actually going on and why.
- Crawl analysis: crawl efficiency, crawl budget waste, orphaned content, crawl traps
- Log file analysis: what Googlebot is actually crawling versus what you think it is
- Site architecture: URL structure, internal linking, faceted navigation, pagination
- Indexation: noindex misuse, canonicalisation issues, duplicate content
- Core Web Vitals: LCP, INP, CLS — assessed for both ranking and user experience impact
- Structured data: implementation accuracy and opportunity mapping
- Technical debt: legacy issues that tend to accumulate on older or migrated sites
A prioritised, actionable document written for a marketing team. Not a 300-page crawl export. What's holding you back, why, and what to fix first.
Technical and on-page SEO audit (combined)
The most common starting point. Everything in the technical audit, plus a full assessment of content quality, on-page structure, and how the site is positioned for organic search.
- Keyword and intent mapping: are the right pages targeting the right queries with the right intent?
- Topical authority: does the site demonstrate sufficient depth and coverage in its core subject areas?
- Content quality assessment: thin content, cannibalisation, pages that rank but don't convert
- Internal linking: is authority flowing to the pages that need it?
- On-page structure: title tags, headings, meta descriptions, schema, assessed against current best practice
- For financial services: a compliance-aware content assessment, looking at where content strategy and regulatory requirements intersect
Same format as the technical audit: a single prioritised document. Technical and on-page issues are sequenced by impact, not filed separately.
On-page SEO strategy
The ongoing work after an audit: knowing what to target, how to structure it, and whether it's working. A page that ranks but doesn't convert is still an SEO problem. Engagement signals and on-site behaviour are ranking factors too.
Businesses with an existing content programme that isn't performing as well as it should. Sites that need existing content fixed before new content becomes the priority.
- Keyword research and intent mapping for priority topic areas
- Topical authority roadmaps — identifying the content a site needs to credibly own a subject area
- Content briefs structured for both search performance and compliance approval
- On-page optimisation of existing content — fixing what's already there before building what isn't
- Internal linking strategy: ensuring authority flows correctly through the site
- Monitoring and iteration: tracking what's working and adjusting accordingly
Website migrations
Migrations are high-stakes. Done badly, they undo years of ranking progress in weeks. Done properly, traffic can go up from day one. I've made that happen.
The most common failure is treating SEO as something to check once the build is underway. By that point the critical decisions about URL structure, redirect logic, and site architecture have already been made. I work with development teams at the planning stage, not after.
- Legacy .NET and older platform replacements moving to modern CMS or custom builds
- Headless and enterprise CMS migrations with complex URL structures and thousands of pages
- Programmatic migrations: redirect mapping at scale, automated URL matching, bulk validation
- E-commerce migrations: product catalogue preservation, faceted navigation, structured data continuity
- Pre-migration strategy: defining URL structure, redirect logic, and the crawl plan before a line of code is written
- Post-migration monitoring: tracking crawl, indexation, and ranking signals in the weeks after launch
International SEO
Ranking across APAC and beyond Google requires a different technical and content approach. My experience here is direct: Baidu, APAC regional strategy across multiple markets, and international content programmes for regulated financial products at Allianz. Not theoretical.
Technical implementation
- hreflang: correct implementation across large, multi-language, multi-region site architectures
- International site structure: ccTLDs, subdomains, or subdirectories — choosing the right approach for the situation
- Geotargeting signals: Search Console configuration, IP delivery, canonical treatment across regions
Baidu and APAC markets
- Baidu's technical requirements differ meaningfully from Google's — hosting, ICP licensing, content treatment, and crawl behaviour all need specific attention
- APAC regional strategy: understanding how search behaviour, content expectations, and regulatory environments vary across markets
International content
- Content frameworks for international audiences — particularly for regulated products where financial content must be localised, not just translated
- Keyword research in target languages and markets
Fractional Head of SEO
"We need senior SEO expertise, but not a full-time hire."
Mid-market businesses often have the budget for an agency but the need for a senior practitioner who actually understands their context. A fractional arrangement gives you strategic direction and hands-on SEO work without the overhead of a full-time hire or the handoff risk of an agency model.
This is direct, senior-level engagement. Every piece of work is delivered by me, not passed to a junior team.
- Acting as the SEO function for businesses without one, or alongside a small internal team
- Setting and owning the organic search strategy — not just providing recommendations
- Prioritising what to work on and in what order, based on what will move the needle
- Working directly with marketing, development, and (where relevant) compliance teams
- Regular reporting that translates organic performance into terms that make sense to leadership
- Adapting the scope as the business changes — this is not a fixed retainer in a fixed lane
For financial services clients specifically: someone who understands ASIC regulations, compliance review cycles, and the specific dynamics of financial search, embedded in your team rather than briefed externally.
Not sure where to start?
Most engagements begin with a conversation. Describe the situation — the site, the problem, what you've already tried — and I'll tell you honestly whether an audit, a project, or a fractional arrangement is the right fit.
Get in touch