Experienced digital professional with decades of experience in search engine optimization, content marketing, social media, paid advertising, and web development. New engagements start with a comprehensive SEO Audit that includes a technical deep dive into the site, evaluating on-page factors, off-page factors, ux and usability, content audit, security factors and any compliance issues.● Technical SEO Audit● On & Off-Page Audit● User Experience & Usability● Digital Strategy● Content Marketing● Search Engine Optimization● Site development that works for the owner, not just the developers● Custom solutions to bespoke challenges● Teaching SEO, and content marketing best practices to writers and developers

Work with a global company with 100 million web pages and nearly as many people who have opinions on how to optimize them. As part of the central SEO team for IBM, our small team acts as strategists and a tactical swat team when needed.Worked extensively with IBM Watson, Watson Health, and Sustainability groups, responsibilities include but not limited to:● Lead strategy, planning, execution, optimization, and measurement/reporting for multiple IBM Business Technology Units● Provide branding and product naming guidance based on search data for new products to internal stakeholders through market research.● Work within an agile environment with product owners, developers, strategist to execute digital campaigns.● Perform technical SEO Audits - Provide in-depth analysis of on page factors that effect rankings with the search engines. Perform CMS audits for indexing issues, such as 301 redirects and multi-hops, canonicalization issues, javascript issues, and more.● Keyword Research - Extensive analysis and research on topical & semantic keywords related to specific business units within IBM to improve visibility within the SERPS. Work directly with the SEM team to ensure keyword gaps are filled. ● Responsible for building out the Buyers Journey with assigned business units as it relates to organic, paid, and social traffic.● Analytics - Track, measure, and report results of all digital marketing initiatives, against assigned KPIs. Tableau and Google Data Studio used extensively. ● Off Page Optimization - Conduct research and provide strategies on off page optimization techniques for content outreach programs. Worked with the PR team to provide strategies in off page optimization (link building).● Competitive Analysis - Conduct research on competitors to analyze and report on their digital marketing strategies for SEO, PPC, and Social.

Working with the best companies in the country to increase visibility and drive revenue. A digital strategy is useless if there are roadblocks that keep your customers from finding and connecting with you. At Adapt we help clients clean-up years of digital changes, streamline the path to meeting current goals and preparing them for accelerated growth moving forward.● Website Audits: Conducting comprehensive audits to identify technical issues that could impact search engine rankings.● On-Page Optimization: Ensuring that all aspects of on-page SEO are optimized. Setting up proper tags (title, meta, header), using appropriate keywords, ensuring the proper implementation of structured data (Schema), and optimizing URLs for better crawlability.● Site Architecture: Planning an efficient website architecture that is easy for search engines to crawl and index. This includes the creation of sitemaps, robots.txt files, and the management of URL parameters.● Mobile Optimization: Ensuring the website is mobile-friendly, considering Google's mobile-first indexing. This involves checking the site’s responsiveness, load time on mobile devices.● Page Speed Optimization: Evaluating website load times to enhance user experience and support better search engine rankings. Techniques might include optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, reducing server response time, and minimizing CSS and JavaScript.● Crawlability and Indexing: Managing crawl budget, fixing crawl errors, and ensuring proper redirection is in place, especially 301 redirects for outdated or moved pages.● Backlink Analysis: Monitoring the site’s backlink profile to identify and remove potentially harmful links, and implementing strategies to acquire high-quality links.● Training and Collaboration: Collaborate with other teams such as content, marketing, and web development, and sometimes provide training on SEO best practices to ensure all aspects of SEO are aligned and functioning together.

Brought on as a full-stack marketing director as employee #19, but eventually moved to communications and engagement. PrecisionLender is one of the fastest growing enterprise SaaS providers of data-driven sales enablement, pricing and portfolio management solutions for financial institutions and was eventually acquired for over $500 million. ● Rebuilt company website using Wordpress framework.● Created content for the website as well as promotional material. ● Created and ran social media accounts.● Created and managed the industry's first podcast aimed specifically at bankers to help them become better at their job. ● Expanded the community footprint of the company to attract new employees at local events.● Helped company become one of Charlotte's Best Places to Work (#2)● Led hiring process during tremendous growth period.

Co-founded and re-imagined a regional marketing conference based on the area's best marketing voices coming together and sharing their expertise in a way that lets every attendee return to work reinvigorated with actionable insights into their work.● Went from zero to live event in 6 weeks● Brought together dozens of speakers at the Raleigh Convention Center over 2 days● Acted as master of ceremonies during the conference.● Created pre and post conference events for attendees and speakers.● Ran social media for the event● Managed check-in, lunches and breaks during the conference

I travel throughout the United States preaching the good word of content marketing as the best way forward to help your business connect with your community, tell a more compelling story and build a reputation as the best place for information... and eventually buy from.The 2 day class focuses on the foundational thinking that has brought both online marketing and search engine optimization to see the uses and possibilities of content marketing. Dives in to personas, best practices, optimizing for findability and how to think differently than they way we've all been taught.● Developed and delivered comprehensive two-day content marketing workshops across multiple U.S. cities, educating professionals on industry best practices, strategic approaches, and effective content creation.● Designed engaging course materials and presentations that provided actionable insights and real-world examples from leading companies known for exceptional content marketing.● Conducted detailed pre-class research to tailor content specifically to the interests and needs of diverse audiences, ensuring relevance and maximizing participant engagement and learning outcomes.● Facilitated interactive brainstorming sessions to help attendees generate innovative content strategies and improve existing campaigns, fostering creative thinking and practical application.● Evaluated current content marketing strategies of attendees, providing personalized feedback and recommendations for enhancement to help them achieve their business goals.● Monitored and analyzed post-class feedback to continuously refine curriculum and teaching methods, achieving an average satisfaction rate exceeding 95% from participants.● Stayed abreast of the latest trends and developments in content marketing and digital strategy, integrating new tools and techniques into the curriculum to keep it current and effective.

The most successful SEO Meetup in the United States is designed to teach local programmers, webmasters and business owners more about SEO and how they can get their websites performing better. The group was always free to attendees.Grew the Meetup group from a handful of attendees each month to a multi-media, mini-conference held each month at NC State convention facility with live streaming and occasionally remote guests joining in. The last year I was running it, we regularly attracted 100 people to the monthly meetings.Each month's presentation would include a full in-person presentation, a physical handout as well as digital download available to everyone for free.

At Curagami, we were at the forefront of digital marketing innovation, strategically positioned at the intersection of search engine technology and human interaction. Our mission was to revolutionize how businesses engage with their online communities by scaling public content to capture attention effectively.We specialized in extracting and leveraging the most engaging content from the crowdfunding niche, sparking meaningful conversations on websites. This approach enabled businesses to deeply understand community values and identify their core supporters, transforming customer engagement strategies.Curagami wasn't just a tool; it was a paradigm shift aimed at making businesses intimately aware of their key online customers, much like the traditional model but with a digital twist. We were dedicated to changing the digital landscape by ensuring that companies could pinpoint and nurture their top 1% of online customers, optimizing both engagement and growth.● Pitched concept to the executives at Startup Factory and were accepted for Spring class.● Worked on multiple products leading to launching two different concepts.● Had a handful of clients signed up for POC● Worked closely with 5 other start-up teams to help them with their website, SEO and social media

Developed comprehensive SEO strategies that align with client business goals and digital marketing objectives. Oversaw the execution of SEO campaigns, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and with high quality. Continually evaluated and refined SEO strategies based on analytical data and industry trends to optimize campaign performance and ROI.Technical SEO Leadership:● Conducted detailed technical SEO audits and competitive analyses to identify areas for improvement and innovative opportunities.● Lead the adoption and implementation of new SEO tools and technologies to enhance the agency’s SEO capabilities.Content Strategy Oversight:● Collaborated with the content teams to plan and execute content strategies that boosted organic search success, ensuring content is optimized for both search engines and user experience.● Guided keyword research and content optimization strategies, integrating SEO best practices throughout the content creation and publication processes.Client and Stakeholder Management:● Acted as the primary SEO point of contact for clients, providing regular updates, insights, and strategic advice to enhance their digital presence.● Educated clients and internal stakeholders on SEO best practices and the strategic role of SEO in broader digital marketing contexts.Analytics and Reporting:● Oversaw the analysis and reporting of SEO campaigns, utilizing analytics tools to track performance metrics and inform future strategies.● Presented detailed reports and insights to clients and senior management, highlighting successes, challenges, and opportunities for growth.Industry Engagement:● Stayed abreast of SEO, search engine, and internet marketing industry trends and developments.● Represented the agency at industry conferences and contributed to industry discussions to enhance the agency’s visibility and thought leadership.

Lead instructor for SEO courses designed to provide practical, useful knowledge in a variety of areas. Currently certified to teach Internet Marketing for Business Managers, Search Engine Optimization, and Effective Website Design.

Leadership and Strategy Development: Spearheaded an award-winning team of web producers, software developers, analytics, media, and marketing experts; focused on crafting and executing strategic integrated marketing campaigns.● Campaign Execution and Management: Orchestrated the development and implementation of comprehensive marketing strategies that targeted key demographics and achieved substantial ROI for clients.● Cross-Functional Collaboration: Fostered a collaborative environment across various departments to ensure cohesive campaign efforts and alignment with client objectives.● Innovation in Campaign Delivery: Introduced cutting-edge digital solutions that enhanced campaign performance and client satisfaction.● Analytics and Performance Measurement: Leveraged advanced analytics to monitor campaign performance, making data-driven decisions to optimize strategies and improve outcomes.● ROI Focus: Consistently delivered campaigns that met or exceeded client expectations in terms of engagement and return on investment, reinforcing the agency's reputation in the industry.● Talent Development and Team Building: Cultivated a culture of continuous learning and innovation within the team, mentoring staff and developing their skills in digital marketing and campaign management.

● Strategic Leadership: Positioned at the strategic juncture of search, social media, usability, and analytics, driving the development and implementation of user-centered strategies.● Search Engine Optimization Expertise: Enhanced clients' online visibility and engagement by optimizing their digital assets for search engines, significantly improving search performance and user interaction.● Social Media Integration: Worked closely with the social media strategies that aligned with overall UX and SEO efforts, amplifying client content reach and engagement on various social platforms.● Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Ensured seamless collaboration between internal teams, including web development, marketing, and content production, to maintain project integrity and coherence as initiatives progressed.● Process Optimization: Streamlined processes and communication across departments, preventing project details from falling through the cracks and enhancing overall operational efficiency.● Innovation and Adaptation: Continuously adapted strategies to leverage emerging digital trends and tools, maintaining the agency's competitive edge and meeting evolving client needs.

● SEO Recovery and Strategy Implementation: Recruited as the in-house SEO expert to address and reverse a significant decline in organic search traffic, implementing strategic measures to stabilize and enhance search performance.● Content Optimization: Overhauled product descriptions and on-page content across the main e-commerce site, significantly improving relevance, readability, and SEO performance, which contributed to enhanced organic rankings and user engagement.● Community Site Development: Spearheaded the development of a new community platform using Drupal, designed to foster customer engagement and support SEO through content-rich interactions and user-generated content.● Blog Integration: Launched a WordPress blog to further boost organic search visibility, offering valuable content that positioned the company as a thought leader in its industry while supporting long-tail SEO strategies.● Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with the content, tech, and product teams to ensure SEO best practices were integrated into all digital initiatives and platforms, enhancing overall digital marketing synergy.● Analytics and Reporting: Monitored, analyzed, and reported on SEO performance metrics, using insights to continually refine strategies and report key findings to stakeholders, demonstrating clear ROI from SEO initiatives.● SEO Training and Leadership: Educated internal teams on SEO best practices, raising the overall digital literacy of the company and ensuring a cohesive approach to content and search marketing strategies.

● SEO and Social Media Leadership: Assumed the role of de facto SEO and Social Media specialist following the dissolution of the marketing department, leading initiatives to enhance online visibility and engagement across digital platforms.● System Transition Leadership: Led a small team responsible for transitioning legacy Knight-Ridder newspaper sites to the new McClatchy Publishing System/CMS, ensuring seamless migration and system integration.● Technical Support and Training: Provided daily support to affiliates, resolving technical issues, enhancing site functionalities, and training users on the McClatchy Publishing System/CMS, enhancing operational efficiency and user competency.● SEO Strategy Implementation: Orchestrated a comprehensive SEO implementation across all 31 McClatchy markets, significantly boosting organic search rankings and online readership.● Recruitment and Training: Actively participated in interviewing and training new hires, building a robust team equipped with the skills necessary to support expansive digital operations.● Emergency Response Management: Managed an emergency response system, carrying an emergency pager to address and resolve mission-critical issues promptly, ensuring continuous service and system reliability.● Affiliate Collaboration: Collaborated with over 30 affiliate groups through IM, email, phone, and in-person communications, strengthening partnerships and facilitating coordinated digital strategies.● Feature Development: Developed features to bridge the gap between software development and website design, improving site functionality and user experience.● Product Development: Designed and deployed a story commenting feature, enhancing user interaction and community engagement on news articles.Daily Technical Proficiencies: Utilized JavaScript, jQuery, AJAX, CSS, and template toolkit on a daily basis to maintain and enhance website functionalities and aesthetics.

Worked mostly moving this start-up from a static type of website development to a more dynamic database type of approach before the bubble burst.

Micro-startup that did website development. I was the first full-time hire. I handled all things technical, including server set up, wiring the office, html, perl, database admin.

My first "real" web job. Learned the ropes about every aspect of working on the web. HTML, javascript, Perl, databases, Apache, networking and server admin.

Sold protective vinyl bumpers to manufacturers of grocery store fixture makers. Handled the California area.