Hiring an SEO Expert for AI Search

The AI Horror Modern Businesses Face

You’re on your laptop, late at night, doing the thing every founder, marketer, or ops lead does when the pressure is on. You type a search and hit enter. And you don’t see what you expected.

Instead of ten blue links and a clean path to your website, you get a big AI summary. It answers the question right there. Then it moves on. Your brand doesn’t show, but your competitor does. Or worse — no one gets credited at all.

If you’ve felt that “wait… where did the clicks go?” moment, you’re not imagining it.

Pew Research analyzed real browsing behavior and found that when an AI summary appears, people click a traditional search result link about half as often (8% vs. 15%). That’s a gut punch if your pipeline depends on search traffic.

It’s also why so many smart teams are suddenly asking:

• “Why did my traffic drop after AI Overviews?”
• “How do I get my site cited in Google AI Overviews?”
• “How do I show up in ChatGPT Search results?”

Those are not trendy questions. They’re survival questions.

Search didn’t die. The doorway moved.

What changed (and what didn’t)

Google has been clear that AI features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are now part of the search experience — and that site owners should think about how their content shows up inside these AI experiences.

But here’s the part people miss: this isn’t a replacement for SEO. In fact, on a fundamental level, very little has changed in terms of what you need to be doing to be referenced by search engines and AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Grok.

At best, it’s an expansion of the playing field.

BrightEdge, looking at large-scale data, reported that AI-driven search referrals are growing quickly, but still represent less than 1% of referral traffic in their dataset. In plain terms: classic organic search is still the workhorse.

So if someone is pitching you a shiny “GEO agency” package that sounds like it replaces everything else, be careful.

The real move is simpler — and harder:

Keep doing SEO. Upgrade it for AI.

Too many teams get burned by SEO that looks good on paper and fails in the real world.

• The agency that promises page-one rankings in 30 days, then goes quiet.
• The freelancer who “does SEO” but can’t explain what they did.
• The content machine that pumps out posts that all sound the same.

And now we’re in a new era where the cost of bad SEO is higher, because your content isn’t only competing for rankings — it’s competing to become the source material AI engines trust.

But here’s the simple truth: Helpful, unique, accessible content wins — whether the reader is human or an AI system. It’s how I’ve driven outcomes like leads +209%, clicks +130%, traffic +389%, and conversions +42% across my career.

What you’ll get from this guide

This article is built for one job: help you hire SEO help without regret — in a world where “SEO” now includes things like:

• entity SEO for AI search
• AI search optimization services
• AI visibility audit / AI search visibility audit
• schema markup for AI Overviews
• knowledge graph optimization consultant work
• Basics like llms.txt implementation service

I’ll break down what SEO really is, what modern “GEO / AIO / LLMO services” can realistically do, and how to spot the difference between a real strategist with a process and a confident talker with a template. By the end, you’ll have a clean, sane way to hire someone.

What is SEO?

Here’s the simplest way I can explain SEO: You don’t “do SEO” to trick Google. You do it so search systems can find your pages, understand them, trust them, and choose them.

That’s it.

Google describes SEO as helping search engines understand your content, and helping people decide whether they should visit your site from search results. And before anything can rank, Google has to crawl your pages, index them, and then decide where they fit.

So when SEO “isn’t working,” it’s usually one of three problems:

• Your site can’t be reliably crawled or indexed. (Technical problem.)
• Your pages don’t clearly answer what the searcher wants. (On-page problem.)
• The web doesn’t treat you like a credible source. (Off-page problem.)

SEO is not a hack. It’s the public logic of your website.

Here is a look at each pillar of SEO, in detail.

On-page SEO: What you say, and how you say it

On-page SEO is everything you control on your own pages. Think of it like showing up to an interview with:

• a clear resume,
• clean examples,
• and answers that match the job.

On-page work helps search engines understand your page and helps humans stay long enough to take action.

The on-page pieces that move the needle most:

• Page purpose: Each page should do one main job. One intent.
• Title + H1 alignment: The headline should match the promise.
• Scannable structure: Short sections, clear subheads, helpful lists.
• Internal links: Use them like street signs, not confetti.
• Media that clarifies: Screenshots, diagrams, simple tables.
• Conversion blocks: Make the next step obvious.

In my experience, the best SEO content is unique, helpful, and accessible. That means original ideas or first-hand detail, real problem-solving, and easy navigation (TOCs, TLDRs, FAQs).

If your page could be swapped with ten other posts and no one would notice, it’s not strong yet.

Off-page SEO: What the internet says about you

Off-page SEO is your reputation layer.

Search engines are trying to protect users from junk. So they look for signals that other real places on the web take you seriously. Bing frames this as guidance around how they find, index, and rank sites — and why quality matters.

Off-page is usually built through:

• Earned links from relevant, credible sites
• Brand mentions in places your audience trusts
• Reviews (for local businesses and services)
• Digital PR (thoughtful, not spammy)

There’s two important truths here. First, you can’t fake this forever. Google explicitly calls out “techniques used to deceive users or manipulate Search systems” as spam. Second, shortcuts can backfire. If someone is selling you “guaranteed backlinks,” remember: if it’s built to manipulate, it’s built to break.

Technical SEO: The piping under the hood

Technical SEO is the part most people only notice when it’s broken. It’s the “piping” that helps search engines:

• reach your pages
• render them
• understand relationships between them
• store them in the index

Technical SEO usually includes:

• Crawl access: no accidental blocks (robots.txt / noindex mistakes)
• Index control: canonicals, duplicates, thin pages
• Site speed + mobile usability: your site should not fight the user
• Information architecture: clean navigation and URL structure
• Structured data: clear machine-readable meaning

Structured data is worth a special callout. Google’s guidelines explain what’s required for eligibility for rich results, recommend JSON-LD, and point you to validation tools like the Rich Results Test.

One nuance: some rich results have changed over time (like reduced FAQ/HowTo visibility). So schema isn’t magic. It’s a clarity tool.

What this means when I’m talking with a client

SEO is a system that makes sure:

• the site is readable to machines
• the content is useful to humans
• and the brand is credible on the wider web

When those three line up, growth becomes less fragile. And when they don’t, you end up paying for traffic forever.

What are GEO, AIEO, AIO, LLMO – and how do they fit in with SEO?

If you’ve been doing anything with the internet lately, you’ve probably noticed: You search a question. Google answers it for you. And you click onto an actual website less and less.

It’s not just you. Pew Research found that when an AI summary appears, people click traditional results less often (8% of visits vs. 15% without an AI summary). And SparkToro’s 2024 zero-click study found that, out of 1,000 Google searches, only about 360 clicks in the U.S. go to the open web.

So yes: classic SEO still matters. But it’s no longer the whole job.

Today, web visibility has two lanes:

• Search visibility (rank, impressions, clicks)
• Answer visibility (being included, cited, summarized, recommended)

That’s where GEO, AIEO/AIO, and LLMO come in.

The game is shifting from “Can you rank?” to “Will the engines trust you enough to quote you?”

Before we define the acronyms, here’s the plain-English translation:

• SEO helps you show up in results.
• AI optimization helps you show up in AI answers.

And the same core principle still wins: content that is unique, helpful, and accessible tends to get surfaced more — by both humans and machines.

GEO & AIEO: The new face of search – beyond Google

Google is explicit now: AI features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are part of Search, and site owners should think about how their content shows up in those experiences.

Here’s what makes this different from classic search:

1) The interface changed. A “blue link list” invites exploration. An AI overview invites closure.

When someone gets a decent answer on the results page, a big chunk of journeys end there. (That’s what “zero-click” really means.)

2) The winner-take-most effect gets sharper. In classic SEO, ranking #3 can still drive meaningful traffic. In AI answers, the engine might cite three sources total.

So the new competitive question becomes:

• “Are we one of the few sources the model trusts enough to cite?”

3) The “content bar” gets higher, not lower. AI systems don’t need more generic content. They have plenty of that. They need content that has something extra:

• first-hand experience
• original examples
• crisp definitions
• clean structure
• clear authorship
• verifiable claims

This is why my playbook keeps coming back to the same four levers: unique, helpful, connecting, accessible.

What GEO looks like in the real world

When I’m doing an AI search visibility audit (or building an AI SERP strategy consulting roadmap), I’m usually looking for a few practical “answer engine” patterns:

• Does the page answer the question quickly? (Be concise at top, then layer in depth.)
• Is the structure machine-friendly? (Clear headings, short sections, lists where useful.)
• Do we include Q&A blocks that can be lifted cleanly? (FAQs are still powerful when real.)
• Are we using structured data correctly? (Visible content, valid markup, no tricks.)

That’s the bridge between SEO content and answer engine optimization services: you’re not just trying to rank — you’re trying to be extractable.

LLMO: Welcome to the Age of Language Models

LLMO sounds fancy, but the idea is simple: Language models prefer sources that are easy to parse, consistent, and credible. Some of that is classic SEO. Journalistic principles can help here, too. And some of it is just having basic respect for the reader and their time.

LLMO is the discipline of making your site “understandable” to LLMs at inference time. That includes things like:

• clean semantic structure
• consistent product/brand naming
• strong entity clarity (who/what/where)
• updated pages (not stale, contradictory content)
• citations to reputable sources when you make claims
• Google even publishes a site-owner guide for AI search features. That alone tells you this isn’t a fad.

The llms.txt conversation (and what I think is reasonable)

You’ll also hear about llms.txt implementation service and llms.txt consulting. That comes from a proposal to publish a simple /llms.txt file that helps models find the “right” pages on your site.

To be clear: it’s a proposal, not a guaranteed ranking lever. But it reflects the direction of travel: making your site easier for machines to ingest without mangling context.

If you’re a docs-heavy brand, a marketplace, or a SaaS with lots of supporting content, I see llms.txt as potentially useful hygiene — like a curated map.

It’s not magic or a substitute for quality. But it can be a great way to reduce friction.

So do you need GEO/AIO/LLMO, or should you just do SEO?

If you’re only investing in one thing, start with the fundamentals:

• technical stability
• content that actually helps
• clear site architecture
• topical focus
• credibility signals

Then layer in the AI-era stuff, because here’s the truth: The sites that win in AI answers are usually winning in search first. That’s because GEO doesn’t replace SEO — it’s simply an extension of it.

And if you want the simplest decision filter, use this:

• If your buyers still Google their problem, then you need SEO.
• If your buyers also ask ChatGPT / Gemini / Perplexity, then you need SEO with AI visibility.

That’s why I frame these as parts of an integrated whole: AI search optimization services should still respect the fundamentals — because the fundamentals are what keep you standing when the interface changes.

What is an SEO Expert or SEO Specialist?

An SEO expert (or specialist) is not just about keywords and writing How-To articles.

A real SEO expert is the person you hire to make sure search systems can find, understand, and trust your site — and to turn that visibility into business results. Google’s own SEO Starter Guide frames SEO as helping search engines understand your content and helping people decide whether to visit your site.

That’s the work.

It’s also why good SEO is partly marketing, partly product thinking, and partly engineering. And it’s why “cheap SEO” so often turns into expensive cleanup later. You’re not hiring someone to chase rankings. You’re hiring someone to protect how the internet understands you.

What does an SEO expert or SEO specialist actually do?

Most SEO work falls into three buckets. The best specialists can touch all three. They’re usually strongest in one.

Technical Optimization: Making sure the site works for machines

Before you rank, Google has to crawl and index your pages. And Google doesn’t guarantee it will crawl, index, or serve your page — even if you follow best practices. So technical SEO is about removing friction.

A technical SEO specialist will usually:

• Fix crawl and index blockers (bad robots rules, rogue noindex, broken canonicals).
• Reduce duplication (near-identical pages, messy parameters, thin variants).
• Improve site architecture so important pages aren’t buried.
• Tighten internal linking so authority flows to priority pages.
• Implement structured data where it’s truly relevant, and validate it.

This is the “piping under the hood” work. It’s not glamorous, but it prevents invisible losses.

On-Page Optimization: Making your content make sense

This is where most people think SEO lives. It’s not wrong. It’s just incomplete. On-page SEO is about aligning a page with search intent and making it easy to understand fast. That includes titles, headers, copy structure, media, and internal links.

An on-page SEO specialist will:

• Optimize titles, metas, headers, and URLs.
• Improve internal linking structure.
• Guide layout for readability, accessibility, and engagement.
• Create or refine content that’s genuinely helpful and matches intent.

I might be biased here, because I’m a writer first and foremost. But this is also why I trust my own framework: unique, helpful, connecting, accessible. If your content isn’t those things, SEO tweaks won’t save it.

Off-Page Optimization: Building your credibility

Off-page SEO is your reputation layer. Search engines use links and mentions as signals of trust. That’s why off-page starts to look like PR when it’s done well.

A legit off-page specialist will:

• Earn backlinks ethically (not “buy links from forums in Belarus”).
• Help you get mentioned in relevant publications, blogs, and directories.
• Monitor brand mentions and protect reputation.

This matters even more in AI-era search. AI systems want sources that look credible across the web.

What a great SEO expert does

A great SEO expert acts like a strategic partner, not a salesman.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• They start with outcomes, not tactics. Goals tie to pipeline, not vanity metrics.
• They build a roadmap. Audit → priorities → sequence → owners → deadlines.
• They explain things in plain English. Jargon can be confusing. Clarity is not.
• They adapt as the surface changes. Google shifts. AI answers shift. The plan adjusts.
• They measure what matters. Impressions and rankings are inputs. Leads are the output.

I’ve built SEO systems that improved performance and production speed at the same time — like an AIO/GEO content engine that cut production time 31% and increased publish cadence 68%. I’ve also driven sustained organic growth outcomes like leads +209%, clicks +130%, traffic +389%, and conversions +42% in prior roles.

That’s not SEO magic. That’s building systems tailored to helping client customers. Any good SEO expert should be able to do the same.

What SEO experts shouldn’t do

Screenshot and save this: A real SEO expert won’t promise what no one can control.

Google explicitly warns it doesn’t accept payment to rank you higher, and it doesn’t guarantee crawling, indexing, or ranking. So if someone guarantees page-one rankings on a timeline, that’s a red flag.

They also shouldn’t use tactics that violate spam policies. Google’s spam policies describe “techniques used to deceive users or manipulate Search systems.” Bing’s guidelines also call out practices like keyword stuffing.

Watch for this stuff:

• Guaranteed rankings (“#1 in a week”)
• Shady tactics (keyword stuffing, hidden links, private blog networks)
• Ignoring content strategy (just doing “technical” fixes with no content plan)
• Ghosting after onboarding (no reporting, no responsiveness)

If you hire someone who cuts corners, it’s liable to come back to haunt you. The web forgets slowly — especially in the AI era. Recovery from big SEO mistakes can cost you time and money.

When Should I Hire Someone for SEO?

Most people don’t hire an SEO expert when things are going smoothly. They hire one when their numbers start to wobble. Or when the pressure rises. Or when they realize search is changing faster than their team can keep up.

If that’s you, here’s the truth: I know waiting feels safer. But it can also be costly. In a world of AI summaries and zero-click behavior, visibility is easier to lose than to rebuild.

If search is a growth channel for you, SEO isn’t optional work. It’s risk management. Below are the clearest “hire now” moments I see.

When you’ve hit a growth plateau

You’re publishing. You’re doing content. But impressions and clicks flatline.

That’s usually a sign of one of these issues:

• You’re covering topics, but not building topical authority.
• Your best pages are outdated, thin, or poorly structured.
• Your internal links don’t guide Google — or humans — to the right pages.
• Competitors are winning because they’re clearer, not smarter.

AI is also changing the click curve. Pew found people click traditional results less often when an AI summary appears. If your growth model assumes old click rates, you’ll feel a plateau sooner.

Hire SEO help when:

• Your traffic is flat for 2–3+ months.
• Your best pages are older than a year.
• You can’t explain why some pages win and others don’t.

When you’re redesigning your website

A redesign is one of the highest-risk SEO moments. It’s easy to clean up a site and accidentally break what Google already understands. URL changes, missing redirects, lost internal links, and broken canonicals can tank performance.

Google’s Search Central documentation has an entire guide on how to move URLs while minimizing negative impact. That’s how common this problem is.

Hire SEO help before the redesign starts — not after traffic drops.

At minimum, you want:

• a URL mapping plan
• 301 redirect rules
• canonicals checked
• staging site crawl tests
• post-launch monitoring

When you’re not sure what content to create

You might have a good writer. You might have a blog. But if you don’t have a map, it’s pointless.

An SEO expert helps you stop guessing by building:

• a keyword + intent plan
• a topical cluster model
• a publishing cadence tied to pipeline
• clear internal link paths

This is also where AI-era goals fit in. If you care about being cited in AI answers, you need content that is easy to extract and trust. That means structure, clarity, and proof.

When you’re scaling, expanding, or entering new markets

Scaling breaks SEO that may have been getting you by previously. New markets mean new competitors, new intents, and new SERP features. You also risk duplicating pages across locations or segments in ways that dilute relevance.

This is a strong time to bring in an SEO specialist to:

• protect your brand narrative as you grow
• design site architecture that scales
• prevent duplicate pages or thin page problems
• plan localized content or segment-specific content

When you don’t have SEO expertise in-house

This is not a moral failing. It’s normal. SEO is cross-functional. It touches content, dev, analytics, and product. Most teams don’t have all that in one person.

If no one on your team can confidently answer…

• “Are we being crawled and indexed correctly?”
• “Which pages drive pipeline, and why?”
• “What’s our plan to earn authority over time?”

…then you’re operating on luck. And that is never an effective strategy.

When you need more leads, but ads are getting too expensive

Paid ads can work. They’re actually a good part of a holistic growth strategy, as they can drive organic uplift. But they are also a faucet you pay to keep on.

SEO is different. It compounds. It becomes an asset.

In 2024, SparkToro’s zero-click study showed only about 360 out of 1,000 U.S. Google searches led to clicks to the open web. That makes each earned click more valuable — and each paid click more painful.

SEO won’t save you tomorrow. But it can stop you from paying for all your growth for forever.

A realistic note on timing

If you’re hiring because you need results next week, SEO will frustrate you.

Many industry timelines point to initial traction in the 3–6 month range, with bigger gains often taking longer. It varies by competition, site strength, and execution quality.

That’s why the best time to hire is usually before you feel the emergency.

What Should I Consider Before Hiring an SEO Expert or Agency?

Hiring SEO help is not like ordering DoorDash. It’s closer to hiring a contractor for your house. If the foundation is cracked, paint won’t fix it. And if the contractor is shady, you’ll pay twice.

So before you give anyone access to your site, pause. Do the internal work first. It’s the fastest way to protect ROI and avoid SEO regret.

What are you actually trying to achieve?

If your goal is “rank #1,” I’d gently ask you to back up. Rankings are a KPI. They serve goals. But they are not a goal in and of themselves.

What you want is usually something like:

• more qualified leads
• more demos booked
• more revenue from organic
• less reliance on ads
• more authority in your niche

Google itself frames hiring an SEO as a big decision that can improve your site, but can also risk damage if the SEO is irresponsible. That’s why goals matter.

A strong outcome-oriented goal sounds like this:

• “Increase organic leads by 25% in 6 months.”
• “Grow high-intent clicks to product pages by 30%.”
• “Get cited in AI Overviews for 10 priority questions.”
• “Increase brand mentions in AI answers for our category.”

If you can’t state the goal in one sentence, you can’t hire well.

Here’s a tiny 2-minute exercise to help you formulate this:

1. Name your one business goal (leads, revenue, signups).
2. Name your one search KPI that supports it (non-brand clicks, demo-page visits).
3. Name your one AI KPI (citations/mentions for priority prompts).

That’s your hiring compass.

Do you understand the basics (or are you expecting magic)?

TYou don’t need to be an SEO expert. But you do need enough context to spot two things:

1. false promises
2. vague reporting

Google is clear: hiring an SEO can help, but an irresponsible one can harm your site and reputation. So here’s the baseline you should know:

• SEO is not instant.
• No one can guarantee crawling, indexing, or rankings.
• SEO isn’t done in an echo chamber. It needs access and teamwork.

My favorite litmus test: Ask any candidate to explain their plan in plain English. If they can’t, don’t hire them.

Is your website actually ready?

This one is uncomfortable, because it’s often a real blocker. A lot of businesses hire SEO help when the site is:

• slow
• messy
• hard to crawl
• hard to navigate

In that case, your first “SEO hire” might need to be a developer. Or you may need to fix your CMS.

At minimum, your site should:

• load quickly
• work well on mobile
• have clear navigation and internal linking
• be crawlable by search engines

And if someone proposes AI Overviews optimization, but your site can’t be crawled cleanly?

That’s like tuning up a racecar with no engine.

Are you ready to collaborate?

Even the best SEO expert can’t win alone. Good SEO needs your input on:

• who your ideal customer is
• what your funnel looks like
• what’s most profitable
• what’s been tried already

It also needs access to real internal truth:

• customer reviews and objections
• case studies and outcomes
• product insights and research
• analytics and search console data

If you can’t give access, or approvals take six weeks, SEO will stall. Not because the expert failed. Because the system did.

Here is a practical collaboration checklist:

• Who owns approvals?
• Who can publish?
• Who can implement tech fixes?
• Who can answer product questions fast?
• Who will meet with your SEO expert for 30 minutes every 1–2 weeks?

If those answers are fuzzy, fix that first.

What’s your budget and timeline?

This is where a lot of frustration is born. SEO is slow, and it compounds. Your job is to buy the right level of help for your situation.

Here is a decent starting point:

• Under $1k/month often means a solo freelancer or starter package.
• $2k–$5k/month often buys custom strategy + reporting + real content work.
• $5k+ often means a team or aggressive growth in a competitive space.

Also, set a timeline that matches reality:

• early signals often show in 3–6 months
• compounding results often take 6–12 months

Now add the AI layer. That means your plan may include work like:

• structured clarity (headings, direct answers, FAQs)
• credibility building (earned mentions)
• technical hygiene (crawlability, structured data)

None of that is “one week” work.

If someone promises page one in a week, they’re selling fantasy — or tactics that can hurt you later. Google’s spam policies spell out manipulative tactics like hidden text/link abuse. Bing’s guidelines also warn against keyword stuffing.

Are you ready to commit long-term?

This is the truth: SEO is infrastructure. Not a campaign. If you can only commit for one month, you might still get value (audit, roadmap, quick wins). But you won’t get compounding growth.

A healthier way to think about it:

• Month 1: diagnose + prioritize
• Months 2–3: fix foundation + refresh key pages
• Months 4–6: build topical authority + earn trust
• Months 6–12: compound (and defend)

That long-term mindset is also what protects you in AI search. The brands that get cited tend to be the ones with consistent clarity and credibility, not the ones doing drive-by SEO updates.

What’s the Best Way to Find and Hire an SEO Expert?

Most hiring advice is too soft.

“Look for experience.”
“Check reviews.”
“Trust your gut.”

That’s fine. But it’s also how people end up paying for SEO twice.

So here’s a hiring process that’s simple, reality-based, and built for today — where you’re hiring for Google search visibility and AI answer visibility (AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot).

Hire for process, not promises.

TLDR – How to find and hire the right SEO expert

• Define what you actually need. Technical help? Content strategy? Local SEO? Be specific.
• Don’t just Google it. Ask your network, explore niche communities, vet people through their content.
• Ask better questions. Real experts explain clearly, think strategically, and don’t promise magic.
• Prioritize fit, not flash. Look for clarity, curiosity, transparency, and shared values.
• Clarify budget and scope upfront. Know what’s included, what’s extra, and how communication works.
• Use this quick filter: 1) Understands your business. 2) Offers ethical, tailored strategies. 3) Has relevant success stories. 4) Communicates like a partner. 5) Aligns with your goals and values.

Define what you need (Not Just “SEO”)

“SEO” can mean ten different things. If you don’t define the job, you can’t judge candidates. And you’ll get sold whatever they like delivering.

Start by choosing your primary need:

You Need…	Look For…
A traffic audit / site review	Technical SEO specialist
Better blog performance	Content strategist with SEO chops
Local visibility (maps, directions)	Local SEO expert
SEO for a redesign or rebrand	Migration-savvy consultant
Ongoing SEO + content strategy	Full-service freelancer or agency

Then define outputs, such as:

• “Audit + prioritized roadmap.”
• “Refresh 10 money pages.”
• “Build a topical map + internal link plan.”
• “Implement schema markup where relevant, validate it.”
• “Baseline AI answer visibility and track it monthly.”

Google itself warns that hiring SEO is a “big decision,” and irresponsible work can harm your site. A clear scope protects you.

Build a shortlist of real candidates (not just whoever’s on page 1)

Ranking well does not prove someone is good at SEO. It proves they can market themselves.

Use multiple channels:

• Referrals from operators you trust.
• People who publish useful, specific writing.
• Specialists who show their method, not just results.

When you review candidates, look for proof you can understand:

• Before/after screenshots from Search Console or analytics.
• Clear case studies with context and constraints.
• Writing samples that show they can explain hard stuff simply.

If their portfolio is only screenshots of rankings, that’s kind of shaky.

Ask better questions

The interview process matters. You’re not just hiring someone to do SEO. You’re hiring someone to collaborate with your team, translate goals into strategy, and protect your digital reputation.

Here are questions that reveal true SEO expertise:

Ask This…	Why It Matters
“What would you do in the first 30 days?”	Reveals their actual plan, priorities, and how they’ll create momentum fast (vs. vague promises).
“What would you not do, and why?”	Shows judgment, restraint, and whether they avoid risky/low-ROI tactics.
“What’s your approach to content pruning + SEO audit service work?”	Clarifies how they diagnose issues and make improvements across content + technical + intent alignment.
“How do you decide what to update vs. delete vs. merge?”	Tests whether they have a clear decision framework that protects rankings and improves topical authority.
“What data do you need from me in week one?”	Ensures they’ll base recommendations on real inputs (GSC, GA4, CMS access, goals), not guesses.
“What does reporting look like?”	Confirms you’ll get consistent visibility into what’s happening, what changed, and what results are moving.
“How do you handle dev tickets and priorities?”	Validates they can translate SEO into actionable work and navigate engineering constraints.
“Who writes, who edits, who publishes?”	Prevents execution gaps and clarifies ownership, QA, and accountability.
“How do you approach AI Overviews optimization service work?”	Checks whether they understand AI-era search behavior and how content earns inclusion/citations.
“How do you think about schema markup for AI Overviews?”	Shows whether they use structured data strategically (and realistically).
“How do you measure ‘improve AI answer visibility’?”	Forces concrete metrics and methods (mentions, citations, query coverage), not hand-wavy claims.
“What would an AI search visibility audit include?”	Helps you compare scope and rigor: queries tested, brand/entity presence, content gaps, technical factors, and competitive benchmarks.
“Do you ever guarantee rankings?”	Guarantees are a major credibility red flag — good practitioners won’t promise what they can’t control.
“Do you buy links?”	Identifies risky link schemes that can create penalties, volatility, or long-term trust issues.
“Do you use automated content at scale?”	Flags low-quality mass publishing that can hurt brand trust, rankings, and long-term performance.

Remember, guarantees of “page 1 in 30 days,” vague or evasive answers, reluctance to explain methodology, or anything that sounds like “don’t worry about it, we got this” is a red flag!

Prioritize fit – not just skill

SEO fails when collaboration fails. Even strong experts need access, fast feedback, and shared priorities. So evaluate fit like you would for a key teammate.

Look for:

• Clear communication.
• Calm honesty about tradeoffs.
• Comfort saying “I don’t know yet.”
• Respect for your constraints.

Also, notice how they talk about your customers. And if they only talk about Google, that shows they’re taking an incomplete view of their work and who is the actual focus of their efforts (i.e. your customers).

Clarify budget and scope early

Budget anxiety is normal. SEO is not cheap. But vague scope is worse.

Agree on:

• Deliverables (what gets shipped).
• Cadence (weekly, biweekly).
• Owners (you vs. them).
• What “done” means for each task.

Also set timeline expectations.

Many sources describe SEO impact as a months-long curve, not a days-long curve.
And in AI search, clicks can shrink even when visibility rises. Pew’s study found lower clicking when AI summaries appear.

So define success in layers:

• Early: crawl/index fixes, refreshed pages shipped, better packaging.
• Mid: impressions and rankings for target topics.
• Long: leads, revenue, and AI mentions/citations on priority queries.

Final Checklist: Hiring with intention

Use this like a pre-flight check. Make sure your SEO candidate…

• Can explain their plan in plain English.
• Starts with an audit and a roadmap.
• Doesn’t guarantee rankings.
• Avoids spam tactics.
• Asks for collaboration inputs up front.
• Can detail AI Overviews and answer engines.
• Makes you feel respected, not pressured.

If you want a simple if-then to guide your decision:

If a candidate can’t describe what they’ll do in the first month, then don’t move forward.

Don’t Just “Hire SEO.” Hire Alignment.

You’re not just outsourcing a task. You’re choosing someone to shape how the internet understands your brand — how Google reads you, how customers experience you, and how AI systems summarize you when someone asks, “Who’s the best option for this?”

Search rewards clarity, credibility, and usefulness. That’s true for classic rankings, and it’s even more true if you care about AI answers.

Don’t just hire for SEO. Hire someone who protects your meaning.

What “alignment” actually means

Alignment is practical. It’s not a vibe. It means your SEO partner understands:

• Your business model (how you make money, and where margins live).
• Your audience (what they fear, what they want, what they search).
• Your voice (so the site sounds like you, not a template).
• Your ethics (no spam. no “quick fixes.” no black-box nonsense).

Because the worst kind of SEO isn’t SEO that doesn’t work. It’s SEO that flattens your brand into generic filler — requiring you to spend the next year rebuilding search trust.

About me

I’m Casey Rock. I have built an extensive career in content and marketing across journalism, SEO, podcasts, webinars, live events, and growth strategy. I started in a newsroom, where you learn fast: words have consequences, and credibility is earned one sentence at a time.

In recent years, I’ve focused on organic growth and what I’d call modern SEO: the blend of classic search performance and AI-era visibility.

Here are a few proof points, in plain numbers:

• Sustained organic gains across roles and projects, including leads +209%, clicks +130%, traffic +389%, and conversions +42%.
• Built an AIO/GEO content system that cut production time 31% and increased publish cadence 68% (without sacrificing quality).
• At Promotion Vault, drove a sprint of improvements including +31% organic clicks, +30% CTR, +42% conversions, and a +25 average position lift (roughly #40 to #15), plus higher pageviews and time on site.

I’m also not a solo operator. I build systems with people.

My Testlify assessment summary describes me as a people-first, high-integrity style with strong adaptability and problem-solving — plus high leadership potential. It also calls out my learning agility and cognitive flexibility.

That matters in search right now, because the ground keeps shifting.

How I approach SEO, GEO, and LLMO

I keep my core beliefs about SEO very simple: If your content actually helps people, it will perform better — whether the reader is human, Google Search, or an AI system. I summarize my own SEO tenets like this:

• Unique: first-party ideas, examples, or proof.
• Helpful: solves real problems and pain points.
• Connecting: matches problem-havers with problem-solvers.
• Accessible: TOCs, TLDRs, FAQs, and structure that’s easy to scan.

That’s the foundation. And when you do it right, most of the heavy lifting is already done for you. That’s because content that contains all of this will naturally include relevant SEO keywords, schema that makes it easy for people and machines to parse information, and other important SEO structure.

So if you’re looking for an SEO expert, generative engine optimization services, a GEO consultant, LLMO services, or an AI search visibility audit, this is what you’re really buying from me:

• Clean site structure and internal linking that supports topical authority.
• Content refreshes that improve clarity, intent match, and conversion blocks.
• Packaging for easier page citations: strong headers, direct answers, credible support.
• Practical systems that respect bandwidth, not churned out, generic content.

What working with me feels like

If you hire me, you won’t get smoke. You’ll get a plan, a cadence, and visible progress.

• I set measurable goals tied to your business needs.
• I explain the “why” in plain English.
• I avoid shady tactics and false guarantees.
• I treat SEO like a living system, not a one-time checklist.

And because I’m cross-channel by nature, I also care about what happens after the click. That includes page experience, conversion flow, and the “Proof → Playbook → Prompt” loop that turns content into action.

Hiring Me For Your SEO, GEO, AIO

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay… but what do I do next?” here’s a simple plan:

• If you want to stop guessing what to publish, then we’ll map your high-intent topics and build a simple roadmap.
• If you’re worried about AI answers replacing clicks, then we’ll run an AI search visibility audit and identify where you can earn citations and mentions.
• If you’re redesigning your site, then we’ll protect what’s already working before anything goes live.
• If you want ROI you can defend, then we’ll define leading indicators (visibility) and following outcomes (leads).

Book a free consultation call with me

If you want a clear read on what’s happening — and what I’d do first — book a free consultation call with me. Include your website URL in the appointment request and mention this article, and I’ll bring you a few immediate wins and a realistic path forward.

FAQ: Questions about SEO and hiring real SEO experts

Can I do SEO on my own? Or should I hire an expert?

Yes, you can do SEO on your own — especially if you’re just starting out and have time to learn. But if you’re serious about growth, competing in a crowded space, or launching a new site or product, hiring an expert is worth it. SEO is complex, constantly evolving, and easy to mess up. A good specialist will save you time, avoid costly mistakes, and drive better results faster.

How much should I expect to pay hourly for an SEO expert with the proper skills?

Rates vary, but for a skilled SEO expert with real experience, expect to pay between $50-$200/hour. Junior freelancers may charge less; seasoned strategists or technical specialists often charge more. If someone quotes $25/hour, be cautious – quality SEO isn’t cheap, and cheap SEO often costs you more in the long run.

I personally charge $60/hour for hourly SEO services – as I’m based in Utah where the cost of living is lower than in many other states (we rank #30 in affordability).

Where should I look to find an SEO expert?

Look for SEO experts through trusted referrals, LinkedIn, niche online groups, or platforms like Upwork (for vetted freelancers). Avoid just Googling “best SEO expert.” And especially avoid clicking on sponsored listings, if you do! An actual SEO expert should be able to rank at the top organically!

It’s too easy to fake SEO expertise. How can I identify a real SEO expert?

A real SEO expert will explain their process clearly, share case studies with results, ask smart questions about your goals, and never promise overnight rankings. Red flags? Vague answers, guaranteed outcomes, or reluctance to show their work. Transparency and strategic thinking are the giveaways.

What does an SEO expert actually do day-to-day?

A good SEO specialist does three jobs: make your site crawlable, make your content clear, and build trust signals across the web. Google breaks the system down into crawling, indexing, and serving results — so a lot of SEO work is removing friction at each step.

Typical weekly work includes audits, technical fixes, content refresh plans, internal linking, and reporting tied to business goals.

How long does SEO take to work?

SEO usually moves in months, not days. Google doesn’t guarantee crawling, indexing, or rankings, which is one reason timelines vary.

What you can expect:

• Weeks 1–4: audit + quick wins + roadmap
• Months 2–3: meaningful improvements to priority pages and structure
• Months 3–6+: compounding visibility and lead flow (if execution stays consistent)

Can anyone guarantee SEO rankings?

No. If someone guarantees rankings, they’re either guessing or using tactics that can age badly. Google calls hiring an SEO a “big decision” and warns that irresponsible SEO can damage your site and reputation.

What should I pay attention to besides SEO rankings?

Rankings are an input. Outcomes are the point.

Track:

• Non-brand impressions + clicks (demand capture)
• Qualified conversions (demo requests, leads, calls)
• Content performance by intent (problem-aware vs. solution-aware)
• AI visibility signals (are you getting cited/mentioned for priority questions?)

And because AI answers can reduce clicks, don’t judge success only by traffic. Pew found users clicked traditional links less often when an AI summary appeared.

Why did my traffic drop after AI Overviews?

Often, it’s not that your rankings failed. It’s that the interface changed.

When AI summaries show up, people click traditional results less often and sometimes stop browsing sooner. That’s why zero-click traffic mitigation strategy work matters now: you need better packaging, better conversion paths, and content that earns inclusion inside answers.

How do I get my site cited in Google AI Overviews?

There isn’t a single switch.

Google’s guidance for AI features focuses on building content that can be included in AI Overviews and AI Mode from a site-owner perspective. In practice, the highest-leverage moves are:

• tighten page structure (clear headings, direct answers, scannable sections)
• add credible support where you make claims
• build topical depth (fewer topics, deeper coverage)
• improve reputation signals (earned mentions, real authority)

How do I show up in ChatGPT Search results?

ChatGPT Search can include citations and a Sources panel when it uses web results.

The practical approach is the same: publish content that is easy to parse, trustworthy, and clearly structured. Then make sure it’s accessible to crawlers and not blocked.

What makes content get pulled into AI answers?

AI systems tend to prefer content that’s:

• clear (definitions, direct answers, strong headings)
• consistent (same terms, same entity names)
• credible (real-world proof and trustworthy references)
• easy to extract (lists, FAQs, step-by-steps where relevant)

You can think of it as “answer-ready writing.” And yes — this usually overlaps with great SEO fundamentals.

Do I need schema markup for AI Overviews?

Schema isn’t magic. It’s a clarity layer.

Google says structured data can make pages eligible for rich results, but it doesn’t guarantee those features will appear. If you use schema, follow Google’s guidelines and test with the Rich Results Test.

Do I need backlinks?

You need credibility, and links are one part of that.

The wrong way is buying random links. The right way is earning relevant mentions because you publish genuinely useful work (guides, research, tools, original insights). Also: don’t let anyone sell you link schemes dressed up as “authority building.” Google explicitly frames spam as tactics used to manipulate rankings.

Should I use AI to write my content?

You can use AI as an assistant, but don’t let it flatten your voice or erase your first-hand value.

The content that performs best long-term tends to have something AI can’t fake well: real examples, real opinions, real results, a clear point of view, and strong editorial structure. If your content reads like average internet slop, you’ll blend into the same slurry AI is trained on.

I’m redesigning my site. When should SEO get involved?

Before anything goes live.

Google has detailed guidance on site moves and URL changes, and it emphasizes steps like proper redirects to minimize negative impact. The safest path is:

• map old URLs to new URLs
• implement 301 redirects
• validate canonicals and internal links
• monitor indexing and performance post-launch

Do I need llms.txt and how do I add it?

llms.txt is a newer idea, and adoption is still evolving.

If someone pitches llms.txt implementation service as a miracle lever, be skeptical. Treat it as a “helpful map” at best, not a replacement for strong SEO foundations (crawlability, clarity, authority). Your core work still lives in content quality and technical hygiene.

What should I prepare before I hire an SEO expert or agency?

To make ROI more likely, have:

• your top business goals (leads, revenue, pipeline)
• access to analytics + Search Console
• your best offers and margins
• your real customer objections and FAQs
• a person who can publish content and implement changes

Google warns that irresponsible SEO can harm your site — so your prep is part of protecting yourself.