I have been doing SEO for 18+ years. I have seen every client type: the ones who think SEO is a quick hack, the ones burned by “cheap SEO,” and the ones who genuinely want to build long-term authority.
This post breaks down exactly how I approach SEO campaigns, the ones that drive results without sounding like a pitch deck.
Contents
Why does my SEO framework start with business goals?
Aligning SEO with business goals ensures every action leads to measurable results, not just vanity metrics like traffic or rankings.
When you define what a “win” looks like, whether it is a phone call, booking, or purchase, it becomes easier to build an SEO campaign that drives leads, not just clicks.
Before I even touch keywords, I ask: “What counts as a win for you?”
If your answer is “more traffic,” we are not ready yet. I want to know:
- How do you define a lead?
- What happens after someone clicks?
- Are you tracking phone calls, form fills, and chats?
Good SEO is not about traffic. It is about qualified traffic that does something.
Step 1: Discovery + Goal Alignment
Most SEO failures occur because they start in Google. I start with your business.
This stage is 90% questions:
- Who is your real customer?
- What is the average lead worth?
- What services do you want more of (and less of)?
- What marketing channels are already working?
We map this out into a lead value matrix before touching keywords.
Follow-up tip: Tie SEO goals to business metrics, not just CTR and bounce rate.
Step 2: Technical Audit (Let’s Fix the Plumbing)
Think of this as inspecting your website like a building inspector.
I run a full crawl using Screaming Frog and cross-check with:
- Google Search Console errors
- Page speed issues
- Index bloat
- Orphan pages
- Broken internal links
- And yes, schema (but done properly, not spammy)
A slow, bloated or structurally messy site is like trying to rank a car with a flat tyre.
Next action: Prioritise technical fixes that directly affect crawlability, renderability, and user experience.
Step 3: Keyword Mapping = Entity & Intent Mapping
This is where most “SEO experts” drop the ball.
I do not just pull a keyword list from Ahrefs and say, “target these.” I reverse-engineer how people search based on:
- Intent (Awareness, Comparison, Purchase)
- Format (Questions, vs Tables, Reviews)
- Entity coverage (topics, brands, features, pain points)
This means we build topical maps with query layering and vector coverage because that is how AI reads your content.
Pro tip: Use keyword clusters as topic clusters, not siloed silos.
Step 4: Content Planning That Is Actually Search-Ready
Content is not king, context is.
At this point, I build out:
- Pillar pages that act as knowledge anchors
- Supporting articles that hit long-tail voice queries
- Internal linking structures that mimic human logic
Everything is formatted using the Melby 8.1 framework, which is basically my playbook for AI-readiness:
- Semantic triplets
- Answer-first headings
- Voice-friendly formatting
- Schema-ready design
Bonus: I structure content to show up in AI Overviews even if you are not in the top 3.
Step 5: Local Optimisation + Google Business Profile (If Applicable)
If you are a local business, this is where the magic happens.
I optimise:
- Google Business Profile (custom service areas, reviews, photos)
- Citations (NAP-W consistency, indexed, structured)
- Location-based landing pages (with real local cues)
I also run entity tuning to ensure Google links your brand to the right topics, services, and geography.
Example: I got a Garage repair business ranking top 3 in 3 months – no backlinks, just full entity saturation.
Step 6: Conversion Optimisation + Tracking
No point getting leads if your site leaks them.
This is the step where I:
- Fix CTAs that go nowhere
- Add call tracking and GA4 events
- Set up Google Tag Manager goals properly
- Run heatmaps to identify drop-offs
If you are spending money/time on SEO but do not have goal tracking set up, we are lighting matches in the wind.
Reality check: You cannot improve what you cannot measure.
Step 7: Monitoring, Reporting & AI Visibility
I do not just send rank reports. I track what matters.
You will get:
- What keywords got impressions
- What queries triggered AI Overviews
- How users behaved post-click
- What pages are earning leads (not just traffic)
I also run periodic vector audits to see if your content still matches the search intent and context Google is surfacing.
Forward-looking: I format all reporting so you understand what is working, why it matters, and what is next.
Closing Thoughts: Rankings Do Not Pay the Bills. Leads Do.
There are many “SEO experts” who promise page 1 rankings. Some deliver. But if those rankings do not bring leads or build authority, you are just feeding the algorithm, not your business.
My approach is slower, more strategic, and yes, more aligned with how search is evolving.
If you want SEO that:
- Gets you leads
- Makes sense in reports
- Builds future-proof authority
… then you are my kind of client.
NDIS SEO
If you are in a niche like disability services, your SEO approach needs to account for sector-specific language, funding models, and participant behaviour. I have built tailored frameworks for industries like the NDIS where standard SEO tactics fall short.
👉 See how I approach NDIS SEO to drive enquiries for registered providers: NDIS SEO Strategy That Actually Works
