A freelance SEO consultant who's been doing this since 2007.
Twenty years in search. Google Partner since 2013. I work freelance — solo, direct-hire, no agency layer, no juniors. SEO is what I do; Google Ads is the other thing I do, and they work better when run together.
Freelance doesn't mean inexperienced. Twenty years in, Google Partner since 2013.
Solo. Direct-hire. One operator on your account.
I work freelance and I mean it — no team, no agency layer, no farming the work out. If you hire me, I'm the one looking at your Search Console, writing the strategy, doing the technical audit, and making the calls. That's the whole pitch.
The trade-off is I take on a limited number of clients at any one time. The benefit is the work actually gets done, by the person who pitched it, with no inflated overhead in the price.
I work in the order that works.
Most freelance SEO consultants stick to one lane. I run two — SEO and Google Ads — because they need each other, and I run them in the order that gives you the fastest read on what actually moves revenue.
Google Ads first, where it fits. Ads tell you in three months what SEO takes three years to learn — which keywords actually convert, what the funnel looks like, where money is being left on the table. Then SEO follows the data, targeting the keywords ads proved are worth chasing for the long-term compounding.
It's not two services bolted together. It's one search strategy run in the order that works.
Tracking comes first.
Before ads, before SEO, the measurement has to be right. Most accounts I see have broken tracking somewhere — conversions firing twice, the wrong action counted, GA4 not actually receiving the data. Fixing this isn't optional. Everything else is downstream of accurate numbers.
One hundred five-star reviews, one direct-hire client at a time.
Excellent. If you are looking for an expert in SEO and Google Ads, David is your man.
Excellent work. David knows his way around Google Ads, and works collaboratively where needed, to understand service-specific details to achieve the solid end objective.
The audit addressed all of the points I was struggling with and the run through was so valuable in understanding the results.
Good fit, bad fit, honest about both.
Good fit. Owner-operated UK SMEs who want the person who pitched to be the person doing the work. Service businesses with real lead value, ecommerce brands with their own products, B2B with margin to invest. Owners who are willing to give SEO the time it needs and let ads tell the truth in the meantime.
Bad fit. Sites already penalised by Google updates. Recovery takes a long time and often doesn't fully resolve — the lesson: don't DIY your links. Anyone hunting guaranteed rankings by a specific date. Affiliate sites, lead-resellers, and businesses where the math depends on cheating. Also a poor fit for anyone needing a 50-page deck monthly — that's an agency, not a freelance brief.
Things owners ask before booking.
Are you actually freelance, or do you have a team behind you?
Actually freelance. Solo, direct-hire, no team. You're hiring me — that means I'm on your account, doing the work. No account managers, no juniors, no farming the work out.
The trade-off is I take on a limited number of clients at any one time so I can run each one properly. If I'm full, I'll tell you on the call.
Why hire a freelance SEO consultant rather than an agency?
Agencies sell to you with their senior people, then put juniors on your account. Freelance means the person who pitched is the person who does the work. You get more direct attention, less overhead in the price, and the operator's actual judgement instead of a process baked into a CRM.
Not everyone is a good fit for freelance — if you need a 50-page deliverable monthly to feed an internal team, an agency is probably better. If you want the work done well, freelance is harder to beat.
How long does SEO take to work?
Three to six months for early movement on most sites, six to twelve months for substantial change, longer for competitive sectors. Anyone telling you faster than that is either describing paid search dressed up as SEO, or selling you something.
The slow burn is the work — that's what builds the compounding. Anyone willing to wait for it gets the reward; anyone who isn't probably needs Google Ads instead.
Do you only do SEO, or also Google Ads?
Both. Google Partner since 2013. I run them together because they work better that way — ads give you fast data on which keywords actually convert; SEO then targets those keywords for the long-term compounding.
Most freelance SEO consultants stick to one lane. I don't, and the integration is the differentiator. See the Google Ads page for the other side of the work.
How much does this cost?
Retainers typically £750 to £3,000+ per month depending on scope, with the lower end suiting smaller service businesses and the higher end suiting growth-stage ecommerce or B2B.
One-off SEO audits sit in the low four figures. Quoted exactly after the free 15-minute call — no surprises on the second invoice.
What if my site has already been penalised by Google?
I generally don't take on penalty recovery work. Most penalties come from past link-buying. Recovery takes a long time and often doesn't fully resolve. The lesson: don't DIY your links.
I can audit the site and tell you what you're facing, but the ongoing recovery work isn't where I add the most value.
Book a free 15-minute call.
Tell me about your site and what you're trying to grow. I'll look at it beforehand, give you a plain-English read on the call, and tell you whether I'm the right fit. No sales pitch, no commitment.