Senior SEO consultancy for established SMEs
Most businesses I speak to have already invested in SEO. An agency, an in-house hire, or both. The results haven't matched the investment. I work directly with established SMEs to build approaches for where search is heading: AI Overviews, answer engines, and the discovery behaviours changing how your customers find you.
More audits. More content. More keywords. More links… same old playbook, same old results! I'll help you build a strategy that works across search, AI results, and the channels your customers are actually using.
It's not that you haven't invested in SEO.
It's that search has moved on. Most strategies haven't kept pace.
My job is to close that gap. That means diagnosing what's actually broken, prioritising what will move the needle, and making sure your team can act on it.
Request a consultationSEO expertise, without the agency layers
Every engagement is led by me from the first conversation to the final recommendation. I stay involved across the strategy, the technical detail, and the implementation.
I'm Mike Escott. With over a decade in SEO across agency, in-house, and independent consultancy, I work across traditional search and the AI-driven platforms reshaping how businesses get found: large language models, AI Overviews, the answer engines that increasingly surface responses without a click. I understand the technical side of what you're dealing with, but also why good recommendations often don't get acted on. Recommendations fail when they're technically correct but practically stranded: no internal champion, no implementation priority, no context for the dev team. That's where most agency relationships break down, and where I work differently.
For SMEs that need senior SEO direction, not another generic playbook
This isn't the right fit for every business. I'd rather tell you that upfront than waste your time.
Likely a good fit if…
- ● Established SMEs with an organic presence that is underperforming
- ● Businesses that have tried SEO agencies but not seen strategic change
- ● Teams rebuilding or migrating who need SEO central to the project
- ● In-house marketing teams needing senior SEO input alongside execution
- ● Businesses that need a senior SEO lead without the commitment of a full-time hire
- ● Organisations entering new markets or product categories
- ● Teams with resource to act on recommendations but lacking strategy
Probably not right if…
- ● Businesses looking for an affordable, managed SEO package
- ● Early-stage startups with no organic presence or revenue
- ● Businesses wanting full-service agency management
- ● Teams needing content produced at high volume
- ● Businesses expecting rapid results without fixing root causes
- ● Organisations not ready to resource SEO recommendations
- ● Teams looking for link building as a standalone service
Trusted by established brands across retail, finance, ecommerce and more
AgencyAnalytics
B2B SaaS
Argos
Retail
Barclaycard
Financial Services
Bravissimo
Fashion
CMO Group
Ecommerce
Dunelm
Home Retail
Hindawi
Publishing
IEDigital
Fintech
Jobber
B2B SaaS
MOO
Ecommerce
Technogym
Fitness & Sport
The Range
Retail
Virgin Experience Days
Leisure & Gifting AgencyAnalytics
B2B SaaS Argos
Retail Barclaycard
Financial Services Bravissimo
Fashion CMO Group
Ecommerce Dunelm
Home Retail Hindawi
Publishing IEDigital
Fintech Jobber
B2B SaaS MOO
Ecommerce Technogym
Fitness & Sport The Range
Retail Virgin Experience Days
Leisure & GiftingAward-winning work across multiple industries.
See the case studies →What clients say
Senior SEO that earns trust quickly and holds it. These are the people I've worked with and what they found.
We're delighted by the success of Door Superstore so far, which has exceeded our expectations. It sets a precedent for successful business acquisitions and organic growth into new markets in future.
Andy Dunkley
He is extremely knowledgeable about all matters SEO and we have trusted him explicitly. Nothing ruffles him and I would not hesitate to recommend him.
Cathy Berman
He's great at taking both smaller tasks and bigger projects and delivering strong, consistent results. He works as a genuine extension to the team. I would recommend Mike without hesitation.
Emily Mace
Mike offers the perfect combination of expert technical SEO knowledge with an acute understanding of technological requirements, UX considerations and business needs.
William Malcarne
He can converse with stakeholders at all levels and talk about what can be a complex topic in a manner that is easy to understand.
Lyndsey Young
He provided personalised analysis, a clear improvement plan built around an 'SEO by design' philosophy, and ongoing support throughout the migration.
Kamila Tyran
What clients get from working with Search Solved
A good audit is not the point. Results are. Here's what those look like.
Clarity on what SEO should actually deliver
An SEO strategy that makes sense at board level and that your marketing and technical teams can act on, with KPIs tied to revenue, not just search rankings.
Organic traffic that converts
Search presence built around what your customers are actually trying to do, not just search volume. More of the right visitors, at the point where they're ready to act.
Technical solutions that actually move the needle
Not all technical issues affect rankings. The ones that do prevent crawlers reaching your content, or get in the way of customers completing what they came to do. I raise those, make the case for fixing them, and leave the rest alone.
Internal teams that can act on SEO with confidence
Your team with clear SEO guidance they can follow without checking in each time. You should need less external support as you go, not more.
The four areas where I work
Search now spans traditional results, AI Overviews, and answer engines. These are the four areas where I work. Most engagements draw on more than one.
SEO Strategy & Content
Most SEO strategies are built around traffic and rankings. What they miss is why someone is searching, and whether your answer connects to a decision they need to make. I build strategy and content around what your customers are actually trying to do.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO produces long issue lists. Most don't move the needle. I identify the structural blockers that are actively costing you visibility and build a clear case for fixing the must-haves, not a backlog of best-practice housekeeping.
AI Search & GEO
Most search strategies were built before AI Overviews existed. Answer engines now surface responses without a click. The businesses appearing there aren't the ones who carried on as normal. I help you understand what's changed for your category and build for it.
Retained SEO Advisory
Most SEO decisions don't wait for a scheduled meeting. Retained advisory gives you senior SEO thinking when it's actually needed: strategy direction, honest assessment of options, and someone who already knows your business when a decision lands. Available as a fractional Head of SEO.
How a Search Solved engagement works
The process starts with a proper read of where you are: commercially, technically, and competitively. The steps are consistent. What I focus on isn't.
Diagnose
What is the actual situation, technically, commercially, and how search is performing for your category right now? No assumptions made, no generic frameworks applied before I've understood the specific problem.
Prioritise
Most roadmaps try to fix everything at once. I sequence work around what will have the most commercial impact and what your team can actually execute, so effort goes where it matters.
Guide
A recommendation that sits in a document is worthless. I give your developers, writers, and marketers clear direction and enough context to act without asking at every step.
Build
Strategy without execution is just a slide deck. I stay close enough to see it through, whether that's overseeing technical work, reviewing content, or running the detail of a migration.
Measure
Rankings are easy to report. Commercial impact is harder, but it's the only thing that matters. I track performance against indicators that connect SEO activity to revenue, not just metrics that look good in a monthly update.
Request a consultation
Tell me a little about your business and where you are with SEO. I review every enquiry personally and will come back to you within two working days.
If it looks like a good fit, I will suggest a short introductory call so we can explore whether working together makes sense. There is no commitment and no sales process.
Currently available to take on a small number of new consultancy projects.