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. Organic growth rarely comes from sending more traffic into pages that don't help customers decide, trust, or buy. I work directly with established businesses to find what is blocking performance across visibility, content, search experience, and commercial intent.
More audits. More content. More keywords. More links… same old playbook, same old results. The harder question is whether organic traffic lands somewhere that answers the right questions, builds confidence, and makes the next step clear.
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 blocking performance, prioritising what will move the needle, and making sure your team can act on it.
See how I close that gapFounder-led, literally
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 13 years 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.
A quick fit check
This isn't the right fit for every business. I'd rather tell you that upfront than waste your time.
Ways to work together
Fixed-scope pieces of work with a defined deliverable — or longer-term SEO consultancy for bigger moves. Every engagement is me, directly.
Fixed-scope audits
A defined piece of work with a defined deliverable. Start small, see how I work.
Projects, consultancy & support
Longer-term support for bigger moves and strategic growth.
The experience behind Search Solved was built on brands like these.
Now focused on giving ambitious brands that same senior thinking, without the agency overhead.
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 & GiftingProof, in numbers
References, up front
SEO consultancy 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
Tell me where you are with SEO and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help. No commitment, no sales process.
Latest insights
Why Brand Authority Rarely Reaches the Pipeline Brand, content and pipeline usually run as three separate efforts. The value is in the strategy that connects them, and it is where your links should come from and go. 
Why SEO Shouldn't Be Led by Search Volume Alone Search volume has a place, but it should not decide your SEO roadmap. Learn how to prioritise SEO work by demand, business value, customer fit, and implementation reality. 
Why SEO Activity Isn't the Same as SEO Strategy SEO activity can look productive without driving better results. Learn why repeatable workflows need commercial strategy, clearer workstreams and better measurement. What good looks like
A good audit is not the point. Results are. Here's what those look like.
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.
Search presence built around what your customers are actually trying to do, not chasing search volume. More of the right visitors landing on pages that help them choose and take the next step.
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.
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.
From first call to results
My process starts with the customer, then works back to the SEO decisions most likely to move the business forward.
Start with the customer, the market, and the business problem. I look at how people find, compare, and choose you, then connect that to the technical, content, and commercial opportunities most likely to improve visibility, attract the right customers, and create commercial progress.
I shape the work around customer fit, business value, implementation reality, and the outcome each workstream is meant to create. Search volume, audits, and competitor gaps all have a place, but they should not decide the roadmap on their own.
Recommendations need to survive real implementation. I provide the detail, documentation, and context your team needs, then stay close enough to talk things through, answer questions, review the work, and support it through to go-live.
SEO work should leave the business clearer than it was before. I show what was implemented, what was blocked, what changed in performance, and what should be carried forward into the next phase of activity.
No pitch, just a conversation
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.