--- title: "SEO Consultant" url: https://marketingsignals.com/service/organic-search/seo-consultant type: Page --- # SEO Consultant SEO consultant Gareth Hoyle leads senior SEO consultancy for in-house teams, boards and investors, with an agency team behind him to deliver the work. ## SEO Consultant: Senior SEO Consultancy Led By Gareth Hoyle Gareth Hoyle has run Marketing Signals since 2007. He works directly with marketing directors, boards and investors on search strategy, audits, migrations and AI search, with a senior agency team behind him to deliver the technical, content, Digital PR and PPC work the advice calls for. Why marketing directors choose us ## Key Takeaways - For Jaded London, our organic search work delivered a 300% increase in non-branded top 10 rankings and a 112% increase in YoY organic revenue. - Gareth Hoyle, who has run Marketing Signals since 2007, sets your SEO strategy and stays accountable for the advice, rather than a junior account manager. - SEO recommendations go straight to our specialists in technical SEO, content, Digital PR and PPC, so the advice gets built rather than parked in a slide deck. - Boards and investment committees get findings in commercial terms, with forecasts a finance director can test and audits ranked by the revenue they protect or create. ## We’ve Helped Dozens Of Great Brands Grow Their Digital Presence Via Search Marketing ## Senior SEO advice is only useful if someone can deliver it. Most businesses looking for an SEO consultant want two things that rarely come together: the judgement of someone who has seen many sites through many algorithm changes, and the capacity to get the recommendations built. A freelance consultant usually brings the first. A large agency often sells the second and hands the account to someone junior. Our SEO consultancy services are led personally by Gareth Hoyle, Managing Director of Marketing Signals. Gareth sets the strategy, sits in the meetings that matter and stays accountable for the advice. When the work needs doing, specialists in [technical SEO and content](https://marketingsignals.com/service/organic-search), [Digital PR](https://marketingsignals.com/service/digital-pr), [AI search](https://marketingsignals.com/service/ai-search-optimisation) and [PPC](https://marketingsignals.com/service/pay-per-click) deliver it, so recommendations do not sit in a slide deck waiting for resource. Gareth also founded Am I Visible?, an AI visibility tracking tool, and Authority.md. He speaks internationally on agentic AI and provides digital due diligence for venture capital and private equity firms. You can see his background on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethhoyle). Why Choose Us ## Senior Judgement. A Team Behind It. Advice The Board Can Use. ## Consultant Led. Team Delivered. ### The Questions Before The Recommendations **Good SEO consulting starts with the business question, not a crawl report.** Before any audit, Gareth works out what the engagement needs to answer: why organic revenue has stalled, whether a migration is safe to sign off, whether the in-house team is focused on the right work, or what a target company's search position is really worth. Google's own advice on hiring an SEO is to ask for examples of previous work, how success will be measured and whether every change will be shared. That is how we work: findings tied to revenue, written recommendations and full visibility of every change. - Strategy reviews for marketing directors - Audits ranked by revenue impact - Mentoring for in-house SEO teams - Board and investor briefings - Migration and replatforming oversight - AI search strategy and measurement #### For In-House Teams Many brands already have capable SEO people who need a senior sounding board rather than an outsourced team. Gareth runs regular sessions with your team to review priorities, challenge plans and unblock work with developers and stakeholders, while our specialists take on the projects your team lacks the time or skills for. It is the [hybrid model of in-house and agency SEO](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/in-house-or-agency-the-hybrid-that-works) we think works best for mid-market and enterprise brands. #### For Boards And Leadership Teams Boards want to know what organic search and AI visibility contribute, what the risks are and what the next pound should buy. Gareth turns search data into those answers: forecasts a finance director can test, KPIs a marketing director can own and plain explanations of algorithm and AI changes. Our articles on [SEO reporting for the board](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/seo-reporting-for-the-board) and [SEO forecasting your finance director will believe](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/seo-forecasting-your-finance-director-will-believe) show the thinking. #### For Investors And Due Diligence Gareth provides digital due diligence for VC and PE firms assessing a target business. That means checking how much of a company's traffic and revenue depends on search, how much of it is really [brand demand](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/brand-traffic-is-flattering-your-agency-report), how exposed it is to algorithm and AI search changes, the quality of its backlinks and content, and what a credible growth plan would take. Findings are written for an investment committee, not a marketing team. #### For Migrations And Replatforming Domain changes, CMS replatforms and site mergers are where organic revenue is most often lost. Google advises mapping every old URL to its new one, using server-side permanent redirects and keeping them for as long as possible, generally at least a year, and warns that rankings can fluctuate during a move. Gareth oversees the plan, the redirect map and launch checks, and our technical team does the work. See our guide to [replatforming without losing revenue](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/ecommerce-replatforming-seo). ### Consultancy Formats Built Around The Buyer ## Our SEO Consultancy Services #### SEO Strategy Review A senior review of where organic search stands and where it should go: market and competitor position, the pages that carry revenue, content and authority gaps, and how AI search is changing your category. You get a written strategy with priorities ranked by commercial value and the resource each needs, which your team or ours can deliver. For wider channel planning it pairs with a [digital marketing strategy](https://marketingsignals.com/service/integrated-search/digital-marketing-strategy). #### SEO Audits Ranked By Revenue Technical, content and backlink audits that end in a short list of fixes ranked by the revenue they protect or create, not a spreadsheet of hundreds of warnings. Our technical SEO consultants cover crawling, rendering, indexing, internal linking and structured data, and each recommendation comes with enough detail for a developer ticket. Read how we approach [technical SEO audits that get implemented](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/technical-seo-audit-fixes-ranked-by-revenue). #### In-House Team Mentoring Regular one-to-one or team sessions for in-house SEO and content teams: reviewing plans, sharing what is working elsewhere, and training on technical SEO, AI search and measurement. Google lists SEO training among the services an SEO can provide, and for many teams it is the most lasting value a consultant adds. The aim is a stronger team that relies on outside help less over time, not a dependency on us. #### Board And Leadership Advice Ongoing or one-off advice for founders, boards and leadership teams on search strategy, budget split between SEO and PPC, agency selection and AI search risk. Gareth presents findings in commercial terms, answers the questions a board actually asks and gives a straight view on what search can and cannot do for the business. For SEO and PPC planned together, see our [integrated search](https://marketingsignals.com/service/integrated-search) service. #### Digital Due Diligence An independent assessment of a target company's search position for venture capital and private equity investors: how dependent traffic and revenue are on organic search, the brand and non-brand mix, technical risk, backlink quality, exposure to AI search and a realistic view of the upside. Gareth provides this for VC and PE firms alongside leading Marketing Signals, and writes it for the people making the investment decision. #### Migration Oversight Senior oversight of domain moves, replatforms, redesigns and site consolidations from planning to post-launch. That covers URL mapping, redirect testing, benchmark capture, launch checks, use of the Search Console Change of Address tool for domain moves and monitoring until traffic settles. Our technical team carries out the work your developers cannot, so the project does not depend on one person's availability. #### AI Search Strategy Advice on how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews describe your brand and what to do about it. Google now lists optimising for generative AI among the services an SEO can provide. Gareth founded Am I Visible? to track AI visibility, and the consultancy covers prompt selection, crawler access, the sources assistants cite and measurement, starting with an [AI visibility audit](https://marketingsignals.com/service/ai-search-optimisation/ai-visibility-audit) where that is useful. #### Agency And Specialist Oversight If you already work with an SEO, content or PR agency, Gareth can review the plan, the reporting and the results independently and help you hold them to commercial targets. That usually starts with [measuring your agency on revenue, not rankings](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/measure-your-agency-on-revenue-not-rankings), which is how we expect to be judged ourselves. The review is written so your team can use it in the next agency conversation. Engagements range from a single strategy review to an ongoing advisory role with delivery behind it. Each one is led by Gareth, scoped around the decision you need to make and supported by the specialists the work calls for, including our [e-commerce SEO](https://marketingsignals.com/service/organic-search/ecommerce-seo), [enterprise SEO](https://marketingsignals.com/service/organic-search/enterprise-seo) and [international SEO](https://marketingsignals.com/service/organic-search/international-seo) teams. Featured Work ## Search Strategy That Moved The Numbers ## What Senior SEO Consultancy Delivers For The Business ### Senior Judgement On Every Decision The person setting your strategy has run a search agency since 2007, rather than a junior account manager working from a template. ### Advice That Gets Delivered Recommendations go straight to specialists in technical SEO, content, Digital PR and PPC, so they are built rather than parked. ### Answers In Commercial Terms Findings are framed around revenue, leads and risk, in language a board or investment committee can act on. ### A Stronger In-House Team Mentoring and training leave your people more capable, with less reliance on outside help over time. ### Lower Risk On Big Changes Migrations, redesigns and AI search shifts are planned against Google's own guidance and checked before and after launch. ### Google And AI Search Together Strategy covers rankings and visibility in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and AI Overviews as one plan, not two budgets. The aim is better decisions about search, made sooner, with the capacity to act on them and one senior person accountable for the advice. ## How Our SEO Consultancy Work Runs, Step By Step ### 1. Define The Question A first conversation with Gareth to agree what the engagement must answer, who needs the answer and what decision it supports. ### 2. Review And Diagnose We gather analytics, Search Console, crawl, backlink and AI visibility data and review it against your commercial goals and competitors. ### 3. Recommend And Present Gareth presents a written plan ranked by commercial value to the people who need it, whether that is your team, the board or an investment committee. ### 4. Deliver Or Advise Your team delivers with Gareth's guidance, our specialists take on the work, or a mix of both, with progress reported against the agreed measures. **4.9** from 130 reviews ## Don’t just take our word for it > “Marketing Signals is our kind of agency: they do what they say they are going to do. The team is responsive and has the ability to pivot onto different priorities throughout the yearly trading cycle. We are well on target to meet our own sales target on the back of their work.” > > Jamie Evans, Head of E-commerce > “I've worked with Marketing Signals on a few projects and always had great customer service, fast delivery and reliable quality. Definitely somebody who should be on your potential agency list for any future activity.” > > Rob Hughes, Director, Global SEO > “We have been working with Marketing Signals since 2015, after our previous agency had messed up. They helped reduce our average CPC and increase conversions, as well as helping us launch a separate site just for Drug Driving leads. We've never looked back and have referred them to many of our other business contacts.” > > Matthew Miller, Managing Director > “As a long-term client of Marketing Signals, I can confidently say their expertise in SEO and PPC is second to none. They deliver consistently good results from SEO and PPC and maintain excellent communication with us.” > > Sandra Carosi, Head of Marketing > “Gareth and the team immediately understood what we were looking for and the type of audience we wanted to attract. Through site changes, content improvements and lots of great PR pieces, we were able to significantly increase the number of leads we got from the organic channel.” > > David Weaver, Co-founder > “An excellent agency to work with and a perfect choice if you're looking to scale quickly.” > > Katie Owen, Founder ### What does an SEO consultant do? An SEO consultant reviews how a website performs in search, works out what is holding it back and advises on what to do next. Google describes the services an SEO can provide as including site reviews, technical advice, content development, keyword research, SEO training and optimising for generative AI. At Marketing Signals the consultant role is senior and strategic: Gareth Hoyle sets direction and stays accountable, and our specialist team can carry out the technical, content, Digital PR and PPC work the strategy needs. ### Is Gareth a freelance SEO consultant? No. Gareth is Managing Director of Marketing Signals, an agency trading since 2007. Many people searching for a freelance SEO consultant want direct access to a senior person rather than an account manager, and that is what this service gives you. The difference is what happens next: instead of one person juggling every task, specialists in technical SEO, content, Digital PR, AI search and PPC are on hand, so the work carries on when priorities change or someone is away. ### Do we need an SEO consultant or an SEO agency? If you have a capable in-house team and need direction, a consultant is often enough. If you need work delivered at volume, you need an agency. Many mid-market and enterprise brands need both: senior advice and the capacity to act on it. This service is built for that, with consultancy led by Gareth and delivery through our [organic search](https://marketingsignals.com/service/organic-search) team. Our guide to [what an SEO agency does](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/what-is-an-seo-agency-everything-you-need-to-know) explains the difference in more detail. ### Do you work with businesses in London? Yes. Marketing Signals is a fully remote UK team with a registered office in Halifax, working with brands across the UK and the US, so location is no barrier for London businesses. Strategy sessions, workshops and board briefings run online, which keeps the focus on senior time rather than travel. If you are comparing SEO consultants in London or elsewhere, our guide to the [best SEO strategy experts in the UK](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/best-seo-strategy-experts-in-the-uk-2027-guide) sets out what to look for. ### How much does SEO consultancy cost? Cost depends on the format and scope. A strategy review or due diligence report is a defined piece of work, mentoring and board advice are ongoing, and delivery by our team depends on what the plan needs. We do not publish day rates because engagements vary so much, and every engagement starts with a written scope so you know what you are paying for before work begins. Our article on [what drives the cost of SEO](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/seo-pricing-what-drives-the-cost) explains the main factors for larger brands. ### Can you guarantee rankings? No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Google's own guidance says no one can guarantee a number one ranking, and advises finding someone else if an SEO promises first place. What we commit to is a clear plan, reporting tied to revenue, leads and AI visibility rather than rankings alone, and full visibility of every change we recommend or make. Results depend on your market, your competition and how much of the plan gets implemented. ## The Answers to Your Questions Visibility Playbooks ## Related Playbooks SEO measured in pipeline: the searches your buyers make across a long sales cycle, reported from your CRM. Non-branded organic revenue from the category and product pages that carry it, with less reliance on paid media. Forecasts the board can sign off, technical SEO at scale and revenue protected through every release. Organic revenue in new markets: market sizing, hreflang, site structure and local search, reported by country. Every store or franchise location found in local search and Google Maps, measured in footfall, calls and bookings. More Specialist Services ## Ready To Talk To A Senior SEO Consultant? Book a conversation with Gareth about the decision in front of you, what the data says and what it would take to act on it.