Independent SEO consultant: SEO that turns searches into customers
Senior-level SEO strategy for businesses that want more qualified leads from Google, and a place in the AI answers that increasingly come before the click.
Growth Rankers' SEO consulting covers a full audit, a keyword and content strategy built around buyer intent, on-page and technical optimization, AI search visibility, and monthly reporting tied to leads. You work directly with Latisha Gray, a former Head of SEO with more than a decade leading search strategy.
What our SEO consulting includes
SEO audit & strategy
A deep review of technical health, rankings, content gaps, backlinks and competitors. Then a custom roadmap that ranks the work by impact and effort, so you always know what comes next.
Keyword & content strategy
We find the high-intent, buyer-ready searches your ideal clients actually use, map them to pages, and plan the content that wins them. It's data-backed, not guesswork.
On-page optimization
Title tags, meta descriptions, headings, internal links, content structure and schema, optimized page by page to rank and to convert visitors into leads.
AI search visibility
Every strategy includes generative engine optimization, so the content that ranks in Google is also structured to be quoted by ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews.
Reporting that tells the whole story
Monthly reports on leads, rankings, click-through rate, share of voice and AI mentions, in plain language, with the next actions spelled out.
Team training & guidance
Have writers or developers in-house? I train teams on SEO best practices and review work before it ships, the same way I did for newsrooms at CNN and Vox Media.
Why work with an independent SEO consultant?
With an agency, the person who sells the work often isn't the person who does it. With Growth Rankers, you work directly with Latisha Gray, a former Head of SEO who led SEO strategy for Vox Media brands and CNN's Politics desk, from the first audit to every report.
- Senior judgment on every decision: no hand-offs to junior staff.
- Plain-language priorities: what to do first, and why, for your business.
- Flexible engagements: a one-time audit, ongoing consulting or fractional SEO leadership.
- No long lock-in contracts, and you own all of your accounts and data.
Comparing options? Read how to choose an SEO company, with 12 questions to ask any consultant or agency, including us.
Strategy built around your business, not a package
No cookie-cutter plans. Before recommending anything, we learn your market, your competitors, your margins and your sales process. A plumber in Greenville and a B2B SaaS company need very different SEO. We build the plan that fits where you are and where you're headed.
Signs you need an SEO consultant
- Competitors outrank you for the services you do best
- You're getting traffic, but it isn't turning into leads
- Organic traffic dropped after a Google update or site redesign
- You've paid for SEO before and couldn't tell what you got
- You don't show up when people ask ChatGPT for a provider like you
Ways to work together
| Option | Best for |
|---|---|
| Audit & roadmap One-time project | Teams that can implement in-house and need an expert plan |
| Ongoing consulting Monthly | Businesses that want strategy, implementation guidance and reporting |
| Migration & redesign support Project | Sites relaunching, replatforming or changing domains |
Every engagement starts with the free SEO & AI audit.
SEO consulting: your questions answered
What is an independent SEO consultant?
An independent SEO consultant is a senior specialist who works directly with clients rather than through a large agency team. You get the same experienced person from the first audit through every report, and decisions are made by the person doing the strategy.
What is an organic SEO consultant?
An organic SEO consultant focuses on unpaid search results: the rankings you earn rather than buy with ads. That includes technical health, content, on-page optimization, local presence and, increasingly, visibility in AI answers from tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.
Is an independent SEO consultant a good fit for a small business?
Often, yes. Small businesses usually need clear priorities and senior judgment more than a large team. An independent consultant can focus on the few changes most likely to bring in customers and explain them in plain language. If you need a lot of ongoing execution, a consultant can also work alongside your team or other partners.
What does an SEO consultant do?
An SEO consultant audits your website, researches the searches your customers make, and builds a prioritized plan to improve rankings, traffic and leads. At Growth Rankers that includes technical fixes, keyword and content strategy, on-page optimization, AI search visibility and monthly reporting.
What's the difference between an SEO consultant and an SEO agency?
With a consultant, you work directly with the senior strategist doing the thinking. Agencies often sell with senior staff and hand the work to junior teams. Growth Rankers is consultant-led, so the person who audits your site is the person who builds and reports on your strategy.
Do you offer one-time projects or only monthly retainers?
Both. Some clients need a one-time audit and roadmap their own team can run with. Others want ongoing monthly strategy, implementation and reporting. We'll recommend the model that fits after your free audit.
How much does SEO consulting cost?
Cost depends on the size of your site, how competitive your market is, and whether you need strategy only or hands-on implementation. Every engagement is scoped after the free audit, so you get a fixed proposal before any work begins.
Who owns my website, accounts and data?
You do. Your domain, website, Google Business Profile, Google Analytics and Search Console stay in your name; we work with the access you grant. If we stop working together, you keep everything. There are no long lock-in contracts.
How do you measure SEO success?
We track organic leads and conversions in GA4, rankings for buyer-intent keywords, organic click-through rate, share of voice against your competitors, and AI answer visibility. Traffic alone is not the goal. Qualified leads are.
Find out where you're losing search traffic, and what to fix first.
The free SEO & AI audit shows how you rank in Google, whether AI tools mention you, and the three changes likely to pay off fastest.