Tyler Hakes | Aug 12, 2026 | Uncategorized
Article Summary Firing an SEO agency without running a diagnostic first resets the clock with a new vendor running the same playbook. “The agency isn’t working” actually means either the agency, strategy, or expectation is broken and your first goal...
Tyler Hakes | Jul 29, 2026 | Uncategorized
Article Summary The three-way choice between an SEO agency, an in-house SEO, and an SEO consultant usually collapses to one operational question: Who on your team has the hours to execute the plan next week? Agencies buy scope-and-hours, consultants close the strategy...
Tyler Hakes | Jul 10, 2026 | Uncategorized
Article Summary Across seven Optimist engagements (HelloSign’s $230M acquisition, Stampli’s 5x monthly pipeline, Glide’s 14x weekly signups, and more) the same operating pattern shows up. Pipeline as the north star from day one, keyword universes...
Tyler Hakes | Jul 3, 2026 | Uncategorized
Article Summary The SEO monthly retainer model still works because compounding organic work needs recurring capacity. Retainers commonly include technical SEO, content production, on-page optimization, link building and off-site work, and reporting. But with 51% of...
Tyler Hakes | Jun 23, 2026 | Uncategorized
Article Summary The best AI SEO agencies get a brand recommended by name when a buyer asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overviews which vendor to choose, and the strongest run that work as one system with traditional SEO measured in pipeline, not traffic...
Tyler Hakes | Jun 19, 2026 | Uncategorized
Article Summary The agency that wins GEO is the one that can show a brand getting mentioned and recommended by name when a buyer asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overview “what’s the best tool for X” — the outcome that moves pipeline — not one reporting that...
