Why Every Brand Needs An SEO Strategist Right Now

Author: Marco Martin, SEO strategist, dentsu Performancemedia

But the truth is, being an SEO strategist isn’t about sprinkling keywords like fairy dust and hoping for page one. It’s about building visibility, trust, and growth in that order. Every decision I make is rooted in strategy, shaped by data, and fuelled by one key obsession: how do we make your brand the one people find and choose?

Let me take you inside on a typical day in this job.

Coffee, Queries and Crawlers

Before the caffeine kicks in, I’m already scanning dashboards. First stop: Google Search Console. It’s my morning pulse check. Where are we winning? What is wobbling? Which technical gremlins are threatening visibility?

Then it’s over to GA4 (Google Analytics 4) for a broader sweep. While some see web analytics as a sea of charts, I see clues. What content resonates? Where are users dropping off? How is SEO performing alongside PPC (pay per click), Paid Social, and Display?

Take one of our personal care clients. They were launching a new product range, and the Paid Search team was primed to generate awareness. My job was to harness that intent. I dug into Search Console, matched findings with keyword research, and crafted content that answered real questions users were already typing into Google. While Paid was making noise, SEO was capturing demand and closing the loop.

Cross-channel collaboration

SEO thrives on teamwork. At dentsu Performancemedia, I regularly huddle with the PPC, campaign management, and content teams. We trade keyword insights like market stallholders: You give me that high-intent term, I’ll show you where organic can support or scale it without added cost.

Campaign landing pages are a perfect example. I help shape everything from meta descriptions and headlines to URL structures. My goal is to ensure each page is built for both humans and Google. If we get the technical foundations right and hit the right search terms, we boost quality scores, reduce CPC (cost per click), and increase share of voice.

Think of SEO and PPC as a tag team. When aligned, they dominate the ring.

Technical SEO is not glamorous, but it delivers

This is where I get my hands dirty: broken internal links, rogue redirects, malformed tags, bloated JavaScript. Fixing these issues may not sound exciting, but it's where real performance lives.

Just this morning, I found duplicated code buried deep in a client’s website like something Indiana Jones might stumble across in a forgotten digital temple. That duplicated code was confusing search engines and making it harder for the site to rank. We cleaned it up, and within hours, we saw rankings start to climb. The client thought we’d worked magic. We didn’t. We just knew where to look.

Learning never stops

SEO moves fast. Google rolls out core updates. AI reshapes how users search. Schema evolves. I make it my business to stay current. That means testing, talking to colleagues, reading widely, and questioning everything. Upskilling is a daily habit.

And when things break, I learn more. Every issue is a chance to sharpen my skills, try new approaches, and uncover growth opportunities.

Why clients should care

SEO isn’t a box to tick, it’s your long-term performance engine. Paid channels are great at generating quick traffic, but when budgets tighten, organic keeps your brand visible.

Clients work with SEO specialists like me because we bring clarity to chaos. We don’t just optimise content, we optimise strategy. We work across departments, solving technical issues, and making sure digital spending delivers return. And when we do it right, we help you dominate your category.

At dentsu Performancemedia, we make sure that when your customer goes looking, they find you first and remember you next.