SEO Is Changing. Most Advice Isn’t.
I help businesses and SEO teams navigate both classic SEO and the new world of AI-driven search — without hype, shortcuts, or vanity metrics.
Twenty years of experience, zero bullshit, and a deep understanding of how LLMs, AI Overviews and answer engines are reshaping visibility.
If you want clarity instead of noise, you’re in the right place.
Why “Grumpy Old SEO”?
I began optimising websites before Google was even a thing. That makes me old — fine — but it also means I’ve seen every SEO trend, reinvention, and disaster come and go. The “grumpy” part isn’t a mood; it’s a stance against the overeager promises, vanity KPIs and magical thinking that still dominate our industry.
Clients often receive unrealistic forecasts. Agencies sometimes oversell. In-house teams are left trying to manage expectations no one can deliver on. None of this helps anyone succeed.
My work exists to change that dynamic: honest advice, grounded experience, and strategies that stand up to reality.
What I Actually Do
This is not an agency, and I don’t sell retainers or package deals. I offer clarity. I help people understand what they actually need — and just as importantly, what they don’t. My role is part consultant, part senior sparring partner, part translator between what leadership expects and what SEO can realistically achieve.
I work with businesses that want a trusted advisor, SEO teams that want a seasoned challenger to pressure-test their ideas, and founders or CMOs who need someone to cut through the noise and provide direction that isn’t driven by tools, trends, or sales goals.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
Visibility in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity & AI Search
Search no longer begins with a list of links. Increasingly, it begins with an answer — generated by an LLM. I help organisations understand where their brand appears in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and other answer engines, why it appears there (or doesn’t), and how to influence these systems responsibly and sustainably.
Classic SEO is still essential, but LLM-driven discovery brings new nuances. If you want to remain present in customer journeys shaped by AI, your strategy must evolve beyond keywords and rankings.
Strategic Guidance for Businesses
Many companies struggle not because SEO doesn’t work, but because they’re using the wrong approach, the wrong partner or the wrong expectations. I advise businesses on how to structure their SEO efforts, where to invest, what to prioritise, and how to avoid the common mistakes that cost organisations time and money.
My goal isn’t to sell you something — it’s to help you make better decisions. If I’m not the right person to solve your challenge, I’ll point you to someone who is.
German SEO in the UK (and UK SEO for the D-A-CH Region)
Working internationally requires a bit more than translation. I support UK companies entering German-speaking markets by bringing native insight into search behaviour, language nuances, and cultural expectations. Conversely, I help German-speaking businesses navigate SEO in the UK with a realistic understanding of competition, user intent, and opportunity.
Because I operate in both ecosystems, I can also connect you with the right partners in either region — not just the biggest names, but the right fit for your needs.
International SEO Advisory
I work with global enterprise teams across Vienna, New York and Madrid, and with companies operating in multiple markets. International SEO often fails not because the tactics are wrong, but because the structure is wrong — unclear ownership, fragmented processes, misaligned expectations, or strategies copied from one market into another.
I help teams build frameworks that scale and work across languages, cultures and organisational constraints.
Who I Work With
I work with people who value honesty, experience and clarity.
Business owners who want to understand what SEO can deliver — and what it can’t.
SEO teams who want a senior voice to validate or challenge their strategic thinking.
Agencies looking for support on complex pitches or technical questions.
CMOs and founders who want to make confident decisions in a landscape that changes faster than their dashboards can update.
If you appreciate straight talk, we’ll work well together.
How We Can Work Together
My work typically takes the form of advisory sessions, GEO/LLM visibility audits, strategic reviews, market expansion guidance, and ongoing sparring for SEO teams. Everything is tailored; nothing is packaged or automated.
You will always get clear thinking, honest feedback, and practical direction — not rehearsed frameworks or recycled slide decks.
Why People Come to Me
Because SEO is complicated enough without the industry making it worse. People come to me when they’re tired of conflicting advice, when they want strategies that survive contact with reality, and when they need someone who has seen enough not to be impressed by shiny dashboards.
Above all, they come to me because I say what needs to be said — even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially then.
Want to Talk?
The simplest way to reach me is by email:
Tell me what’s on your mind.
If I can help, I will. If not, I’ll point you to someone who can.
No funnel. No fluff. No nonsense.