About me
Hi I’m John, ioptimal is the name I trade as for my freelance SEO services.
I started working on the web 8 years ago building websites. Since 2006 I’ve been predominantly working on internet marketing projects and specialising in search engine optimisation (SEO).
I spent 3 years with one of the UKs top 20 search marketing companies SiteVisibility as an SEO specialist leading a small team on SEO projects for the likes of Gala Casino, uSwitch, The Share Centre and Stannah.
After leaving agency life I spent a year travelling the world while setting up a number of my own web businesses including a niche social network and travel guide and an online fashion retailer. I now split my time between my freelance SEO services and my own projects. What this means for you if you choose to hire me to work on your site is you get an SEO with experience both on the agency and site owner side. I love having this variety in my working life, it keeps things interesting and means I always have to be on my toes and up to date with the latest ideas and developments in the SEO world.
Many SEO agencies and freelancers are members of various associations and display badges on their about us pages in an attempt to convey credibility. The truth is there’s no trade body or regulator for the SEO industry or any organisation qualified to hand out such certifications. I don’t pay for membership to any of these organisations or directories because they mean nothing to my customers and create a cost I would have to pass on to you in my day rates.
For what it’s worth I am a certified Adwords professional and a member of the chartered institute of marketers.
Within the SEO industry I’ve contributed to a number of SEO blogs, primarily at SiteVisibility and SEOMoz. I also write a popular SEO blog where I share practical SEO tips.
My strongest endorsements come from my customers and industry colleagues which you can see a selection of below or in full on my linkedIn profile.
Recommendations & references
“John exceeded all our expectations and demonstrated an exceptional understanding of our business… He communicates very well and is obviously a leader in his field based on the strategy and techniques he employed.”
Nick – iVPN – VPN service
“John is a real expert in his field and delivers high quality work to deadlines”
Paul Harrison – Head of motor finance – Finance & Leasing Association
“We experienced measurable improvements as a result of using John and would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him for any related Consultancy role.”
Prue Heron – Director – Commercial Finance People
“John has developed into a highly capable SEO all-rounder possessing a rare combination of technical and creative skills which he deploys in his typically understated way”
Jason Woodford – CEO – SiteVisibility
“John is an excellent Natural Search Analyst and Strategist, and has a flair for producing detailed but easy to understand, high quality reports and audits”
Rachel Lovejoy – Digital account manager – iCrossing
“John is just the man you want on your team. A mixture of superb technical knowledge without needless technical gargon and client friendiness that you don’t get very often”
Dan Flanagan – Director of digital marketing – Cobb PR
“John got me up and running in a matter of days with a smart and simple website which quickly started sending me traffic from Google- exactly what I needed and at a price I could afford!”
Jim Mach - Surrey DJ for hire
“John is one of the most technically gifted SEO’s I’ve had the pleasure to work with. He’s inventive, commercially minded and has forgotten more about SEO than most specialists even know!”
Kelvin Newman – Creative Director – Internet marketing podcast
“John is hard-working and has a great knowledge of the technical nuts and bolts that make effective digital marketing work. The ultimate safe pair of hands”
Viv Cole – Director of professional services – Redtray
“John’s got techy knowledge better than anyone!”
Zachary Colbert – Social media manager – White Hat Media
“John is an asset to any team, his knowledge of all areas of online marketing are exceptional. He has the unique gift of being able to turn his hand to any challenge that comes up and achieved great results for the clients he worked on”
Gareth Simmons – Senior Digital Marketing Consultant – SiteVisibility
“Goldstone Homes Ltd were looking for a website that would stand out from the rest. We contacted John who took our concept and ideas and turned them into a professional and easy to use website. He incorporated social links and SEO to help elevate the website. Very professional, friendly and helpful service. I would highly recommended anyone to use ioptimal.”
Jon Over – Director – Goldstone Homes
If you would be interested in discussing your SEO project and receiving a proposal for my services please feel free to get in touch on john@ioptimal.co.uk