Before Digital 1, I worked in landscaping: lawn maintenance, flower beds, irrigation systems and more. I got into SEO when Chris offered me part-time work helping him audit websites and edit content, back when Digital 1 still ran out of his one-bedroom apartment.

Today, as Director of SEO Operations, I spend my days reviewing websites, building improvement plans, digging into data, solving client issues and supporting my team of SEO specialists with the sites they manage.

Coming from outside the car business, what surprised me most was how many dealership websites say nothing about the dealership. I’ll look at a site full of template content, then check their Facebook and find a dealer that’s active in their community, sponsoring events and supporting local causes. That personality is exactly what shoppers want to see, and it’s often missing from the website.

When it comes to results, I care most about the overall feel of the website. When you pick the SEO process apart, it really comes down to building a good website. Rankings matter, but the real goal is a site car shoppers find useful, reliable and worth coming back to.