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Freelance SEO - Suffolk - United Kingdom - Worldwide

SEO with a human touch. Not just a business/machine.

Oil'reet ol' buh? Yer SEO on the huh an' lerken a bit rum? Oi'll fix that for yer.

I have over fifteen years hands-on experience dedicated to Search Marketing. Nine of these were spent agency-side and in-house prior to freelancing. I work on projects both big and small and refuse to price any business out of the benefits of SEO.

Contact me TODAY to find out more.

TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. SEE PREVIOUS RESULTS.
Data speaks louder than words.
ROI for local Catering business during COVID lockdown.
362% ROI for local Catering business during COVID lockdown.
YoY increase for Law Firm's CICA & abuse support content hub.
60,000+ YoY increase for Law Firm's CICA & abuse support content hub.
more organic traffic year-on-year for brand new Health service.
+225% more organic traffic year-on-year for brand new Health service.
citation rate for keywords featuring AI Overviews.
48% citation rate for keywords featuring AI Overviews.
annual visits from branded High St Bank keywords for Finance Publisher.
4,740+ annual visits from branded High St Bank keywords for Finance Publisher.
languages & regions managed for International B2C/B2B Software website.
38 languages & regions managed for International B2C/B2B Software website.
historic forum pages migrated whilst keeping traffic stable.
1.7M historic forum pages migrated whilst keeping traffic stable.
is my record # of clients managed at a single time when agency side.
17 is my record # of clients managed at a single time when agency side.
No BS no mess. Digital Strategies that make sense.

Why pick a freelancer over an agency or in-house hire?

I've had a few people ask me this over the years. My reply is always along the lines of "The complete freedom to march to the beat of my own drum allows me to focus on what's important for clients." I don't have to stress about office space, salaries and (as many) admin overheads. I don't have to worry what a wider team is doing or if work is being delivered. I get to do my job, do it well, and own the responsibility.

The simplicity of how I work allows me slide into other business' processes as if I was a team member. I won't ask you to sign up to software or use a clunky ticketing system to have a conversation - I'll just talk to you and write it down on the same sticky note pad that hasn't failed me in 6 years! I've seen all the pros and cons of agency and in-house SEO over my career as a staff member, which has not only helped me shape my own processes, but has helped other agencies/teams I've worked with evolve and/or avoid pitfalls too.

Read more about how I work.

Portfolio.

Data-justified ROI from Organic Search.

362%

ROI from SEO

Chefs Catering NorthWest

Catering · Lancashire & Cumbria

Non-branded clicks up 1,166%. 1,004 leads. They grew through the pandemic to 44 staff.

+225%

Organic traffic, year on year

Ear View

Audiology · Suffolk

On half a day a month. From 300 monthly impressions to over 68,000.
See all case studies.
What I do.

Ways I can make your SEO graphs point in an upwards direction.

Consulting & Outsourcing.

I left the agency world as a full-time employee but regularly partner with agencies as a contractor. Insights from my nine years agency-side on what does & doesn't work, Anything SEO-related delivery or process-related. I have even travelled to client pitches when needed.

Find out more

Content.

Briefs within a strong SEO framework for you to fill in the gaps with your expertise, or I can have the content created for you. By a human, not an AI.

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Websites.

I'm partnering with an excellent Development Agency on web builds for a one-off and VERY affordable fee. Investing in a new site can be an off-putting due to cost. They handle the build, I handle the SEO/content, you get a slick new website.

Find out more

Technical Audits.

Big crawls or small crawls, ongoing monitoring and comparison to previous data sets, log file analysis, schema markup, fixing what's broken. If it needs doing, I get on the tools.

Monthly Retainers.

The best results come when we work together long term, continually improving your website to snowball organic traffic. Get in touch if you want to see an avalanche in the search results.

Strategy.

You have your own teams and resources to get the job done, but you're not entirely sure what the job involves. I can streamline all SEO considerations into a nice Agile timeline, complete with instructions, for you to execute.

International.

Multi-region, multi-language, or both. I will ensure your regional content and wider site is optimised to target by locality. I've looked at so much hreflang code in my time it's a second language.

Learn more

Keyword data.

I've honed my keyword research process over 11 years in Excel, allowing deep segmentation on large datasets at speed, Praise be ARRAY formulas. I'll tell you what to do with said data to get more traffic as well.

Local.

I left the agency world because the corporate life wasn't for me. I value businesses ran by my neighbours and want to help them compete against giants. Affordable & negotiable rates depending on competitiveness.

eCommerce.

Big inventories, multiple options, conversion rate price points, category hierarchies, crawl holes. And often managed in clunky CMS systems. I've seen it all, and I wish I couldn't help, but I can.

Migrations.

The web continues to evolve and your website will need periodic refreshes. The last thing you want to do is lose all your traffic whilst taking a leap with your budget - your new website isn't worth much if it drives zero business. I'll support your Developers to make sure this doesn't happen.

Penalties.

Was once about cleaning up links. Whilst less important now, sites still get "Manual Action" warnings or suddenly tank in search results, most recently in relation to overuse of AI. Whatever you're in trouble for I'll help you grovel your way out of it with Google (they're sorry, I promise).

Testimonials.

Nice things people have said about me professionally.

I worked with Dan for several years on various websites. An absolute delight to work with. A dedicated worker who takes the time to understand what a client requires. A great grasp of online strategy. I would not hesitate to recommend him.
Managing Director.
Tourism & entertainment.
Dan is a highly-skilled SEO professional with extensive knowledge. A valuable team member who speaks up when needed and always has the best interest for the business in mind. His strategic approach to SEO is data-driven and any decision he makes is well-informed.
Head of SEO Team.
Publishing & Finance.

Sounds good! When can we start?

Get in touch with me TODAY and I will check my capacity. I usually turn around proposals within 2 weeks of contact and can start delivery within the month.

You've read this far so you may as well message me, right?!
SEO tools I use.

Fundamentals to get the job done.

The rest is bells & whistles.

What happens next if we decide to work together?
  1. 1

    Contact.

    At first contact I will start to ask about your goals and targets, as well as a history of your marketing journey and understanding your business' strengths/challenges.

  2. 2

    Investigation.

    From there I can use the context you've given me to dig around in your digital presence. What's working? What's not? And why?

  3. 3

    Solution.

    I will scope a strategy, ideally in line with your budget requirements, to address and fix these issues. This is not a one-size-fits-all process - your SEO strategy will be unique to your business and time frames required.

  4. 4

    Implimentation.

    Whether you need to me to work with an in-house/external team or upload changes from my side, I will do what it takes to ensure the work I do is online and bringing you results, rather than sitting in an inbox not actioned.

  5. 5

    Results.

    Unlike traditional marketing platforms, SEO doesn't do finger-in-the-wind or gut-feeling logic. I look at the data, tell you what we are going to impact and demonstrate a direct correlation between strategy and results to prove my value.

  6. 6

    Ongoing.

    Some strategies may take a week, others could take months (or years). I politely ask for a minimum 3-6 months commitment from clients - SEO is a marathon and not a sprint. As part of this you get peace of mind I am monitoring changes, monthly updates on performance and access to my consultation on an ad-hoc basis.

Cited by trusted industry sources.

Some Featured Career Highlights.

I've worked on a few award winning campaigns when agency side too, but we all know those ornaments are paid for and your employer takes all the credit.

  • Launched an SEO podcast.

    2023

    Source

  • UK Search Awards Judge.

    2021

    Source

  • Went freelance.

    2019

    Source

  • First Conference Talk.

    2017

    Source

  • Published on Semrush.

    2015

    Source

  • Went viral with tacos.

    2015

    Source

  • First published within SEO industry.

    2015

    Source

  • First featured SEO case study.

    2013

    Source

  • Attended first SEO conference.

    2012

    Source

  • First professional SEO role.

    2011

    Source

My experience.

A professional journey into digital nihilism.

  1. 2021

    Legmark.

    SEO Consultant.

    A Legal Marketing agency I work with delivering SEO client strategy and execution, as well as wider business needs and developing/promoting our internal data tools. Although I am a contractor in a literal sense, my role has always felt closer to a partner or member of staff, due to my level of involvement with the business early-doors. If you are a Solicitor or Law Firm looking for digital marketing services I recommend getting in touch with Sam!

  2. 2020

    Dan Callis SEO.

    Freelance SEO Consultant.

    Where you are right now. I have no hair left but I still hate Guns N Roses.

  3. 2019

    Netmums.

    SEO Manager.

    In-house SEO Manager for both the website and online community. Successfully migrated 1.7M pages of user-generated content to a new CMS platform whilst avoiding any negative impact to organic traffic.

  4. 2018

    Branded 3.

    Senior SEO Strategist.

    Campaign strategy and technical delivery for a portfolio of clients - large brands in the entertainment, finance and eCommerce sectors. Helped a cinema chain improve local clicks by 118% (5M visits). Oversaw a high street bingo brand to rank #1 for a super competitive 5-letter word.

  5. 2017

    StrategiQ.

    Technical SEO Consultant.

    Moved closer to home in a similar role to my previous two jobs - managing SEO strategy/delivery for local SMBs, e-commerce, B2B, B2C. Helped a known eyebrow treatment company rank number one for a brand new niche. Launched a mortgage calculator that ranked in the top 3 results for core keywords. With the boss' encouragement I did my first conference talk.

  6. 2015

    Further.

    SEO Analyst.

    The best fit when I relocated back to East Anglia and one of my favourite teams I've worked with. My main role was SEO management, delivery & strategy for a well-known antivirus software business - a 200 hour monthly retainer across three large multi-national/language domains. Hated a lot on Guns N Roses to a less-than-receptive boss.

  7. 2013

    Vertical Leap.

    SEO Campaign Delivery Manager.

    Where I learned more about technical SEO and became hands-on with client management. Oversaw a portfolio of clients across various industries. Helped a small travel insurance business rank on page one for competitive medical terms. Supported an airport bus transfer company to successfully launch in several areas.

  8. 2011

    OKO Digital.

    Digital Marketing Executive.

    My trainee role at a small family-run agency with both clients and in-house projects. Helped launch a sit on kayak information hub and got around 12 free ones sent to the office. Landed some SOLID .ac.uk and .gov links with broken link outreach. Hated a lot on Guns N Roses to a more-than-receptive boss.

Has SEO aged you?

A personal journey into losing my hair.

  • 2011
  • 2013
  • 2015
  • 2018

Past & present clients.

I've worked some interesting stuff in my time.

A Fortune 100 Insurer A 150+ year old Naval Warship Software with 200M+ users A theatre school with 600+ locations Airport transfers & Global Logistics One of the UK's largest cinema chains Ecommerce for Art Supplies, Power Tools, Sheds & more. One of the UK's best known-parenting forums (Not the transphobic one) Tourism & Holiday Bookings

You name it, I've probably SEO'ed it.

Who are you?

About Dan.

Produces various electronic music/dance/punk/noise under the artist name DShappyBOI.

Supports Ipswich Town FC and follows the Carolina Panthers in the NFL

Vegan for around a decade.

Big fan of house plants and has two cats.

Retired from skateboarding for gym-based fitness (getting old).

Life long ambition is still to grow up to be a Ghostbuster.

Read more about me here.

FAQs.

A few things I get asked from time to time.

Are the Pogs real?
Yes! I got them from a business called Custom Pogs a few years back as business cards but they've long vanished into the networks. I plan to get more at some point, but it's 2026 and physical paper feels a bit gimmicky.
How much Will SEO cost me?
In general you can be paying anything from £800+ a day with agencies on the low end, with many bigger marketing firms refusing to touch any budget within the lower end of 4-figures per month. My full rates are only available on contact, but I will say I offer a £120 ($170) discount on every full day (8 hours) you book with me. I have been told I undercharge, but I'm not money orientated and don't want to price smaller businesses out of my services.
Do you work with non-UK businesses?
Yes, all the time. My career has taken me to Paris, Prague, Gibraltar and Lyon thus far physically - and if you are based somewhere nice I have no issue hopping on a flight if time/budget allows. But that's besides the point, it's a digital world, I work remotely and video/email contact is all we need. I have worked with clients in the USA, Switzerland and France since going solo.
Are there any industries you won't work with?
Yes. I turn down work that clashes with my ethics. Part of why I went freelance was to choose who I help. If we are not a fit on that front, I will tell you early. It's not personal, it's just how I choose to operate. I avoid businesses around gambling, meat/dairy, leather, animal testing, multi-level marketing or anyone making big/vague claims if one parts with a considerable chunk of money. It is what it is.
Do you offer content services?
YES! I have been working with my longtime friend Em for a number of years delivering content for clients based on the briefs I create. Em has a solid understanding of SEO needs, brand guidelines and research processes - and rarely do I get edit feedback from clients. Em is a real person and not an AI tool I should add.
Do you offer PPC services?
Yes, but only within a very small budget and to an intermediate level. If you are a smaller business or sole trader who needs a hand with a monthly £50-£500 budget I'm happy to help and will drive results for you. For larger budgets or expert level Paid Search services I recommend using a dedicated PPC professional who has more experience with the landscape and tools. I have a handful of contacts in my network I can pass you on to if that's the case.
Do you do link building or online PR?
Nope. I did a lot of it in the first 2-3 years of my career, but it's not a task I particularly enjoy. i do know some excellent agencies and freelancers that do offer it I can put you in touch with though.
What if I already have an SEO?
Then they are probably crap. Sack them and hire me. LOL JK. Fun story - I once had a lead say he wasn't sure about the SEO he had hired a year ago and asked me to review things. I replied, honestly, stating he should work through any hurdles with them as they are driving good results and doing excellent work. On the flip, if your SEO is doing a bad job, I'll be able to spot it and tell you what I'd do different. We can then go from there.
Do I have to sign a contract?
Yes, with a 14 day cancellation period and clearly agreed deliverables. Most agencies expect a minimum a cancellation period of 3-6 months. In the few instances a client has had to leave I do all I can to ensure handover goes smoothly and all that is needed for next steps is delivered.
How long until I see results?
There's a running joke in SEO of the answer always being "it depends", but for such a question this is the reality. How much work have you done? How established is your business? How competitive are your niches? Does your site function well as it is or does it need a lot of work? What resources do you have/need and how long will those deliverables take? I can't say for sure and nothing is a promise when at the mercy of external algorithms surrounded by IP protection, but when I scope projects I will always try and give realistic time frames to achieve what's needed.
Do you use AI for SEO?
No, or at least in not any risky sense related to your business. I do not produce content with AI and run checks with 3rd parties who work with me. I will never get an AI to do all your analysis, summarise it into a tidy email and pass it off as a strategy/brief. These tactics have made me deeply ashamed of the SEO industry in recent years. I have been known to scope out bullet point briefs with Gemini for internal use when someone has specific requirements to save time. I have also worked on/with a number of tools that can speed up elements of my processes when collecting/sorting data. Outside of those occasions I try and avoid using LLMs due to the negative impacts it's having on the planet.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
When I went self-employed I said I'd never get up early again and work more to my night owl productive schedule if needed. I start my working day around 10am, usually checking emails and knocking off any quick/urgent tasks. By 11am I've had at least 3 coffees. Productivity curve rise and dip usually occurs between 10.30am and 2pm. At this point I'll realise I haven't eaten anything and slam some food in me. On some days 1pm-3pm is peak gym hours and I'll have a longer lunch. Second productivity rise and drop happens between 2pm-6pm. Some days I'll be done by 4pm and get spare time to work on music. Other days I have been known to work until 4am. It all depends on how my brain is deciding to function at the time. I will often take a cheeky weekday off if my work load allows it, but I sometimes work weekends too. The concept of a "bank holiday" does not exist if you are self-employed.
Do your tattoos affect your work?
Yes. The more I've tattoos I have gotten - the better I've become at SEO (correlation, not causation). After 3 years of being self-employed I decided to get a small face tattoo - my mate who already had one calls it "a protection symbol against the job he never wanted". I had my knuckles done way back in 2017 and I held 3 different Senior positions in that time, all client facing. I tend to wear a flat cap for meetings - Thank you Peaky Blinders for making that an acceptable work thing. And thank you Male Pattern Baldness for making society assume I wear it because I miss my hair. I'm not wearing gloves to a meeting to hide my hands though, that would make me look MENTAL.
Are you mental?!
Yes.

Still here?!

You’ve spent this much time reading about me? I’m flattered, but I promise I’m more interesting in person.

Let's sort a chat.