The way we search for information and the ways in which our search queries are answered have evolved significantly from the inception of the first search engines. Subsequently, the job of an SEO has also changed over the years.
Although the fundamentals of technical SEO and its implementation remain more or less the same, it’s hard to say we know exactly what an SEO specialist does. There can be a number of different niches and idiosyncrasies related to each industry and to each website.
As such, we want to reintroduce our Real-life SEO series that looks at different jobs and different ways of working in the SEO industry. We think it’s important for SEOs with varied backgrounds and experiences to get the opportunity to share what they do in their day-to-day work.
For this article, we spoke with Kaspar Szymanski, Co-Founder & Senior Director at Search Brothers, an SEO consulting agency both founded and operated by former Google Search employees.
Kaspar Szymanski: An unexpected adventure with Google Search
“Working with truly exceptional colleagues on a global product which brings joy to millions of users every day was a privilege.”
Kaspar is a former senior Google Search employee and started working in SEO rather unexpectedly. In our interview, he shares a bit about how he started working in SEO and how his career time at Google has shaped his path up until this point.
Oncrawl: How did you get started in SEO?
Kaspar: Unexpectedly in 2006 actually! I came across a rather cryptic job opening at Google, with scant reference to the actual work, except for the fact that it will be a very hush-hush type of mission.
Upon successfully going through the Google recruitment process, I learned that I was going to join the Google Search team. It was the beginning of an incredible experience both professionally as well as personally, one that I continue to appreciate.
Working with truly exceptional colleagues on a global product which brings joy to millions of users every day was a privilege. And it offered unparalleled insight into how Google Search actually works. It’s an incredible advantage that both I and our clients continue to benefit from to this day.
The day-to-day at Search Brothers
Oncrawl: Can you tell us a bit more about what your current job consists of?
Kaspar: As an SEO consulting agency we offer several services to our clients, but technical SEO audits are by far the most popular. They primarily consist of data collection and data analysis.
Returning clients regularly request an aspirational SEO audit, with the objective to mitigate SEO signal liabilities and to grow visibility as well as their market share further.
There are of course inquiries from website publishers whose web platforms dropped in Google Search Results unexpectedly. In which case a defensive SEO audit is warranted.
We are a boutique SEO consulting agency and work at any point in time with only a handful of clients, which allows me to both remain involved in the daily operations and work closely with my clients. That includes sharing advice based on the unique insights gained during my tenure working at Google Search.
Growing in-house SEO expertise also represents a considerable part of my job. It comes into focus when we conduct on-site training for our client’s SEO and developer teams. I find the in-person interaction, as well as the chance to learn from the clients experience, are the most rewarding part of my job.
Oncrawl: Is there any one aspect that stands out?
Kaspar: Everything! It is such a blessing to work on something that is both appreciated and in high demand at the same time.
The client feedback is certainly an incredibly motivating factor, but there is also the underlying challenge to outperform the clients’ competitors; that definitely makes the job exciting.
Oncrawl: Do you find one part of your work more challenging?
Kaspar: SEO is done by teams of people who share a common goal; decision makers, developers, content editors, link builders, marketers, brand and PR managers, they all contribute towards SEO signals.
Working with large groups of people in itself is a challenge, but in the most positive way.
And while it can be challenging, it is also what makes the job an exciting one. Every interaction is both an opportunity to share expertise as well as to learn and improve.
A data-driven and client-centered approach to SEO
“While short lived trends are of little consequence for the SEO industry, there have been changes over the years, which ultimately shifted priorities in SEO.”
With concrete insights into how Google search actually works, Kaspar has a unique perspective to offer to his clients. However, Google insights aren’t the only way to approach an actionable SEO strategy. At Search Brothers, they place particular emphasis on data-driven SEO and also listening to their clients needs and objectives.
Oncrawl: What do you find has the most influence on how you approach SEO?
Kaspar: While short lived trends are of little consequence for the SEO industry, there have been changes over the years, which ultimately shifted priorities in SEO.
Most importantly, SEO has become incredibly data driven. Experience – and real Google Search insights – remain a unique selling proposition for sure. But, it’s fair to say that SEO is both an art and a science.
When working with clients, we tap into vast amounts of relevant, fresh data in order to provide actionable, specific advice.
Server log data is a very good example here. It has become almost indispensable for large websites, when it comes to adequately managing their crawl budget distribution. This is what we specialize in doing on a rather large scale.
There are only a few agencies that even factor in server log data as part of their analysis, let alone processing petabyte sized data samples, which is actually something that we do regularly.
Oncrawl: Are there any other aspects that shape how you approach the unique problems you face when working with your clients,
Kaspar: I spend a lot of time on understanding an individual client’s situation and their specific SEO challenges. It is my firm belief that only in doing so, we as an agency can -together- find solutions that are tailored to our clients needs.
A client-centered approach has proven to be mutually beneficial time and again. It helps to boost the ROI for the client while at the same time ensuring client confidence that the budget allocated was spent wisely. Ultimately, that helps forge lasting, trust-based business relationships.
Our main objective remains to provide qualified, technical SEO consulting services to our clients. We want our clients to rank ahead of the competition and our unique insights gained during our respective tenures working at Google Search are a huge competitive advantage.
Oncrawl: What’s the most rewarding part of how you approach your work and particularly your relationship with your clients?
Kaspar: Seeing a client website visibility go up and to the right is always a source of pride. Organic search growth is almost always the ultimate objective.
Helping a client to identify and remedy previously undetected SEO signals that held the website back does make us, as a company, proud. After all, it’s what we specialize in doing.
There have also been many different milestone achievements over time; there were successful domain migrations, brand consolidations and difficult Google penalty recoveries that stood out.
And while these situations pose a challenge initially, it’s important to remember that SEO crises represent but a spring board for new, unprecedented organic search visibility.
[Ebook] Technical SEO for non-technical thinkers
What will SEO look like in the next 5 or 10 years?
Working in the SEO industry, we usually become accustomed to the unexpected and the unpredictable. Nevertheless, it’s always interesting to hypothesize about how things may change and try to prepare for what we think is to come.
Kaspar: It’s an exciting time in the SEO industry! For the most part of the past two decades Google was the unchallenged, dominant force in search. With the introduction of LLM’s the industry has been shaken up for the first time in a while.
Google is, of course, bound to remain the main search engine, even if its market share has marginally eroded. However, the industry’s dynamic has changed and that’s exactly the kind of environment that boosts innovation and evolution.
Takeaways from chatting with Kaspar Szymanski
In speaking with Kaspar, we learned that SEO has become an increasingly data-driven field and it’s important to use the data at our disposal (e.g. log file analysis) to inform our decision making processes and our SEO strategies.
Additionally, Kaspar shared some insights regarding the client-centered philosophy they employ at Search Brothers. He emphasized the importance of understanding each client’s specific situation and challenges. It’s impossible to implement a one-size-fits-all approach; clients deserve tailor-made solutions.
Finally, when looking at how the industry will evolve, Kaspar is very optimistic. He recognizes that while Google remains the dominant search engine for now, the industry is experiencing significant changes due to the introduction of LLMs. He points out that change isn’t a bad thing, the shifting dynamics offer an opportunity for innovation and evolution in the industry.
We’d like to say thank you again to Kaspar Szymanski for taking the time to speak with us and for sharing his views on the day-to-day issues faced by SEOs everywhere.
