About The SEOptimist
Hi there. My name is Brian Watkins.
The SEOptimist began as a vision I had years ago about the way we approach marketing on the web.
I got my start in this world as a teenager, learning HTML, building websites, and eventually studying writing in college. What started as curiosity turned into a profession in 2007, and I’ve been working in both agency and independent roles ever since.
Agency work was a great place to learn. It exposed me to a wide range of projects, industries, and ways of thinking. But over time, it also showed me where things tend to fall apart.
There are good reasons some people have a negative impression of SEO and web marketing. If you’ve been around this space long enough, you’ve probably heard the same stories I have.
A Collaborative Approach
The SEOptimist is built around a simple idea: do what’s best for the client, even if that means not doing everything myself. This industry can be surprisingly territorial. Many agencies try to be everything to everyone, which often leads to generalized work and recommendations that conveniently align with what they sell. I’ve taken a different approach. Rather than positioning myself as a full-scale agency, I focus on what I do best and collaborate with other professionals when it makes sense. Over the years, I’ve built relationships with people whose work I trust, and I bring them in when a project calls for it. For clients, that means access to the right mix of skills, not just what happens to sit under one roof. The best outcomes rarely come from one discipline alone. SEO plays a major role, but design, messaging, paid channels, and broader strategy all contribute to long-term success. Trying to cover all of that personally would dilute the quality of the work. So I keep things intentionally small. I take on what I can handle well, stay focused on where I provide the most value, and bring in others when it improves the end result.Social Media…
I’ve become pretty selective with where I spend my time on social media these days. However, I’d love to connect with you so we can learn from each other.
You can find me on my Youtube channel and on Linkedin.