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Kelly Carothers

@kellycarothers

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Senior SEO strategist specializing in GEO/AEO and AI search visibility to drive local leads and ecommerce growth.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a remote team that wants a hands-on SEO strategist—someone who audits sites, prioritizes fixes, rewrites SEO elements, builds AI-aware content plans, implements in the CMS, and explains recommendations without templated deliverables.

I’m a Senior SEO, GEO/AEO, and content strategist with 8+ years of search-informed content, client strategy, and execution experience across SMB, B2B SaaS, healthtech, local services, ecommerce, real estate, and consumer protection. I’m strongest in remote teams that want a hands-on strategist who audits sites, prioritizes fixes, and builds content plans that connect to real business outcomes.

I own SEO/GEO/AEO strategy and execution end-to-end: keyword research, Search Console query reviews, competitor analysis, content gap/opportunity mapping, and rewrites of title tags, meta descriptions, headings, service-page copy, FAQs, internal links, and proof sections. I also build local SEO systems—Google Business Profile review points, NAP/citation tracking, local landing-page recommendations, and zip/neighborhood content plans.

I bring practical AI workflows without losing SEO fundamentals. I use AI for query clustering, SERP pattern review, brief drafting, gap spotting, and SEO QA while manually controlling final strategy, claims, source quality, tone, and client-specific prioritization—especially for FAQ and schema planning that’s ready for voice and AI overviews.

Beyond SEO, I’ve led high-stakes communications as a Director of Government Affairs and Sustainability for a nonprofit delivering 12M+ units of PPE nationally, including work recognized through a New York Times investigation. I also supported healthtech launch messaging and investor-facing content that helped raise $13M+—so my recommendations are always plain-language, defensible, and conversion-aware.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Freelance Senior SEO Strategist

Current

Independent Consultant

Jan 2022 - Present (4 years 5 months)

Own SEO/GEO/AEO strategy and execution across local SEO, technical audits, on-page optimization, content refreshes, and AI search visibility. Implement CMS-ready SEO updates (WordPress, Shopify, Webflow) and build repeatable FAQ/schema and voice-search SOPs, including local systems and NAP/citation tracking across 20 listings.

Technical SEO On Page SEO Local SEO Schema & Structured Data Planning Content Strategy Google Search Console Ahrefs Screaming Frog

Director of Government Affairs

Project N95

Jan 2021 - Jan 2024 (3 years)

Served as public-facing communications lead and government liaison for a nonprofit delivering 12M+ units of PPE nationally, translating complex safety and authentication issues into plain-language, defensible guidance. Co-developed a New York Times investigation and maintained a fraud database identifying a manufacturer responsible for nearly one-third of KN95 counterfeit sales (about $15M monthly

Government Affairs Media Relations Consumer Protection Communications Investigation Stakeholder Management Plain Language Writing Safety & Authentication Messaging

Business Development Consultant

Industry Capital

Jan 2020 - Jan 2022 (2 years)

Created launch messaging and search-informed web, sales, and investor content for Aegle, a healthtech company producing an NFC-chip authenticated, anti-microbial NIOSH-certified N95 mask. Translated complex safety and authentication differentiators into buyer and partner-facing narratives, contributing to $13M+ raised for U.S.-based PPE manufacturers during peak demand.

Product Messaging Investor Communications B2B Healthtech Positioning Proof & Differentiator Writing

Account Manager & Technical Recruiter

Project Resource

Jan 2010 - Jan 2012 (2 years)

Managed 6+ multi-million-dollar IT and technology client accounts, building client discovery and prioritization practices and driving stakeholder communication and account ownership. Advanced from technical recruiting into account management, supporting intake, negotiation, and cross-functional execution for client delivery.

Client Account Management Technical Recruiting Stakeholder Management Negotiation Cross functional Coordination Relationship Management Prioritization