We’re psyched to share the promotion of Patrick Whitener to Senior SEO Strategist.
Read on for more on his new role, a Q&A with Patrick himself—and a few SEO puns (We had to!).
About Patrick’s Boosted Ranking
Patrick’s new Senior title recognizes his years of experience and his leadership in SEO.
As a Senior Strategist, Patrick will leverage his cross-functional skillset which spans on-page SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO, user experience optimization, local SEO, and generative engine optimization to continue scaling our SEO offerings and team. His versatility uniquely positions him to lead the ongoing development of how we approach SEO, which will be a core focus of this role.
“Patrick has the rare ability to simplify complex things without dumbing them down and stay ahead of what’s coming without losing sight of what matters,” shared Vice President of Marketing Emily Massaro on his promotion. “This clarity and foresight are what make him a trusted resource to both clients and coworkers. Working with Patrick helps keep me sharp, and I’m excited for more of that in this role.”
In February, Patrick celebrated three years at Liquid. While here, Patrick has served as a thought leader, sharing his perspective on our blog, leading multiple webinars on SEO topics, and contributing to discussions around industry topics on platforms like LinkedIn. This will continue in his Senior Strategist role.
Crawling Patrick’s Brain
We caught up with Patrick to explore his perspective on SEO fundamentals, past projects, are career goals.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone starting out in SEO?
Try to understand why things work. SEO is always changing, but understanding the fundamentals (search intent, structure, and user experience) gives you the tools to adapt. Also, don’t think of yourself as just an SEO, think of yourself as a marketer first. That mindset will help you avoid a lot of tactics that look clever on the surface but don’t actually serve the user or the business.
What's the most interesting search query you've ever optimized for?
I’m not sure I can pinpoint an individual query, but I did SEO for a local tattoo shop which was pretty interesting and fun.
If we check back in a year, what do you hope you’ve accomplished?
At a Liquid level, I want to feel like I’ve helped push our SEO strategy forward, not just kept up with changes. We’ve been doing a great job of actively testing new tools and approaches, and challenging the status quo when it matters, so I’m confident Liquid (and our clients) will see that reflected in our strategies and results over the next year.
At a personal level: Have at least 2 viral SEO memes (true success).
If your career had a meta description, what would it be?
SEO & digital marketer helping brands get found & stay found. Known for creative strategy, solid execution, & clear results. Click to start ranking!
Give Patrick Some Page One Love
Please join us in congratulating Patrick on his new role. Head over to one of our social channels to give the “Wayne Gretzky of SEO” (or at least that’s what we like to call him!) some love.