Last Updated on February 16, 2026
TL;DR
What started as teaching SEO basics evolved into something bigger: building digital resilience through education. This article traces the journey from rankings and traffic to accessibility, AI adaptation, and social entrepreneurship – showing how teaching people to navigate digital spaces with confidence became the real mission.
I started out teaching people how to rank on Google, but somewhere along the way, that became something different. Something bigger. SEO became more about people and less about keywords. It became more social, more conversational, and more sustainable.
That changed not only how I worked, but why I worked.
The One Thing I Never Stopped Doing
I’ve written about SEO for years now. Keywords, backlinks, schema markup – all that technical stuff. But when I look at what I’ve actually been doing this whole time, there’s one thing that shows up everywhere:
Taking complicated things and making them simple enough for everyday use. Not marketing agencies with huge budgets. Not developers who code in their sleep. Just regular people. Small business owners. Nonprofits are trying to make every dollar count. Schools are trying to stay relevant.
That’s what’s stayed the same. Teaching people so they can do it themselves.
Sounds kind of noble when I put it that way. But really, it’s just this: if you understand how it works, you don’t need to hire someone to do it for you.
You can make your own decisions. You’re not stuck depending on experts who speak in jargon. That’s the part that never changed.
How My Work Changed (Without Me Really Noticing)
When I look back, I can see my work shifted in stages. I didn’t plan it. It just happened. But the pattern makes sense.
2019-2021: Making SEO Less Gatekeepy
Back then, I wrote beginner-friendly SEO books. Simple frameworks. Breaking down the complex stuff. I thought I was just teaching SEO basics. I was actually tearing down the walls that kept small businesses from getting information that agencies charged thousands of dollars for.
Most SEO advice back then was either super technical or deliberately vague. You know why? So you’d stay confused and have to hire someone.
I hated that. So I started giving it away.
2021-2023: When Traffic Stopped Being the Point
This is when I stopped focusing on “how to rank” and started asking, “Why do you even want to rank for that?” User intent became the thing. Content that actually helps people. Knowing what you’re trying to accomplish.
I thought I was teaching smarter SEO tactics. But I was actually trying to shift people away from gaming the system and toward actually serving their audience.
Because honestly – who cares if you get 10,000 visitors if none of them buy anything? Or if your content doesn’t actually help anyone? Your website should do something useful, not just exist to show up in search results.
2023-2024: The Accessibility Wake-Up Call
Then I couldn’t ignore accessibility anymore. Not just the technical stuff (though yes, that too). But bigger questions: Who can’t use this? Who gets left out by how we build websites?
I thought I was adding accessibility tips to my teaching. But really, I was asking people to think about fairness in digital spaces.
You can learn every SEO trick in the book. But if your site doesn’t work for someone using a screen reader, or takes forever to load on an old phone, or uses language only industry insiders understand, you’re excluding people.
And in 2026? That’s not just wrong. It’s also bad for business.
2024-Now: The AI Shift
Now we’re in this messy phase where AI is changing how people find information. ChatGPT. AI search. Voice assistants. Results that don’t even make you click through to a website.
I thought I was teaching people how to adapt their SEO for AI. But really? I’m trying to help people not freak out about change.
Because there’s a lot of fear around AI. “It’ll replace me.” “Search is dead.” “Everything I learned is worthless now.”
Sure, things are changing. But change doesn’t mean disaster. If you understand how these systems work, you can adapt. You can still be found. You can still reach your people.
That’s what matters.
So Am I a Social Entrepreneur Now?
I didn’t set out to be one. I’m not running a charity. I charge for my work.
But when I look at what I actually do, the pattern is pretty clear:
- I teach instead of creating dependency
- I focus on understanding principles, not tricks
- I push for adaptability, not rigid rules
- I care about digital literacy, not just SEO rankings
That’s not how most marketing consultants work.
That’s more like… building capacity. Helping people develop skills they can use on their own.
Which, turns out, is kind of what social entrepreneurship is about.
How My Language Changed
I didn’t notice this until recently, but the way I talk about my work has shifted:
Before: “Learn SEO to rank higher.”
Now: “Learn digital visibility so you can stay relevant.”
Before: Here’s a skill to acquire.
Now: Here’s a capability to develop.
Before: Get more traffic.
Now: Build a sustainable presence.
Before: Here’s a tactic for this platform.
Now: Here’s how the whole system works.
It’s the same journey. Just deeper.
I went from teaching technical skills to building resilience.
Where I Actually Fit
If you drew a line from “Traditional SEO Consultant” on one end to “Education-Focused Social Entrepreneur” on the other, I’m definitely closer to the second one now.
I put education first. I try to build systems that last. I want to help communities prepare for what’s coming. I care about doing this stuff ethically.
I’m not running a nonprofit. This is still a business.
But the way I work? It lines up with using business to create social impact through education.
What This Actually Means
Here’s what clicked for me:
SEO was always just the door.
The real mission is teaching digital thinking.
AI literacy is something people need now.
Education is how I make an impact.
It’s less: “I’ll help your business rank higher.”
More: “I’ll help you understand digital transformation so you don’t get left behind.”
Two Ways of Looking at the Same Thing
My SEO evolution looks like this: Rankings → User Intent → Accessibility → AI Discovery
My social entrepreneurship evolution looks like this: Skills → Purpose → Fairness → Resilience
They’re the same path.
Which tells me these changes weren’t random. I wasn’t just chasing whatever was trending.
There was a deeper logic to it:
Teaching people to navigate digital spaces with confidence.
What I’m Really Teaching
So when I teach “SEO,” what am I actually teaching?
- How to be found when the digital landscape keeps changing.
- How to communicate clearly online.
- How to give your audience real value.
- How to adapt when platforms shift.
- How to build something sustainable that doesn’t depend on gaming algorithms.
That’s not SEO. That’s resilience. Maybe that was always the point.
Why This Matters to You
If you run a small business, a nonprofit, or a school, here’s why this matters:
- You don’t need to become an SEO expert.
- You don’t need to master AI.
- You don’t need a massive marketing budget.
- You need to understand how digital spaces work.
- You need to build things that help people.
- You need to adapt without losing your mind.
That’s what I’m here for. Not to make you dependent on me, but to give you the tools so you can figure it out yourself.
The Real Goal
I want you to look at digital marketing and think: “Oh, I get it. I can do this.”
Not: “This is too complicated. I need to hire someone.”
Because when you understand the principles – not just the tactics – you can handle whatever comes next.
- New algorithm? You’ll adapt.
- New platform? You’ll figure it out.
- AI breakthrough? You’ll know how to use it.
That’s the goal. Teaching you to navigate digital spaces with confidence.
Turns out I’ve been doing social entrepreneurship this whole time. I just called it SEO.
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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash. Thank you!