20 Years of Search.
Now at the AI Frontier.
For more than two decades, I've helped organizations grow through search—from startups to global enterprises, including leading SEO strategy during Aconex's acquisition by Oracle. Today, I help businesses succeed across both Google and the rapidly evolving world of AI-powered search, where visibility increasingly depends on being the answer, not just another result.
Led SEO strategy contributing to a 230% organic traffic increase for Aconex — a global enterprise SaaS platform subsequently acquired by Oracle.
Open to consulting partnerships and senior SEO strategy roles. Full profile on LinkedIn →
Search Experience
→ Oracle Acquisition
Consulting Practice
Remote Leadership
Search Has Two Channels Now.
Most Companies Are Only in One.
Buyers increasingly begin their vendor research in AI chat tools — not Google. If your brand isn't appearing in AI-generated recommendations, you're losing prospects before they ever reach your website. Richard bridges both worlds through intentional dual-channel optimization — structuring your digital footprint so AI engines have zero ambiguity about your expertise and cite you as the answer.
Your Most Durable Marketing Asset
Organic search rankings built on solid foundations — technical architecture, genuine authority, and content that earns trust — compound over time and survive algorithm changes. Most search engine optimization work erodes because it was built on shortcuts. Richard builds rankings that last, and strategies that your leadership team can understand, fund, and defend to a board.
When a Prospect Asks ChatGPT About You — What Happens?
When a decision-maker asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for a vendor recommendation in your category, who gets cited? For most companies, the answer is a competitor — or no one. Richard structures your brand's digital presence as a trusted entity across every AI platform, so the answer consistently points to you.
Enterprise-Grade SEO & AEO Expertise Across Every Search Dimension
Technical SEO & Site Architecture
Comprehensive audits, site structure optimization, HTTPS migrations, multilingual hreflang, robots.txt, XML sitemaps, and crawlability improvements at enterprise scale.
AEO & Generative Search Strategy
Entity architecture and AI Citation strategies ensuring your brand is cited — not just ranked — when buyers use ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Gemini to research solutions.
Authority & Link Development
Structured journalist and contributor partnership programs delivering Tier-1 placements in Sports Illustrated, Reuters, Audacy, and Yardbarker. Authority that compounds.
Schema & Structured Data
JSON-LD implementation, Schema.org markup, rich results optimization, and entity-signal architecture that strengthens both Google visibility and AI engine comprehension.
Analytics, Reporting & Forecasting
Executive dashboards and organic performance forecasting using GA4, Google Search Console, SEMrush, and Ahrefs — translating data into decisions leadership can act on.
Content Strategy & SEO Copy
An English Literature degree meets 20+ years of search. Content frameworks that rank, earn links, and satisfy both human readers and AI training datasets.
AI Platform Architecture
Hands-on architect of AI-powered marketing workflows integrating ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for content production, outreach automation, and multi-channel visibility.
International & Multi-Site SEO
Led global SEO strategy for enterprise SaaS platforms across multiple regions — multilingual hreflang, distributed content teams, and international expansion strategy.
Paid Search & Integrated Strategy
Google Ads management with superior Quality Scores — integrated with organic strategy to maximize total SERP coverage and compound ROI across paid and organic channels.
The Skills That Make Strategy Actually Work
Technical expertise gets results — but the ability to lead people, communicate clearly, and build trust at every level of an organization is what makes those results stick. After 20+ years working with enterprise teams, distributed organizations, and C-suite stakeholders, Richard brings both.
Client & Team Leadership
Led cross-functional teams across agency and enterprise environments — managing developers, content teams, and executive stakeholders simultaneously. Known for building trust quickly and delivering on every commitment.
Executive Communication
Skilled at translating complex technical SEO and AI concepts into clear, compelling language for executive audiences. English Literature degree plus 20+ years of client-facing consulting means strategy people actually understand and act on.
Training & Knowledge Transfer
Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) with deep experience building team capability — from training international content writers across a global enterprise platform to onboarding distributed teams on SEO and AEO best practices.
SEO & AEO Engagements That Define a Career
230% Organic Traffic Growth — Global Enterprise SaaS
Served as the sole dedicated SEO resource for a multinational enterprise SaaS platform. Led a complete technical overhaul, HTTPS migration, multilingual hreflang implementation, and scalable content framework development across multiple regions. Trained distributed international content teams on SEO best practices. Strategic visibility work during this five-year engagement contributed directly to Oracle's acquisition of Aconex.
Tier-1 Authority Placements Across National Media
Designed and scaled outreach and authority-building strategy across multiple media brands in a highly competitive vertical. Developed an author partnership program establishing lasting editorial relationships and securing placements across national sports and technology publications. AI-vs-expert-picks campaigns generated significant earned media and measurable domain authority growth.
AI-Powered Multi-Channel Marketing Platform
Architected and built an AI-driven marketing platform helping local businesses show up across Google Search, Maps, AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity), and social media — through consistent, high-quality automated content creation. Built on answer engine optimization principles, the platform ensures clients appear in AI-generated recommendations alongside traditional search results.
- AI-powered weekly blog and social content generation system
- Client authentication portal and account management
- Stripe-integrated subscription and payment infrastructure
- Competitive landscape analysis and market positioning tools
- 90-day multi-channel visibility roadmap framework
- Schema markup and structured data implementation
- Automated outreach via Instantly.ai and Apollo integration
- ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude API workflow integrations
- GA4 UTM tracking and conversion analytics dashboard
Appearing in AI Search Results Across Every Major Platform
Richard practices what he preaches. His own digital footprint is architected so AI assistants have zero ambiguity about his expertise — and he gets cited as a top recommendation when prospects search for SEO and AEO expertise in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. This is the same outcome he builds for clients.
SEO & AEO Consulting —
Two Ways to Work Together
Whether you need focused consulting or a permanent search leader — Richard is open to both and currently available.
SEO + AEO Consulting Partnerships
Flexible consulting arrangements for B2B and enterprise organizations ready to bridge the visibility gap. Richard's flagship engagement is a structured 90-day growth sprint, but longer-term retainers and project-based work are also available. Start with a discovery call to find the right fit.
- 90-Day Growth Partnership (flagship offering)
- Ongoing monthly retainer arrangements
- Project-based audits & roadmaps
- AEO for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini
- Schema & structured data implementation
- Direct access — no junior team, no account managers
Senior SEO & AI Search Strategy
Open to compelling opportunities at any senior level — from Director or VP of SEO to Senior Manager, Team Lead, or Senior Individual Contributor. If you're building something meaningful in organic and AI search and need someone who can think strategically and execute hands-on, let's talk.
- Director or VP of SEO, AEO & AI Search
- Senior SEO & Generative Search Strategy Manager
- Head of Organic Growth — B2B SaaS
- Senior SEO Team Lead or Individual Contributor
- 10+ years remote & distributed leadership
- Available immediately — US-based opportunities
What Leaders Who've Worked With
Richard Cummings Say
LinkedIn recommendations spanning 20+ years — from Oracle-acquired enterprise SaaS to digital PR, agency strategy, and independent consulting.
As Director of Online Marketing at Aconex, we brought Richard in to evaluate and improve our organic traffic. He immediately made an impact — redrafting content for on-page SEO, restructuring site architecture, and upgrading our corporate blog to a mobile-responsive design that improved social engagement. He delivered a full competitive SEO analysis and optimization roadmap. His contributions have certainly made a positive impact.
Richard excels in two key areas crucial to our success: client management and technical SEO proficiency. His adeptness in managing client relationships is matched by his exceptional technical expertise. He consistently fosters strong, enduring partnerships while implementing innovative strategies that significantly elevate online presence. Another notable mention — Richard is pure JOY to work with!
Richard consistently brought clarity, structure, and momentum to complex outreach efforts. He scaled our author partnership program, led cross-functional link-magnet initiatives, and secured high-authority placements with Tier-1 outlets including Sports Illustrated, Reuters, Audacy, Yardbarker, and ClutchPoints. I am confident that wherever Richard works, he will be a strong pillar of support.
Richard showcased exceptional proficiency and was an important asset for both our team and clientele. His ability to dissect intricate datasets and synthesize perceptive solutions underscores his analytical prowess. My experience working with Richard was both enriching and enlightening. I wholeheartedly endorse Richard as a model SEO professional and asset.
Ready to Win in Google and AI Search?
Whether you're exploring a consulting partnership or looking to bring this expertise in-house permanently — start with a 30-minute conversation.