About Chris McElroy
I started on the web in the mid-1990s. I was fascinated with it and I still am. Buying, selling, appraising and brokering domain names was my first business. I wanted to build websites to promote them rather than selling them at auctions. In 1996, I built a website as I taught myself HTML. I simply documented what I had learned and created a step-by-step guide so my fellow domainers could build their own.
At the bottom of each page, I put my email address and wrote, If you still have questions, drop me an email. I was just trying to be helpful. The emails I received were mostly from people wanting me to build it for them and that led me into a business that I’m still in 30 years later. My reason for doing it never changed.
Be Helpful. That is the best marketing strategy there is.
I’ve written a lot about the history of the web and my own evolution with digital marketing and SEO as well as my involvement in Internet Governance below. Read on and enjoy the journey.
In the mid 90s, Search Engine Optimization wasn’t even an acronym yet, It didn’t become SEO until around 1998. Before the web, I had been in sales for almost 20 years, so I’m a salesman that learned how to do SEO, not an SEO guy trying to read dashboards to learn how to sell. I never believed ranking in search engines was the end goal. As a salesman, my end goal was whatever it takes to generate leads and sales.
I have always focused on outcomes. Visibility that builds trust and leads to sales. My approach today is shaped by decades of learning user behavior, search intent, and business reality. Rankings is Vanity. Sales is Sanity.
If you want to talk through a challenge you’re facing or just get an honest opinion you’ll find me helpful, not pushy.
The TLDR version of my story is below. Use these links to skip to other sections that interest you.
Testimonials | Free Digital Marketing Evaluation | How I View SEO, AI SEO & Content
Internet Evolution & Timeline | Frequently Asked Questions | Contact Chris McElroy
Who Is Chris McElroy SEO?
Entrepreneur, Salesman, Digital Marketer, SEO & CRO Expert, Consumer Advocate
Thirty Years of Digital Evolution
In 1995 the Internet was moving forward at a rapid pace. I had used a PC before, but mostly for accounting for my remodeling business, using the blue DOS book to figure it all out. I was fascinated by how these images and text appeared on my computer screen. I had to start looking under the hood to see how it worked. Little did I know where that would take me. My journey isn't over. There is so much more to learn.
Domain Name Speculation
I've always been an entrepreneur, even as a kid. When I stumbled upon forums and message boards where people were discussing buying & selling domain names, I saw opportunity. People were asking questions, but no one was answering them. I had the same questions so I searched for answers and shared what I found. Soon I was buying, selling, appraising and brokering domain names. I bought & sold more than 1800 domains.
My Very First Website
99% of domainers just put their domains on auction. No details. No why the domain had value. I wanted to build a web page for each domain & explain what I thought it could be used for. I had to learn HTML & as I learned, I built my 1st website, a step-by-step guide - how to build a website. I wanted to help others sell their domains this way. At the bottom of each page, "If you still need help, drop me an email". I just wanted to be helpful.
An Accidental Business
Almost every email I received was from someone asking me to build it for them. They weren't good writers, not technical enough, didn't have time, etc. So, I said yes & I won't even tell you how little I charged. I had no clue. To be fair, no one really knew yet. This kept me really busy and I kept getting better at it. I never meant to start a web design business. Every service this agency provides was because someone at some point asked me to do it.
Internet Governance
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers) oversees the DNS (Domain Name System). They approve new TLDs like .biz, .shop & others & set policies for the web. I joined the DNSO, GNSO, TLDA & the GA, supporting groups advising ICANN on policy. My goal was keeping corporations from capturing the DNS at the detriment of consumers & domain name owners. Click for more about my involvement.
Learning User Behavior
In the 90s, we had a lot of search engines and directories. Alta Vista, Lycos, Magellan, Excite, Dogpile, Yahoo and so many more. Magellan had a page where you could watch what people actually typed into search. Not just keywords, the way they phrased their questions. I learned so much about user behavior from that. I was managing a webmaster forum & started teaching how to do search engine optimization. It wasn't called SEO yet.
Book a call with our founder, Chris McElroy
I offer a free evaluation of your overall digital marketing strategy, including looking at your website from both an SEO and a Conversion Optimization point of view website, your social media strategy, your digital publishing strategy, your ad strategy and more. Just a quick overview from someone with experience.
No charge. No slides. No demos. No sales pitch. Honest, Free Advice with Actionable Tips
Testimonials
How I've Seen The Evolution of SEO & Digital Marketing Over The Years
Timeline: The Evolution From Traditional SEO To Entity SEO And What We Have Today
Google's "Phrase-Based Indexing" Patent
Google files patents for Phrase-Based Indexing. This was the first major step away from single keywords. It allowed Google to understand that "New York Times" is one distinct concept (a phrase), not just three separate words.
The "Google Squared" Experiment
Google launches Google Squared, an experimental tool that didn't give you links, but built tables of information (e.g., list all "US Presidents" with columns for "Height" and "Date of Birth"). This was their first public attempt at structuring the web into entities.
The Fuel (Metaweb Acquisition)
Google acquires Metaweb, the company behind Freebase. Google had the engine (algorithms like Squared), but Metaweb gave them the fuel, a massive, open database of 12 million entities (people, places, things) to train their system.
The Knowledge Graph Launches
Armed with Metaweb's data, Google officially launches the Knowledge Graph. They announce the shift to "Things, not strings," showing information panels directly in search results for the first time.
Hummingbird (Semantic Search)
Google rewrites its core algorithm. Hummingbird allows Google to understand the intent and context behind a query (semantics), rather than just matching keywords.
RankBrain (AI enters the chat)
Google introduces RankBrain, a machine-learning system that interprets new, complex queries by guessing the meaning behind words it hasn't seen before.
Opening The Floodgates | OpenAI Launches ChatGPT
ChatGPT launches (Nov 2022), changing user behavior forever. The "AI Arms Race" begins immediately, with Microsoft's Bing Chat (Feb 2023), Meta's Llama (Feb 2023), and Anthropic's Claude & Google's Bard (March 2023) all launching in rapid succession to compete for dominance.
The Generative AI Era
With SGE (Search Generative Experience) and AI Overviews, Google now relies entirely on the Knowledge Graph to "ground" its AI. If you aren’t clearly represented as an entity in the Graph, AI systems have limited ability to understand or surface your brand.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chris McElroy SEO
Everyone says they focus on results. What actually makes your approach different?
A lot of people who say that still measure success by rankings, traffic, or tools. I don’t. I care about whether visibility turns into real business outcomes. Leads, conversions, and sales are all that matter. That means understanding how people discover, evaluate, and trust a brand today, not how SEO worked ten years ago. Sometimes organic search gets the results a business needs. Sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn't, you'll be glad you have someone who is always going to find a way to get it done.
If rankings aren’t the goal, why should I trust an SEO at all?
SEO is absolutely necessary for any business on the web. And ranking does matter, but ranking is not the END GOAL. Without SEO, you cannot build or strengthen your entity, your brand.
Make Google's knowledge graph work for you. Help it connect the dots between all of your entities; your personal name, your business name, your brand, your products or services. Build trust in each of those. And in order to do that, you need SEO. SEO is about more than just getting a blue link on the search results page.
What types of businesses are a good fit for your approach?
Let's start with who won't likely be a good fit. If you want sensational guarantees, shortcuts, or a checklist version of SEO I'm not your guy. I don't do eCommerce websites, but I can refer you to someone who is very good at it. We don't work on sites for the adult industry, gambling or cryptocurrency. And if you just have an idea and you want me to do all of the work to get it going and you'll split the profits with me later, no thanks. Ideas are easy. It's the implementation that has value.
B2B business. Any B2B business will benefit from my methods. Since I run a B2B business myself, I test every method and tool we use on my own marketing plan before I suggest them to clients.
Home Service Businesses. I owned my own remodeling business for years. I worked for companie like Anderson & Marvin windows and doors generating leads online and offline. That experience gives me a huge advantage over SEOs who have never been in that business. And since my focus is on leads rather than just rankings, we're on the same page.
Real Estate & Home Builders. This is another area that understands the focus is on sales, not vanity metrics. And no, we are not likely to build you a new real estate website and outrank Zillow, Realtor.com and other well established, bordering on famous websites. And just copying their format of listings is not going to make you more sales. However, we have had a lot of success generating leads and sales and ranking for local search terms. I can show you real examples that are live right now.
Other businesses we've had success with; Security Services, Restaurants, Bars, Venues & Nonprofits. Investment Advisors, Loan Companies, Medical Clinics, and others that require compliance.
Honestly, I look at your business this way. Can I sell what you are offering? If the answer is yes, then I'm in.
How do you decide what actually matters for a business before doing any work?
Sales 101: Establish a need. The first thing I have to evaluate is whether or not you actually need what I provide. If you don't need something, I won't sell it to you. So, I start by asking you questions. I need to know what you think you need. Then do my own research to see if that's what you really need. Then I make my recommendations based on real data.
A lot of SEO consultants say the right things. How do I know you actually do what you say?
That’s a fair question. I think my answer might be a little different if I was just getting started. But I've lasted in this business for three decades. My average client stays with me for about 5 years. My oldest client is entering their 16th year with me. I'd be glad to let you speak with them before hiring me. I also show live examples of work in progress, not just cherry-picked case studies from years ago.
I don't mind proving myself. My work speaks for itself.
You can also search Google or your favorite AI search tool for Chris McElroy SEO and judge for yourself.
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