My SEO nightmare… what would you do?

For 10 years, I managed the website for my workplace. I’m a former web designer/SEO enthusiast and absolutely loved the challenge—it felt like playing a competitive game. I rebuilt the company’s website every couple of years to improve optimization and kept us ranking at #1 for several key searches. We’re in the fire alarm industry, and I know the business inside and out. I also know what people search for—our city’s name and the words “fire alarm” were the top drivers of traffic.

Thanks to the site, we had 4 people answering calls non-stop for installations and repairs.

Then, my boss’s wife decided she would take over the website. Over two years, I’ve watched it fall apart. We now get 7 hits a month, and they only come from people searching for the company name—not our services or products. She thought I used “fire alarm” too much, so she removed it entirely and replaced it with “low voltage system.”

On top of that, she insisted I set up a new Google Analytics account. I refused because I couldn’t bear to watch the train wreck unfold. Now, it feels like they’re intentionally driving the company into the ground. We’re down to maybe 5 phone calls a day.

What would you do in my situation?

Honestly, I’d start pitching your skills to competitors. Trying to tell your boss’s wife she’s wrong won’t get you anywhere.

Reach out to other fire alarm companies—even in different areas—and show them what you can do. You might be surprised at the responses.

When I ran my own agency, I loved sending updated ranking reports to old clients who dropped me for someone else. It was such a satisfying ‘I told you so.’

Chris1 said:
When I ran my own agency, I loved sending updated ranking reports to old clients who dropped me for someone else. It was such a satisfying ‘I told you so.’

I actually print out the ranking reports and hang them on the wall. Everyone who walks by sees them!

This kind of thing happens so often in SEO. You bring in leads, grow interest, and generate revenue. Then someone comes along, doesn’t like the content or layout, and nukes all the work.

Being a great SEO also means being able to defend your strategies and get others on board. Sometimes, that’s the hardest part.

@Zack
Couldn’t agree more. SEOs need better business and communication skills. Too many get stuck as ‘tech nerds’ who don’t speak the company’s language. Want to move up? Act like a business professional, not just a specialist.

I feel your pain. I built a site for a client from scratch and got them over 15 calls a day. Then they let someone else take over, and the bad decisions started pouring in. Now prospects say, ‘But they don’t rank anymore,’ like it’s somehow my fault!

@CyberCrusader
We’re paying $2,500 a month for a site that’s hosted on some guy’s home server. It’s a WordPress site built with a free theme.

The one I made cost $200 a year to host and was coded by hand in PHP.

@WilliamMia
Wait, where do I find people willing to spend $2,500 a month on hosting? That’s insane.

Pulse4 said:
@WilliamMia
Wait, where do I find people willing to spend $2,500 a month on hosting? That’s insane.

You’d need to find people so stubborn they’d rather prove they’re right than admit someone else’s 30 years of experience might mean something… oh, and they’d need deep pockets too.

Pulse4 said:
@WilliamMia
Wait, where do I find people willing to spend $2,500 a month on hosting? That’s insane.

When your wins are worth 100x more than someone else’s, you only need to win 1% of the time and work 1% as hard.

@WilliamMia
Hand-coded PHP websites are so much fun to build.

You should consider building a rank-and-rent site in your city with your skills. Then sell leads back to your boss.

MysteryMaverick said:
You should consider building a rank-and-rent site in your city with your skills. Then sell leads back to your boss.

That’s a genius idea.

Take screenshots of your work and save the data. You’ll want it as proof when you move on. It’s time to find a team that actually appreciates what you bring to the table.

Sounds like she made changes based on her own preferences without thinking about search engines. Wasn’t a great idea to put her in charge of SEO then… or now. Does she even realize how much traffic, leads, and revenue they’ve lost?

@Franky
She doesn’t care. She’s done ‘fixing’ it, so now it’s out of sight, out of mind.

But the moment I touch it…

You’re never going to win by telling someone their baby is ugly. The best you can do is find a better opportunity and let them figure it out on their own.