Postali News
Postalian Spotlight
Every month on our blog, we highlight a Postalian from our Columbus, Ohio office. This month, let’s get to know Dan Foland, our SEO Director.
Dan joined Postali in July 2017, bringing years of experience working on SEO strategy for various types of businesses – from multinational ecommerce sites to independent physicians. He’s the go-to person in the office for questions about local search and is always testing new strategies to get our clients to the top of results in Google Maps.
Dan is also one of the few Postalians who doesn’t depend on coffee for survival. Most of us aren’t sure how he does it.
Q&A with Dan
Explain what a typical work day looks like to you.
The first thing I do when I wake up is check and respond to my email. Once I’m in the office, I’ll spend some time looking through SEO blogs and top SEO experts’ Twitter profiles to see if there are any new SEO updates or conversations. The rest of the day is generally filled with working on client strategy, execution, and problem-solving with the rest of the SEO team.
What project have you enjoyed the most so far?
I love launching new websites and new clients. There are always challenges when launching a new website, whether we’re building a law firm website from scratch or re-designing an existing site. No two launches are ever the same. Seeing your work have a measurable impact is a great feeling.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
SEO is more of a marathon than a sprint. It takes time for our techniques to prove that they are working. I’ll often try a new tactic and want immediate results. The reality is it can take months to see if those tactics pay off.
SEO changes all the time. What are some major initiatives that the Postali SEO team is working on in 2018?
One of the major initiatives we’re working on in 2018 is focusing even more on mobile. All of our attorney websites are currently mobile-friendly; however Google is moving towards a mobile first index. This means Google will pay more attention to a website’s mobile usability and speed than it already does.
Additionally, smart devices like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home are making SEOs think more about how to optimize for these new technologies.
Your previous role entailed SEO strategy for physicians and other professional services. What’s different about attorneys?
There are a lot of similarities when it comes to comparing physicians and attorney SEO. One of the biggest differences is most physicians that I’ve worked with are affiliated with a larger health system. Often our main contact was a marketing manager that was responsible for hundreds of physicians. There is also a lot of legal red-tape when it comes to working with physicians and health systems. With security and HIPPA compliance being the highest priority, it often lead to being an impediment to getting work done.
Lawyers also tend to be much more involved in their marketing. At Postali, we often work directly with the attorneys, which makes SEO processes much more efficient and we’re able to have greater agility with strategy. Attorneys can reach the SEO team directly with questions and we can discuss strategy in a more collaborative environment. I think this leads to greater success and it’s been a nice change of pace for me.
What’s your most-used emoji?
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What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?
Venti decaf with a light splash of milk, 4 pumps of sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup, and a shot of espresso. It’s less caffeine than a regular venti coffee, but still enough to get focused.
Favorite thing about working at Postali?
The people I get to work with. There are so many knowledgeable people that work here and do amazing work. Everyone’s voice/thoughts/ideas are heard, it makes for an enjoyable and innovative workplace.
What do you enjoy in your free time?
In my free time I enjoy watching my favorite sports teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cincinnati Reds. I also enjoy trying out new restaurants and unique experiences.
Meet the rest of Postali’s legal marketing team here.
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