
Anthony Ragland
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Nashville, TN, United States
Toptal member since March 25, 2026
Anthony is a performance marketing expert with a computer science background and 20+ years of experience driving customer acquisition and revenue growth. He specializes in turning paid media and organic search into measurable business outcomes by aligning strategy, UI/UX, and conversion optimization. Anthony combines deep expertise in Google Ads, SEO, and funnel design to identify inefficiencies, improve conversion rates, and scale high-intent traffic into qualified leads and revenue.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Copywriting
- Google Ads
- Information Architecture (IA)
- Marketing
- Revenue Growth
- Sales Enablement
- Strategy
- Visual Design
Work Experience
Fractional CMO | Senior Marketing Strategist
BeGreat! Agency
- Designed and implemented end-to-end customer acquisition and revenue systems for B2B SaaS and home services companies.
- Improved website and funnel conversion rates by aligning user intent, messaging, and UX across key customer journeys.
- Led SEO, paid media, and content strategy initiatives to increase qualified traffic and pipeline generation.
- Built and optimized multi-step funnels to drive booked calls, service appointments, and high-value estimates.
- Applied user psychology and content-first design to simplify complex buying decisions and improve engagement.
- Partnered with leadership teams to align marketing strategy with revenue goals and operational capacity.
- Reduced marketing inefficiencies and improved ROI through data-driven analysis and performance optimization.
- Increased funnel conversion performance and lead quality through structured UX and messaging improvements.
- Helped organizations turn underperforming marketing into consistent, measurable revenue growth.
SVP, Connections
Nashville Entrepreneur Center
- Led strategic initiatives to connect founders with mentors, investors, and corporate partners across Nashville’s startup ecosystem.
- Designed and scaled programs that supported early- and growth-stage companies in refining go-to-market strategy and business models.
- Partnered with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen community engagement and expand access to resources and networks.
- Guided entrepreneurs on customer acquisition, positioning, and growth strategy through workshops, mentorship, and advisory support.
- Facilitated high-impact introductions that accelerated partnerships, funding opportunities, and business development outcomes.
- Contributed to the organization’s mission of fostering entrepreneurship and economic growth in the regional innovation ecosystem.
- Supported founders in developing scalable growth strategies and navigating key inflection points from early traction to expansion.
Fractional CMO
U Scope Technologies
- Led go-to-market strategy and execution for a B2B SaaS platform serving field service and inspection workflows.
- Developed positioning, messaging, and brand strategy to clearly communicate product value and differentiate in a competitive market.
- Designed and optimized user journeys across web and product touchpoints to improve activation, engagement, and retention.
- Directed customer acquisition efforts across SEO, paid media, and content marketing to drive qualified user growth.
- Applied content-first UX principles and information architecture to simplify complex workflows and improve usability.
- Partnered with product and leadership teams to align marketing strategy with product development and business objectives.
- Improved conversion performance across landing pages and funnels through iterative testing and user-focused design.
Head of Marketing
Property Brands (now Inhabit)
- Led marketing strategy and execution for a portfolio of B2B SaaS products serving the property management industry.
- Built and managed multichannel customer acquisition programs across SEO, paid media, content, and partnerships.
- Developed positioning and messaging frameworks to clarify product value and improve market differentiation.
- Designed and optimized conversion-focused websites and funnels to increase lead generation and sales pipeline.
- Partnered with product and sales teams to align go-to-market strategy with customer needs and revenue goals.
- Scaled marketing operations and analytics to improve performance visibility, attribution, and ROI.
- Led and mentored marketing teams, establishing processes to support consistent growth and execution.
- Drove measurable growth in qualified pipeline and customer acquisition through structured, data-driven marketing systems.
Search Engine Marketer | Team Lead
YP (The Real Yellow Pages)
- Managed and optimized a portfolio of 200+ SEM accounts representing $350,000+ in monthly ad spend in the NYC market.
- Developed and executed paid search strategies across Google Ads and Bing Ads to improve performance, ROI, and client retention.
- Designed, built, and optimized 200+ conversion-focused landing pages to support high-performing search campaigns.
- Led performance analysis and monthly KPI reporting for regional leadership, identifying opportunities to improve conversion rates and account health.
- Provided training and strategic support to sales teams to improve campaign outcomes and client retention.
- Selected for the elite YP Tiger Team, working on high-risk, underperforming accounts to restore performance and prevent churn.
- Consistently ranked among the top-performing SEMs in a department of 100+ professionals, contributing to strong performance in the NYC region.
Project History
Replaced $100,000 Per Month TV Ads with SEO-driven Growth
- $100,000+ — Eliminated TV Ad Spend Monthly Through SEO
- >1,200% — Growth in Organic Search Traffic
- 6x — eCommerce Conversion Rate Increase
Theravent, a funded medical device startup, relied heavily on expensive TV advertising ($100,000 per month) for customer acquisition. Despite this investment, the company lacked a scalable digital growth engine, with limited organic visibility and low eCommerce conversion rates of around 1%.
I developed and executed an SEO-driven growth strategy targeting high-intent queries like “how to stop snoring.” I built a content and onboarding system to attract, educate, and convert users. I also designed and optimized landing pages to achieve top organic rankings. I led UX, copy, and information architecture improvements across the eCommerce experience, implemented CRO to increase subscription and purchase conversions, and shifted acquisition from TV to scalable, intent-driven digital channels.
I replaced reliance on $100,000 monthly TV ad spend with higher-performing SEO, driving significant growth in revenue, brand awareness, and customer acquisition, and contributing to national distribution (CVS, Walmart) and company acquisition.
Top-ranked SEM Performance in New York City
- 98% — Campaign Success Rate (ROAS Positive)
- 200+ — SEM Accounts Managed & Optimized
- #1 — Top-ranked SEM Out of 100+ Professionals
- >$350,000 — Managed Ad Spend Monthly Across the NYC Portfolio
During Yellow Pages’ transition from print to digital, the company rapidly scaled its search engine marketing division. As a top performer, I was assigned the NYC market, one of the most competitive advertising environments in the US. The NYC market presented significant challenges, including high CPCs, underperforming accounts, demanding sales managers, and elevated client churn risk.
I managed and optimized a portfolio of 200+ SEM accounts representing $350,000+ in monthly ad spend. I developed and executed campaign strategies across Google Ads and Bing Ads to improve performance and ROI, and designed, coded, and optimized 200+ conversion-focused landing pages to support paid search campaigns. I led performance analysis and monthly KPI reporting for regional leadership, identifying opportunities to improve conversion rates and account health. I was selected for the elite YP Tiger Team, working on high-risk, underperforming accounts to restore performance and prevent churn.
I ranked among the top-performing SEMs in a department of 100+ professionals. I helped position the NYC region as a top-performing market despite its complexity and competition and improved NYC advertising campaign performance and client retention.
Rebuilt Acquisition Into a Scalable Revenue Engine
https://www.payyourrent.com/- 400% — Growth in Product Signups
- 60% — Year-over-year Revenue Growth
- 3x — Improvement in Customer Acquisition Cost
PayYourRent was an emerging rent payment platform that invested over $120,000 per year in Google Ads, with limited returns. Despite strong traffic, conversion rates remained low due to unclear positioning, fragmented user journeys, and misaligned messaging across landlord and resident segments.
I repositioned the brand around a clear, benefit-driven value proposition: “Rent Payment Everyone Loves.” I led the full redesign of the marketing website, onboarding experience, and core user flows using content-first UX principles. I also rewrote messaging and information architecture to align with landlord and resident intent. I implemented conversion rate optimization across key funnels to improve signup performance and built lifecycle marketing and automation to increase activation, engagement, and retention.
I transformed inefficient paid and organic acquisition into a scalable, conversion-driven growth system that increased qualified signups and MRR. I also established a scalable foundation for ongoing customer acquisition and revenue growth.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
LaGrange College - LaGrange, GA, USA
Certifications
Google Ads Search Certification
Skills
Core
Google Ads, Copywriting, Branding, Marketing, Email Marketing, Google SEO, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Paid Advertising, Content Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Ad Campaigns, Funnel Marketing, YouTube Ads, Performance Marketing, Content Creation, Digital Marketing, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Content Strategy, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Growth Hacking, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Marketing Leadership, Digital Marketing Strategy, Landing Pages, Marketing Automation, Social Media Strategy, Lead Generation, Marketing Strategy, On-page SEO, Email Marketing Automation, Marketing Analytics, Local SEO, Pay-per-Click (PPC), Brand Marketing, Campaign Strategy, Social Media Management, Google Paid Ads, B2C Marketing, Funnel Optimization, Social Media, SEO Audits, Media Buying, Keyword Research, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), A/B Testing, AI Marketing, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Marketing, Social Media Marketing (SMM), LinkedIn Ads, Content, SEO Content
Platforms & Tools
Adobe Creative Suite, Linkedln, Google My Business, Claude, Google Analytics, Bing Ads, Instagram Ads, Taboola
Business Models
B2C, SaaS Product Marketing, B2B, Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C), Software as a Service (SaaS)
Technical
Direct Response Marketing
Other
UX Design, UX Strategy, Advertising Copy, Web Design, Web Development, Visual Design, Web Services, Mobile UX, Strategy, Ad Strategy, Implementation, Customer Journey, Customer Acquisition, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Revenue Growth, Revenue Strategy, User Experience (UX), User Flows, Lead Conversion, Conversion Rate, User Conversion, User Interface (UI), Information Architecture (IA), Search Engine Advertising (SEA), Leads, Leadership, Sales Enablement, UI Design, Conversion-driven UX, Ad Optimization, Creative Direction, Direct Response, eCommerce, Meta Ads, Design, Communication Management, Narrative Design, Stakeholder Management, UX Writing, Instructional Design, Website Copywriting, Growth Marketing, Startups, Fractional CMO, Growth Strategy, Startup Marketing, Early-stage Startups, Campaign Optimization, Newsletters, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Content Writing, Paid Search, Vendor Management, B2B Marketing, Team Leadership, Campaign Execution, Cross-functional Collaboration, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), ClickFunnels, WordPress, Localization Strategy, Google Local Services Ads, Marketing Channel Strategy, CallRail, Marketing Attribution, Email Marketing Strategy, Graphic Design, Enterprise SEO, Paid Media, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Paid social, Technical SEO, SEO with AI, Execution, Lifecycle Marketing, Website Audits, Landing Page Optimization, Figma, OpenAI, Gemini, Consulting, Agile Project Management, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), Customer Retention, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Merchant Banking, Yahoo Ads, User-generated Content (UGC), Zapier, GoHighLevel, Zendesk, Salesforce, Native Ads, Political Campaigning
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