Nate Ware

• 2.3+ — Positions in Average Rank
• Over 15% — Increase in Organic Visits

Core Best List pages were underperforming due to inconsistent structure, weak differentiation, and misalignment with search intent, limiting rankings, user engagement, and overall performance in highly competitive search results.

I guided the development of a comprehensive best list best practices (BLBP) initiative, standardizing every element of high-performing pages, including titles, meta descriptions, headers, testing methodology, FAQs, and content structure. I also created detailed overhaul briefs for priority pages, using competitive analysis to identify gaps and provide editors with clear, actionable recommendations. In parallel, I collaborated with product and design teams to refine front-end templates and improve the user experience, informed by SEO and user behavior insights.

Best lists were aligned with search intent and user needs across the journey, supported by strong internal linking. Standardized guidance enabled execution at scale, driving a 2.3 average ranking lift and a 15% increase in traffic.

• **Over 32% ** — YoY Increase in Total Sessions
• 11th — Ranking in Share of Visibility Across All Tech Media

Black Friday is one of the most competitive periods in search, with rapidly shifting rankings and heavy competition from publishers, retailers, and SERP features. In 2025, reduced organic real estate and a December core update drove approximately 30% YoY traffic declines across publishers.

I led end-to-end SEO strategy for Black Friday, combining proactive planning with real-time execution. I also built a content plan one month in advance, aligned it with high-intent demand, partnered with editorial leadership, and presented the strategy to executives. During the event, I monitored live rankings, analyzed search trends, executed rapid on-page updates, and managed indexation and freshness to maintain visibility.

I drove a 32% increase in sessions during Black Friday 2025. I earned a Top Stories live badge for Black Friday deals, with multiple pages ranking number one, strengthening the brand’s authority in deals coverage.

• **15% ** — Reduction in Indexed Low-quality Pages
• **5% ** — Increase in Sessions to Core Tech Categories

Legacy content in outdated verticals (e.g., education and finance) was still live and linked in the top navigation after the site shifted toward core tech categories. This led to a misaligned site structure, diluted authority, and crawl budget and link equity being directed toward low-value pages.

I initiated a site-wide content audit and pruning strategy to realign the site with its core verticals. Using Screaming Frog, Oncrawl (internal link data), Ahrefs API (backlink data), and Analytics for Sheets (APIs for traffic data), I built a framework to evaluate content quality at scale and identify pages for Noindexing and Removal (410 status). I then partnered with product and engineering to rethink how topics were surfaced in the site’s top navigation, using the CMS to elevate priority categories and de-emphasize legacy sections.

I identified opportunities to reduce index bloat, improve crawl efficiency, and reallocate internal link equity, while building a scalable framework and roadmap to realign site structure with core business priorities.