AI SEO consultant for startups,built to drive pipeline
I turn Google and AI search into a pipeline channel for early-stage B2B and SaaS. No existing SEO foundation needed. I build it from scratch and get you leads inside your runway.
for a B2B field service client
BOFU keywords for a knowledge management platform
vs previous year for an employee engagement SaaS
Some ambitious businesses I have helped grow
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
The AI SEO consultant for startups running against the clock.
Most agencies aren’t built for startups. Long lock-ins, junior account managers, and six-month ramp-ups. By the time the first traffic report lands, you’ve burned half your runway and the board wants pipeline.
I work the way early-stage teams need. Senior-led, from scratch, with Google and AI search handled together. I target the searches your first paying customers run today, so organic becomes a real channel inside your planning window.
What I do.
Senior-led work built for runway-conscious startups. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
ICP-first keyword research
Every keyword clears three filters: real search demand, product relevance, and a genuine ICP pain point.
How I do it
- Sales-call analysis: I mine your sales calls and customer interviews for the exact language buyers use.
- Buying-intent keywords: I prioritize money keywords closest to a purchase decision, then work outward.
- Competitive gap analysis: I find high-intent terms incumbents skipped because they looked too niche.
Conversion-led content
Expert content written from your sales calls and SME knowledge, built to convert.
How I do it
- SME-led writing: Every piece pulls from real expertise and customer research, so it reads like a founder wrote it.
- On-brand, no AI fluff: Your voice and your positioning, with zero generic filler.
- Built to convert: Every page maps to a real persona, use case, or buyer trigger, with clear CTAs.
Link building and AI citations
Authority from the sites your buyers trust, plus placement on the pages LLMs already cite in your category.
How I do it
- Targeted backlinks: Placements on higher-authority sites that lift your rankings.
- AI citation outreach: Getting your brand onto third-party pages ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini pull from.
- Clean profile: Strengthen authority and clear out anything dragging you down.
Technical SEO and CRO
The structural work that makes every page compound, and the conversion work that turns visits into pipeline.
How I do it
- Site architecture: Built to scale across features and use cases without rebuilds later.
- Core Web Vitals and schema: Fast pages and clean markup, so Google and AI search surface you correctly.
- Conversion optimization: Pages tuned to turn organic and AI traffic into demos and signups.
Senior-led, no handoffs
You work directly with me, not a junior assigned six weeks in. Small, senior, boutique team. The person on the call is the person doing the work.
I've built organic from scratch
I've been an AI SEO consultant for startups for years, building organic campaigns from zero to real pipeline. I know how to start a channel that doesn't exist yet.
First wins in weeks, not months
Other agencies sell six-month strategy phases. I ship money pages early and get you ranking on real intent inside the first sprint. That's the window startups actually plan against.
Honest about fit
Sometimes SEO isn't the right play yet. If you're pre-product-market-fit or better served by paid or outbound, I'll tell you on the first call rather than burn your runway.
Consultant, agency, or in-house hire?
How the three options stack up for an early-stage team.
Me
Solo senior consultant
Who does the work
Me, senior, on every account.
Speed to first win
Weeks.
Cost
One retainer, no overhead.
B2B/SaaS + AI search focus
Specialist.
Works with no existing foundation
Built for it.
Lock-in
Month to month.
Generalist agency
Team behind the pitch
Who does the work
Junior account manager after the pitch.
Speed to first win
Often six months.
Cost
Retainer plus agency margin.
B2B/SaaS + AI search focus
Often generalist.
Works with no existing foundation
Prefers an existing base.
Lock-in
Annual contracts common.
In-house hire
One full-time head
Who does the work
One hire wearing many hats.
Speed to first win
Months, plus ramp-up.
Cost
$90k–180k+ salary.
B2B/SaaS + AI search focus
Depends on the hire.
Works with no existing foundation
Rare skill to hire for.
Lock-in
Permanent headcount.
Want organic search to become your first reliable channel?
Book a 30-minute call. We’ll map the fastest path to pipeline for your stage, before you spend a dollar.
My startup SEO process.
Seven steps from first call to pipeline you can track.
Discovery and package fit
We start with a call to see what you already have and where pipeline is leaking. You pick from tailored packages that fit your stage and budget.
01 / 07
Smooth onboarding
You fill a short intake form and give us access to what we need. Fast setup, so real work starts in days.
02 / 07
Revenue-first keyword roadmap
I build a roadmap around money-making keywords only. Bottom of funnel first, the searches buyers run when they want a solution now.
03 / 07
Monthly plan, approved by you
Each month's priorities are set in advance. You stay in the loop and approve where it matters, so nothing ships as a surprise.
04 / 07
Conversion-focused content
Every page is written on real SME knowledge. No AI fluff, on your brand voice, built to convert.
05 / 07
Backlinks and AI citations
Once pages are live and ranking, I add backlinks and citations to push them up and lift your authority across Google and LLMs.
06 / 07
Pipeline-tied reporting
Reporting ties back to pipeline and revenue, not vanity traffic. You get quick weekly updates on what's working and what's next.
What people who hired me actually say.
“I hired Usama to handle SEO content marketing for Touchdown, and the results have been excellent. In just three months, he grew our organic traffic significantly. Usama combines strong SEO knowledge with an understanding of how buyers actually search. His work got our pages to rank in AI overviews and LLMs like ChatGPT. We're also now generating qualified leads directly from there.”
Semyon Germanovich
Founder at Touchdown
TouchdownVISIBLE with Usama Khan
Conversations with the people shaping SEO, content, and AI visibility for B2B brands. New episodes every other week.
Positioning for AI search: Why broad targeting kills your visibility
Narrow positioning now decides whether LLMs recommend your brand in AI search. Kateryna Abrosymova on why vague targeting makes you invisible to ChatGPT.
Watch the episode
Common questions
If your buyers already search for the problem you solve, it's worth starting now. SEO compounds, so the earlier you build it the sooner it becomes a channel you own. If you're pre-product-market-fit or have no repeatable buyer yet, I'll tell you on the first call.
I ship bottom-of-funnel money pages in the first sprint, so first ranking movement and demos usually land in weeks, not the six-month timelines agencies quote. Compounding traffic builds over the following months as pages age and authority grows.
Yes. LLMs cite the third-party pages and sources they trust for your category, not just high-authority domains. I earn mentions on those pages, keep your positioning coherent across the web, and publish content models can actually reference. New brands get cited when the signals are clear.
Month to month, no annual lock-in. You pick from tailored packages scoped to your stage and budget, and you stay because the work is working. One retainer covers strategy and execution, still less than a full-time hire.
An agency hands you to a junior after the pitch. An in-house hire costs $90k+ and takes months to ramp. I'm a senior specialist who works on your account directly, starts in week one, and is built for startups with no existing foundation.
Paid buys traffic that stops the day you stop paying. SEO and AI search build an asset that compounds and keeps returning leads inside your runway. Most startups run both, but organic is the channel you actually own. I'll be honest if paid is the better first move for you.
Turn organic and AI search into your first pipeline channel.
Book a 30-minute call. We'll look at where your first customers are searching, what it takes to show up on Google and AI search, and whether SEO is the right move for your stage.
Trusted by B2B companies and SEO agencies on 4 continents