Two site exits. 11 years of enterprise code. A portfolio that’s growing post-HCU.

I spent 11 years as a software engineer at Northrop Grumman building healthcare eligibility systems in Java, Oracle, and SQL. Then I left to buy, build, and sell websites full-time. Published in Convince & Convert and Niche Pursuits. Currently open to SEO, AEO, and content strategy roles around Denver or remote.

About Me

The Short Version.

Years Enterprise Software

Years in SEO

Site Exits

Tier-1 Publications

Every strategy on this site cost me real money to learn. The exits went well. The algorithm updates didn’t always. Both made me better at this than a certification ever could.

Context is King.

About

I left a secure engineering career to bet on myself in search. That was 2015. Since then I’ve recovered a penalized site and exited for mid-six figures, built a programmatic SEO site that was acquired by a venture-backed company, and launched new properties in the toughest algorithm environment Google has ever shipped.

I’m not a consultant. I’m a practitioner. The difference is I can show you the Google Search Console screenshots.

See The Portfolio

Technical SEO, site architecture, schema markup (JSON-LD), programmatic SEO, keyword research, content strategy, local SEO (GBP, citations, service area pages), Core Web Vitals, crawl optimization, link building, and CRO.

I work across the full stack of organic search, from the crawl log to the published page.

11 years at Northrop Grumman. Lead developer on Wyoming’s Medicaid Eligibility System and Kid Care CHIP program. Java, Oracle, SQL. That background means I implement schema, I don’t just recommend it.

I build the internal tools, not just spec them.

I build SEO automation using LLM agents, Ahrefs MCP, and the DataForSEO API. Topical map generation, semantic clustering, competitor gap analysis.

I’m not an AI thought leader. I watch what’s working, test it on my own sites, and kill what doesn’t convert.

Two site exits including a mid 6-figure affiliate recovery and a site acquired by Kabo.co (Dragons’ Den, Google for Startups Accelerator). Published in Convince & Convert (10+ years live) and Niche Pursuits (6+ years live).

Hall of Fame member, Matt Diggity’s 6 Figure Flipper Club. 3x Chiang Mai SEO Conference attendee (see you in November, Thailand!).

Pics Or It Didn’t Happen.

Portfolio

Every project below was my own money, my own risk, my own recovery when things went wrong.

Penalty Recovery · 6-Figure Exit

Golf Affiliate Site

Acquired at $0/month after a Google penalty killed $20K/month in revenue. Gutted toxic content, re-architected for search intent alignment, accepted short-term losses to do it right. Mid Six-figure exit in under two years.

Programmatic SEO · Acquisition

Dog Breed Site

Built from scratch in 2018 as a programmatic SEO play before pSEO had a name. Unique pages per breed, not templated copies. Acquired at 30x monthly earnings by Kabo.co, the venture-backed fresh dog food company behind a Dragons’ Den deal and the Google for Startups Accelerator.

Post-HCU Portfolio · Active

Content Site Portfolio

Multiple sites built from zero after Google’s Helpful Content Update. Properties span several niches (some redacted for competitive reasons). DR40+ backlink profiles, strong organic growth trajectories, real revenue. Built in the toughest algorithm environment Google has shipped to date.

SEO Tooling · LLM Agents

AI-Powered Topical Map Generator

Custom workflow built on LLM agents, Ahrefs MCP, and the DataForSEO API. Produces keyword spreadsheets organized by intent and volume, strategic architecture documents with interconnected clusters, and interactive sitemaps. Compresses what used to be a multi-day process (and a $3-5K agency deliverable) into under 60 minutes. Currently being applied to HEA’s content strategy rebuild.

Published Work.

Published by the Best in the Business

Two industry leaders vetted my work and put their names behind it. Both pieces are still live ~~years~~ a decade later.

1) 10-Year Evergreen on a Fortune 500 Consultancy

Cold-Pitched Jay Baer. He Said “It’s awesome. We’d love to run it on C&C”.

Convince & Convert · November 2015 · Still live after 10 years

Jay Baer is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, NYT best-selling author, and founder of a consultancy that advises Oracle, Hilton, and 3M. I pitched him directly, he responded the same night, and his managing editor published my guest feature and original infographic on an evergreen, high-volume topic.

Read the piece →

2) 6k-Word Technical Deep-Dive for the Godfather of Niche Sites

Hand-Picked by Spencer Haws.

Niche Pursuits · September 2019 · Still ranking after 6+ years

Spencer Haws pioneered the niche site movement, built and sold Long Tail Pro, and co-founded Motion Invest. He selected me from a global pool of applicants to write a competitive technical deep-dive on one of his site’s highest-value keywords. It’s still ranking.

Read the piece →

1. ConvinceAndConvert.com

Convince & Convert · 2015 · Still live

Hall of Fame speaker, NYT best-seller, consultant to Oracle and Hilton. I pitched him cold. He published me that week.

Read the piece →

2. NichePursuits.com

Niche Pursuits · 2019 · Still ranking

Pioneer of the niche site movement. Creator of Long Tail Pro. He chose me for a 6,000-word technical assignment on one of his most competitive keywords.

Read the piece →

10+ years of live-fire SEO across my own portfolio. Ready to do it for yours.

Let’s Talk.

Contact

Open to SEO, AEO, and content strategy roles around Denver or remote.

Recruiters, hiring managers, and interesting problems all welcome.

hello@rhettcrites.com · 303-720-6815 · linkedin.com/in/crites