Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Carson.
Hi Jared, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was at Salt Lake Community College in 1999, trying to learn website development, but the classes were pretty thin back then. We all figured out that the real education for that kind of thing was online and usually free. I learned a little—a very little bit—and lucked into a startup agency that agreed to teach me what I wanted, which was Flash web design at the time, in exchange for part-time work. I was getting decent at it when the owner asked if I’d like to learn SEO. Even though I was happy with my web design progress, it sounded like it meant a lot of work, so I pretty much instinctively said, “Sure”.
That led to my first full-time SEO job. A client from the agency asked me to come work on SEO for his company, so I took it and worked in their SLC office until they sent me out to New York City to run their Times Square office. That was a wild role—opening the office, collecting on unpaid invoices, doing web design, and handling SEO.
After that, I went solo. I built up clients and did SEO for them in NYC for about 7 years before we moved to Los Angeles. Most of the time, I worked random delivery and restaurant jobs to help pay the bills.
We headed to LA to partner with some folks on a design/development studio downtown. We were making progress as a service-based company, but then we got an idea to switch to a product: an app that organized influencers into groups you could pay in bulk to promote your product, agenda, service, whatever. That ended badly, and by then our service business had mostly fizzled out.
Through all this, my beautiful wife Melissa and I had a healthy baby boy named Max. He inspired us to get out of LA and the big cities and move closer to family. This was around 2016, and it brought us to the St. George area in Utah—specifically, beautiful Santa Clara. Since then, I’ve had a few full-time SEO jobs, but I’ve always kept my own agency going: Carson Digital, LLC.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road—far from it. There have been plenty of bumps, starting with the early days when I was freelancing in NYC. Building up clients took time, and for those seven years, I was constantly hustling side gigs like delivery and restaurant work just to keep the lights on. It was exhausting, but it taught me resilience.
Then, the move to LA brought its own set of challenges. Teaming up with partners for the design/development studio seemed promising at first, but pivoting to that influencer app turned into a disaster. We poured everything into it, only for it to flop hard, and by the end, our service-based clients had mostly dried up. That left us scrambling financially and professionally.
On top of that, navigating big-city life while starting a family added another layer. Having our son Max was amazing, but it highlighted how unsustainable the hustle was, pushing us to uproot everything and move closer to family in Utah. Even now, balancing full-time SEO roles with running Carson Digital, LLC means juggling priorities, but those struggles have shaped me and made the wins feel that much better.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in SEO and digital marketing operations, helping businesses boost their online visibility and drive real results by becoming an active brand.
Lately, my focus has shifted toward optimizing for AI, especially targeting Google’s AI Overviews. I use People Also Ask (PAA) sections and FAQs to craft content in conversational language that answers real user questions head-on. The goal? Snag more of those money-keywords—the transactional, commercial, and informational ones—that bring in serious traffic and conversions. It’s all about staying ahead in a world where AI is reshaping search.
What I’m most proud of is building Carson Digital into a steady operation while balancing life in beautiful Santa Clara, Utah, close to family.
What sets me apart? It’s the personal touch. As a solo expert with agency roots, I provide boutique-style service: customized plans, ethical backlinks, vigorous defense against bogus reviews, and a commitment to clear, actionable advice without drowning folks in jargon. I’m not just chasing rankings; I’m aligning SEO with your business goals for steady growth and long-term wins.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Finding a mentor or building a network takes proactivity and patience—don’t expect quick wins. My main advice: Be willing to hustle hard for little or no money upfront. You can get free knowledge online, but real business experience—with deadlines, teams, and stakes—is priceless, whether you’re going independent or corporate. Approach mentors humbly: Offer to help on projects or handle grunt work. That openness has paid off for me, sharpening skills and unlocking doors over the years.
For networking, consistency is key. I showed up at meetups, forums, and even cold-contacted folks I admired. In NYC and LA, side hustles like delivery jobs connected me with entrepreneurs, feeding my SEO clients. Stay genuine—share insights, ask smart questions, and follow up without pushing. Over time, those efforts will compound.
Pricing:
- SEO Coaching/DIY Session: A one-time boost for hands-on teams, including a custom PDF strategy, one optimized blog post, and a 45-minute video call to empower you to handle SEO yourself. Just $349 flat fee.
- Just the Blogs (Monthly Blog Content Subscription): Standalone, SEO-optimized blogs built on solid research to build your topical authority—pick 1 to 10 per month with volume discounts. Starts at $150 for one, dropping to $105 each for 10.
- Full Stack SEO: Our end-to-end package handles technical audits, keyword research, content creation, ethical link building, social planning, monthly reports, and local optimization to help you dominate search and AI overviews. Starts at $450 per month, tailored to your scope, by filling out a form on our Pricing page. .
- Marketing Operations: We streamline your marketing with HubSpot setup, CRM integration, automation, and GA4 analytics to align everything with your business goals, boosting efficiency and lead nurturing without the headaches. Pricing is customized—get a personalized quote by filling out a form at carsondigitalseo.com/pricing/.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carsondigitalseo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carsondigitalseo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carsondigital
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carsondigital/
- Twitter: https://x.com/carsondigital
- Other: https://share.google/0gG4X2MXYSK6A0Yyp
