Fonthip Ward

International SEO Consultant - Scaling B2B & B2C Companies through Organic Growth 🌳.

Sustainable growth starts with visibility and trust.

I help purpose-driven businesses grow organically through SEO strategies rooted in transparency, adaptability, and long-term thinking.

My approach isn’t about chasing trends or quick wins. 

It’s about building durable visibility that evolves with your brand and the ever-changing digital landscape.

I bring a strategic yet human-first mindset to every project. 

I partner with founders, marketers, and small teams who want more than traffic.

They want aligned growth, loyal audiences, and clarity in a space that often feels confusing.

My clients stay for years because we grow together. 

As algorithms shift and technology changes, our strategy adapts always anchored in your values, goals, and voice.

If you're ready to build a smarter, more sustainable SEO foundation, I’m here to help. :)

SEO Director

Search Studio is a boutique SEO agency in Thailand servicing clients both onshore and offshore.

Search Studio is where you will find seasoned SEO professionals who are as serious about optimising your website as you are about your business. 

In a sea of agencies claiming to be ‘gurus’ and ‘experts,’ but prioritising sales over SEO, we aim to stand out by keeping it simple. 

We’re the SEO nerds who value actions over smooth sales pitches—it’s all about execution, not just promises. 🌱

Wassana Lampech and I popped into the Pinch Payments office in Brisbane to see Joe McCord and drop off a New Year gift from Thailand 🇹🇭

We’ve had the pleasure of supporting this amazing team with their SEO for the past few years.

Watching their journey has been pretty special.
From a small team to a rapidly growing business, they keep raising the bar.

They’ve also built such a great team, genuinely good humans with big hearts.

I'm grateful for the trust and the partnership along the way.

Go team Pinch 🙌

SEO Strategist - 13+ Years Scaling Results Across Industries in Thailand & Australia

The “perfect website” trap is real.
And it quietly kills SEO momentum.

It usually sounds like:

✦ “We’ll launch once the copy is perfect.”
✦ “We need better photos first.”
✦ “Let’s redesign before we do SEO.”
✦ “We’ll start content after the new site goes live.”

But here’s the truth:

Google rewards consistency, not perfection.
And your customers don’t need a masterpiece…
they need clarity.

A better approach:

→ Launch the good enough version
→ Get your core money-making pages live (services/products)
→ Improve one section every week (FAQs, proof, internal links, clarity)
→ Track what people actually click + ask
→ Iterate

Because the sites that win aren’t the prettiest.
They’re the ones that keep improving.

(And yes — this matters for AI search too. Clear, updated pages are easier to summarise and recommend.)

What’s one “perfect website” task you can stop delaying behind… and ship this week?

A passionate SEO specialist with 10+ years of experience performing highly-competitive SEO campaigns in different industries using best SEO practices.
I have all the technical skills, insightful analysis, and creative thinking competencies needed to drive SEO success. I am always up to date with what’s going on in SEO world.

*Key Skills and Competencies*

Professional;

- Managing advanced SEO strategies for high-value clients.
- Knowledge and understanding of the architecture and infrastructure of large-scale websites.
- Knowledge of current SEO practices and contemporary techniques.
- Can work as part of a team and individually as a sole agent.
- Experienced in a range of CMS platforms.
- Understanding of HTML, CSS and web standards.
- Organised and able to prioritise important tasks effectively.
- Able to work independently and take ownership of projects.
- Excellent understanding of search engines and the relevant SEO tools such as Ahrefs and SEMrush.

Personal;

- Thrive on solving problems and have a knack for getting things done.
- Calm disposition and able to continue working in the face of interruptions.
- Maintaining good personal relationships with work colleagues.
- Challenging myself to do better every day.

"My client wants to “rank in AI”… but kept pausing our SEO plan.

Not because the strategy was wrong, 
because AI search still feels like a black box.

So I used Search Intelligence AI to show what AI is already surfacing in their category (and which competitors are getting pulled into answers).

That gave us:

💙 a clearer, prioritised content plan (built around what’s already working)
💙 a link-building plan based on where competitors are already being cited/mentioned
💙 way more confidence for stakeholders to approve and execute

I can’t do this tool justice in one LinkedIn post.

If you want, try Search Intelligence AI and tell me what surprised you most.

I’m genuinely curious what it finds in different industries.

• Partner post •

Get 50% off if you join in the first 7 days: https://lnkd.in/gG4uMDWJ

Swipe → I’m sharing a few screenshots of what Search Intelligence AI actually shows you.

The AI visibility proof that got my client to say yes ;)

What you actually pay for in SEO.

You’re not just buying “10 blogs” or “20 links.”

You’re buying clarity and business growth.

☑ Diagnosis: What’s blocking your traffic, leads, and sales?
☑ Prioritisation: What moves the revenue needle fastest?
☑ Execution: The stuff that compounds over time - visibility, conversions, authority.

That’s the real ROI of SEO.
Not vanity metrics. Not random rankings.
But strategy that fuels your bottom line.

Worth asking: Is your current SEO helping you grow or just keeping you busy?

Internal links are the easiest technical SEO win.
They tell Google (and AI tools) what matters on your site.

If you want a simple rule:
Every core service/product page should have 5+ internal links pointing to it.

Where to add them (fast):

 ➜ homepage (feature your money-makers)
 ➜ navigation / footer (only key pages)
 ➜ related blog posts (add 2–3 contextual links)
 ➜ “related services/products” sections
 ➜ FAQs (link to deeper pages)

Quick self-check:

- Do you have orphan pages (no links pointing in)?
- Are your important pages 3+ clicks from the homepage?
- Are you linking with real words (not “click here”)?

This helps Google crawl + understand your site…
 and it makes AI tools more likely to pick up the right pages too.

What’s one money-making page you could link to from 3 places today?

If you need leads, focus on “buyer intent” content, not “what is…” posts.

“What is SEO?”
“What is a backlink?”
“What is local SEO?”

They can rank… but they usually attract:
- students
- DIYers
- people in research mode

In 2026, ‘what is…’ posts often get answered before the click (AI Overviews + AI tools), so they’re weaker for lead-gen.

Instead, write for buyers (people who are deciding):

➜ Cost / pricing
➜ Best
➜ Near me / location
➜ Vs / comparisons
➜ Process
➜ Mistakes to avoid

What buyer-intent post could you publish this week?

Is SEO actually slowing down… or just changing shape?

Because from where I’m sitting, it’s the second one.

The SEO industry has a real “weird” feeling right now:

- AI answers show up before the blue links
- Ranking #1 doesn’t always mean you get the click
- And some businesses pause because they keep hearing “SEO is dead”

So I understand the concern.

But here’s the part people miss:

➜  People didn’t stop searching.
➜ They still type questions.
➜ They still compare options.
➜ They still look for “best ___,” reviews, and “near me.”

Search is still happening. It’s just happening in more places, in more formats.

That’s why SEO hasn’t disappeared, it’s shifted:

☑ from keywords → clear intent + useful content
☑ from traffic → qualified leads
☑ from rankings → visibility where decisions happen (Google, Maps, and AI results)

And the demand is still there.

Two weeks into the new year, my small SEO team has already signed 3 new SEO projects.

Plus, a few projects that were on pause?
They’re coming back.

For a small team, that’s a strong, very positive start.

If you’re feeling unsure about SEO this year, 
ask a better question than “Is it dead?”

Ask: What does search look like for my customers now and are we showing up?

- Fonthip Ward 🌿

Most local businesses are sleeping on this: review responses.
They’re a fast Local SEO win and a conversion win.

Because your reply is more than “Thanks!”
It’s a mini sales message… and a relevance signal.

Here’s the simple formula I use:
Name + Service + Location + Outcome

Example:
 “Thanks Sarah! So glad we could help with your bond clean in Bangkok. 
Happy you got your full bond back 🙌”

What to do this week:
→ Reply to your last few reviews
→ Mention the service/product naturally
→ Add the suburb/city when it makes sense
→ Keep it human (no keyword stuffing)

If you’re consistent, you’ll also get more people clicking “Call” because they can see what you actually do.

When was the last time you replied to your GBP reviews?

Becoming a parent, I’m more protective of my time now, not because I’m strict, but because it’s expensive.

What’s one thing you stopped doing after becoming a parent that you don’t miss?

This surprise no one. 😅  ChatGPT is getting ads.

Free product. Massive usage. Monetisation follows.

We’ve seen this pattern before.

Early days:
 “Just make it useful.”

Growth phase:
 “Make it scalable.”

Next phase:
 “Make it profitable without losing trust.”

Next next phase?
 “Make it MORE profitable.”

Sound familiar? 

That’s why this matters.

AI is moving into the same stage Google and social platforms did. 
And when that happens:

 – Free reach shrinks
 – Competition spikes
 – Shortcuts stop working

The move now isn’t blindly chasing visibility.

It’s building real brands people actually love and look for.

Because when ads take over, attention is rented.
Trust is owned.

It would be interesting to see how this plays out.

What do you think happens next?

Read the full update in the comments below :)

Clicks are harder to earn now.
So we optimise for clarity + action.

Because more people are getting “good enough” answers:

- on the results page
- in AI summaries
- inside AI tools

So if someone does click… they’re not there to “learn what SEO is.”

They’re there to decide:

“Is this for me?”
“Can I trust you?”
“What do I do next?”

That’s why my 2026 SEO focus looks like this:

1) Clarity (make it obvious fast)

→ what you sell
→ who it’s for
→ the outcome

2) Proof (remove doubt)

→ reviews / results / examples
→ logos / case snippets
→ specific wins (even small ones)

3) Action (give the next step)

→ one primary CTA (book / buy / enquire)
→ reduce choices
→ make it easy (short form, clear buttons, FAQs)

If clicks are more “expensive” now…
make every click count.

When someone lands on your top page, is it built to rank… or built to convert?

SEO reporting gets simpler when you stop chasing “interesting” numbers.
And start focusing on the ones that actually connect to revenue.

Here are 3 SEO metrics I care about (and 3 I ignore):

 💙 3 I care about

1) Conversions from organic
Leads. Purchases. Bookings. Enquiries.
If organic traffic goes up but this doesn’t… we’re not done.

2) Clicks to key money pages (not the whole site)
I track clicks to:
- top service pages (or product/category pages)
- top converting content
- high-intent pages (“pricing”, “compare”, “best for…”)

Because not all traffic is equal.

3) Visibility for high-intent queries
Not “how many keywords rank”…
but: are we showing up for the searches buyers use right before they decide?
(And yes, this matters for AI discovery too)

🥴  3 I mostly ignore

1) “Total impressions” as a success metric
Impressions can go up because you’re showing for irrelevant searches.
Cool graph. No impact.

2) Average position (sitewide)
One number can hide everything:
some pages improved, some dropped, some irrelevant terms skewed it.

3) Domain Authority / DR as a KPI
Useful as context, not a goal.
You can increase DR and still not get leads.

What’s one SEO metric you’ve been tracking that doesn’t actually help you make decisions?

Girlllll… ads are coming to ChatGPT.

Happy Sundayyyy!

Google just introduced Personal Intelligence in AI Mode.

Search results now feel more personal.
Not generic.

With your permission, Google Search can use context from tools like Gmail or Google Photos to give more relevant recommendations.

Think travel ideas based on your flight confirmation.
Or outfit suggestions tied to past purchases.

No AI training on your inbox or photos.
You stay in control. You can turn it off anytime.

Rolling out as an opt-in feature for Google AI Pro and Ultra users in the U.S., this is a clear shift toward search that understands context, not just keywords.

What do you think of this new feature?

Read more info, link in the comments.

Just a blink of an eye… and January’s almost done.
One week to go. Just like that.

Always love getting to see our clients in person 😊

Huge thanks to Joe McCord and the team at Pinch Payments for such a warm welcome. 

We’re grateful to support your growth, and even more grateful for the relationship behind the results. 

Big fans of your growth journey and your amazing team. 💙

A big thank you to Wassana Lampech and Fonthip Ward from our amazing SEO agency Search Studio for the surprise visit on Friday.

It was such a pleasure having you pop in and catch up in person, and the beautiful tea blend set was such a thoughtful and generous gift. A very welcome addition to the office.

Thank you both for taking the time to visit and for the continued support you provide to our team. It was a genuinely lovely surprise and a great way to finish the week.

taplio

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