Fathom is a long-time member of SEO Chat and founder of CoopyRite a new content service.

Aliases: fathom
Single or Married: Single (Divorced)
Kids: 3 (5 grandkids)
Home Site: CoopyRite
Memberships: SEO Chat
Contact info: admin@coopyrite.com
  902-431-3464
  and SEOChat (will likely never stop posting at SEOChat)

How did you get into SEO?

Honestly - quite by accident - but it was a natural progression from submarine service (as well as my username) where my duties and responsibilities also evolved around "search". It’s interesting to note that both worlds (underwater search and search engines via the optimizer’s vantage point) work with incomplete data and the often "absence of evidence" is the best source of information at your disposal. In SEO terms - "if you can’t see any appreciable difference of improvement with consistency" it isn’t worthy of consideration.

What other areas do you specialize in? How do they compliment your SEO efforts?

While traditional SEO has been the core discipline, we have invested heavily in skill sets development in gaming technology for the past 3 years.

Fathom’s CoopyRite offers content services.

Any favorite projects you’d like to share?

In 1996, I acquired my first ‘SEO only’ client. I decided then that I would put 10 years into advancing my knowledge and skills within this rather misunderstood industry segment and chose my 45th birthday to cease working for others so I may invest in myself.

In March 2006, we started conceptual planning for a new way to deliver SEO services (or rather augment traditional services), one where I would be much more involved as a client - rather than being the consultant. First and foremost we needed to ‘make easy’ a set of processes that would stand against the test of time in SEO circles. The only thing you can be sure of is "content" for a content aggregator will be extremely important - everything else may change.

www.CoopyRite.com (pronounce co-op-e-rite) is a bold new way to visualize SEO. At its core the catalyst for success is associated with the value of intellectual property - the rights of the copyright owner to protect an original web document (whatever that might be).

Within the processes of CoopyRite are numerous ideals designed to propel website to a front page position on the major search engines (Google) based on 3 key principles:

1. Empower business through originality. Originality is highly regarded by all, it is deserving of superb exposure, not because the owner or writer believes it deserves, but others do (via their link).

   Over the years SEO has made the “link” far more important than the factual content being ‘linked to’ such that the rational solution for search engine optimization is actually now more of the problem.

2. Business owners must draw on the power of useful, meaningful, interesting and copyrighted content. Not just any content, but content that answers questions for the reader and offers resources to better understand the value of the goods and services being offered by a website. Clearly, finding a means to provide web surfers with better reasons to visit your website is a way to increase your value in cyberspace and promote your reputation as a website of integrity.

   Now, that’s revolutionary thinking - let’s increase the true value of websites everywhere instead of chasing the value of a link from anywhere!

3. Lastly, since the inherent value of originality is the merit of "being the only one." CoopyRite automates the protection processes of DMCA to ensure an originally documented idea is never copied making it the only resource on the web (to be linked to) thus found in search engines.

That’s CoopyRite in a nutshell and officially it is being launched to the public shortly after answering this interview.

What part of SEO drives you nuts?

There are actually two:

1. The premise "every little bit helps" (the "ant hill" approach). By the time you have an army doing "all those little things" they are obsolete.
2. Website owners that believe "I did this" - then saw "a change in search results" and believing those are absolutely related - thus conclusive proof "that’s what happened".

What’s your favorite part of SEO?

Forum posting - particularly the "off-the-wall" questions that you actually need to think about since it has never been asked before.

Where do you see SEO going over the next 5 years?

Google as it is now - is obsolete! IMHO "search" of the future will be much closer to the Johnny Mnemonic ‘virtual reality surfing’ — "I need a Sino-Logic 16… Sogo-7 data-gloves, a GPL stealth module… one Burdine intelligent translator and Thompson eye phones." In 5 years, the searcher looking for products and services will be the optimizer (equipped with personalized virtual search), the traditional SEO Client will be the new searcher, the optimizer will likely be the results aggregator (a leads generator for the searcher [the SEO Client]) and the ’search engine’ will continue to be everyone’s medium of choice - but very much different than it is today.

5 years in “search” is a very long time - so "this answer" is as good as any. :-)

Any favorite tips or advice?

Don’t attempt to optimize for what works today - forward think for what will be the next "most likely" change and run with it - as it will occur. (In short, the best SEOs are always doing their homework). I don’t recall who said it first but in this game - the moment you think you have it all figured out, you WILL become complacent and the ‘learners’ WILL start passing you by.

How has SEO benefited you the most?

It is the best example (rightly or wrongly) of change management I have ever seen. For me though - it was an ends to a means that allowed me to define what I wanted to do with the rest of my life… not what I have to do.

What industries do you work in?

What I have ‘enjoyed’ - gift giving (personalized/customized), jewelry (cultured pearls), forestry (maple products), and offshore (banking & incorporation). There are others but I truly had no personal interest.

Where I’m going: "Sub-Sea Cultural Tours"

Do you take jobs or just work privately?

Most contracts came directly out of posting free advice at SEO Chat, and while I will likely continue being an active member there - after September 14, 2006 I will invest (enjoy) being the client of my own firm.

What is your SEO Philosophy?

TLC - and their collaborative nature to induce results without any need of "every little bit helps". (Titles, Links, Content and the architecture of how they work together)

Anything else?

Stop in at http://www.coopyrite.com/coop/ if for no other reason than to chat with some of our brilliant editors!