Search Experience Strategist · NV · UT · ID
Be the answer people and AI choose first.
Your customers aren’t just Googling anymore. They’re asking ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity who to trust. I build the websites, search strategy, and accessible digital experiences that make you the one they recommend, whatever your industry or size, anywhere across Nevada, Utah, and Idaho.
10+ years · every industry, startup to university · Top 1% global WCAG (SUU web team)
Example: when someone asks an AI assistant who to hire for SEO and AI search in Nevada, the goal is for the answer to cite Ashley Sara.
Featured work
Built to perform.
Every project started with a real business problem. The goal was always the same: build something that gets found, earns trust, and grows.
Forgely 3D
American-made filament, discovered. A growth strategy pairing keyword research with scroll-stopping paid social.
+2,317%Organic keyword growth · $0.13 CPC Read the Forgely 3D case study Meta Ads · Organic SocialRising K Ranch
Where the red rocks meet the ride. Paid media that turned scrollers into direct bookings.
+80%Direct bookings · +150% visibility Read the Rising K Ranch case study Web · Local SEO · SocialLa Bottega
Where coffee meets purpose. A full-service retainer that took a local café from invisible to in demand.
Booked outCatering, foot traffic & visibility up Read the La Bottega case study- Years in digital marketing
- 10+
- Global WCAG ranking, SUU web team
- Top 1%
- Client visibility boost
- +150%
- Direct bookings growth
- +80%
What I do
Not louder. Easier to find.
Three outcomes. Every capability I have lives under one of them.
People are already searching for what you do. Let’s make sure they find you, on Google and in AI answers.
SEO & AI Search (AEO)
Search engines rank pages. AI engines recommend businesses. I optimize for both with technical SEO, schema, and content AI can cite.
Paid Media
Google and Meta campaigns that pay for themselves while organic visibility builds. I’ll show you the math.
Getting someone to your site is only the beginning. It should answer questions, build confidence, and make the next step effortless.
Web Design & Development
Fast, clear, mobile-first sites that make the next step obvious. Pretty helps. Clear converts.
Accessibility & UX
One in four adults has a disability. Accessible sites serve them, reduce legal risk, and rank better. I helped SUU earn a top 1% global ranking.
Content & Brand
Content that answers real questions builds trust ads can’t buy, and AI engines cite it too.
Marketing shouldn’t feel like guessing. Know what’s working, automate what isn’t, and spend where it matters.
Analytics & CRO
Clean tracking, plain-language reports, and fixes wherever the numbers say you’re leaking customers.
AI Automations
Reports, follow-ups, and content prep handled by systems, so your time goes where humans are needed.
- Google Ads · GA4 · Search Console
- Meta Ads
- SEMrush · SearchAtlas · SiteImprove
- WordPress · HTML/CSS
- GitHub · Cloudflare
- Claude · ChatGPT · Gemini · Perplexity
Working together
Like adding a teammate.
Simple, intentional, sustainable. And you always know what happens next.
Discover
We find what’s actually holding your business back. Not the assumed problem. The real one.
Build
A strategy focused on visibility, trust, and conversion. Then I do the work.
Measure
Everything gets tracked. Everything gets improved. Nothing gets guessed.
Grow
Once the foundation is solid, we scale what works and cut what doesn’t.
Kind words
Clients talk.
Ashley comes up with ideas that energize our team and drafts creatives that actually generate sales.
Ashley took our coffee shop from invisible to booked out. Catering inquiries, in-store traffic, and online visibility all went up.
Ashley is brilliant and took so much off my plate. With her in my corner, I know my online presence is handled.
Since partnering with Ashley, we’ve seen increased visibility, stronger engagement, and a more professional online presence.
Ask me anything
How AI decides who to recommend.
It reads
AI systems read your website, reviews, listings, and everything written about you online.
It verifies
Then they check consistency. Mismatched hours, vague services, or thin content lowers confidence.
It recommends
The clearest, most trusted answer gets cited. My job is making that answer you.
Why isn’t my website showing up in ChatGPT?
AI assistants recommend businesses they can read, verify, and trust. If your site lacks clear service descriptions, structured data, and consistent information across the web, you’re invisible to them. The fix is usually structure, not luck.
Does SEO still matter now that AI is everywhere?
More than ever. AI answers are built on top of search results and crawled content. Strong SEO is the price of admission; AI optimization is the layer on top.
What is answer engine optimization (AEO)?
AEO is the practice of structuring your content, schema, and reputation so AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity can understand your business and cite it as the answer.
Is accessibility really important for small businesses?
Yes, for three reasons. One in four adults has a disability. ADA website lawsuits increasingly target small businesses. And accessible sites tend to rank better. Good ethics, good business.
Should I invest in Google Ads or SEO first?
Depends on your runway. Ads produce results in weeks and stop when you stop paying. SEO takes months and compounds. Most businesses need a mix, and I’ll tell you honestly which comes first for yours.
What is schema markup?
Code that labels your content so search engines and AI know exactly what it means: your services, hours, reviews, and location. Most small business sites don’t have it.
Can AI replace SEO?
AI changes where answers appear, not how they’re earned. Being clear, trusted, and well-structured is still the work. The businesses that do it show up in both.
Free advice
Things I wish more businesses knew.
Agentic Search Is Here: How to Get Chosen When AI Agents Do the Shopping
AI agents now compare, book, and buy for customers. What Google’s new agentic search means for your business, plus a readiness checklist.
Organic vs. Paid in 2026: How to Get Found Now That AEO Is on the Rise
AI Overviews cut organic clicks while paid gets a lift. How to split your budget, with real 2026 CTR data.
How AI Is Changing the Job Market (and What It Means for Your Team)
The 2026 data behind the headlines, which skills are rising, and a five-step plan to prepare your team.
What WCAG Compliance Actually Costs Small Businesses
ADA lawsuits targeting small business websites are rising. What to know before it becomes your problem.
Why Your Google Ads Aren’t Converting (It’s Probably Not the Ad)
Most paid media problems start long before someone clicks. A landing page audit checklist for better ROAS.
The SEO Strategy Behind a Top-Ranked University Graduate Program
How technical SEO, content strategy, and accessibility drove qualified enrollment traffic.
About me
Strategy with soul.
Hi, I’m Ashley. Search Experience Strategist, accessibility nerd, and occasional wearer of cowboy boots to meetings.
Over the last decade I’ve helped everyone from startups and local shops to nonprofits and universities across Nevada, Utah, and Idaho improve search visibility, websites, advertising, accessibility, and customer experience. I’m endlessly curious about how people search, why they trust certain brands, and how AI is changing both.
Today I lead digital marketing for SUU Graduate & Online Programs while partnering with organizations of every size that want practical strategy without the agency runaround. Marketing shouldn’t require a translator. I tell clients what’s working, what’s not, and exactly why.
- Digital Marketing SpecialistSUU Graduate & Online Programs · 2025–now
- Owner · FounderAshley Sara Marketing · 2024–now
- B.S. Strategic Communications, Magna Cum LaudeSouthern Utah University
Let’s create
Let’s figure it out.
Site not generating leads? Ads not converting? Wondering how AI is changing search? I’ll give you honest feedback and practical next steps, even if the answer isn’t hiring me.