So, confession time: while BirdingGirl has always been my passion project—a place to geek out about birds, share sightings, and connect with fellow birders—it's not actually how I pay the bills. (Shocking, I know. Turns out you can't trade warbler photos for groceries.)
For those who are new here or just curious about what I do between dawn bird walks and checking eBird, I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to my professional life. Because honestly? The two worlds aren't as separate as you might think.
By day—and let's be real, many evenings—I run Cathleen Voss Consulting, where I help businesses improve their search engine visibility and grow through organic traffic. I've been doing digital marketing and SEO for over 20 years now, working with everyone from big e-commerce brands to small specialty businesses.
If you've ever wondered how certain websites always show up first when you Google something, how online stores manage to compete with Amazon, or why some blogs get tons of traffic while others languish in obscurity—that's what I do. I help businesses figure out the puzzle of search engines, website optimization, and reaching the right customers online.
The Overlap You Might Not Expect
Here's where it gets interesting: a lot of the skills that make me decent at birding actually translate to SEO work.
Pattern recognition: Just like I've learned to identify birds by their field marks, behavior, and habitat, SEO requires spotting patterns in data, understanding user behavior, and recognizing what makes certain content succeed while other content doesn't.
Patience and observation: You can't rush a good bird sighting, and you can't rush SEO results either. Both require careful observation, strategic thinking, and the patience to let things develop naturally.
Niche expertise matters: In birding, local knowledge is everything—knowing which trails produce which species, understanding seasonal patterns, recognizing microclimates. In SEO, especially for specialized industries, deep expertise makes all the difference. I've spent years working with supplement brands, pet health companies, and specialty equine businesses, which means I understand the unique challenges and opportunities in those niches.
Community and sharing knowledge: Just like birders share sightings and help each other identify tricky species, good SEO involves collaboration, sharing insights, and helping others succeed. There's nothing better than talking shop with my brilliant network of former colleagues and SEOs I've met over the years. We use social media, group chats, and in-person conversations at industry conferences to validate what we're seeing happening in the world of Search and exchange tips.
Why I'm Telling You This
A few reasons, actually.
First, some of you might be running small businesses, blogs, or online stores yourselves. Maybe you sell handmade nest boxes, run a birding tour company, or have a nature photography business. If you've ever felt frustrated that your website isn't getting found, or you're confused about how to compete online, that's exactly what I help people with. And I promise I will explain it in plain English, not jargon.
Second, I know some of you work in marketing or have connections to businesses that need SEO help. If you know someone struggling with their SEO agency or in-house marketing team, consider filling out my Contact Form to see if I can help. Marketing leaders frequently seek me out to audit their programs and provide strategic guidance to jumpstart growth. A new service that is particularly in demand is helping people understand this whole "AI search" thing that's changing how consumers find information online.
Third—and this is the honest truth—I'm incredibly lucky to do work I genuinely enjoy, with clients I respect, in industries I find interesting. And part of building a successful consulting business is letting people know what you do. So here we are.
What I Actually Specialize In
Without getting too deep in the weeds, here's what I focus on:
- E-commerce SEO – Helping online stores get found and increase sales
- SEO strategy and technical optimization – The behind-the-scenes stuff that makes websites perform better
- AI search optimization – Preparing businesses for how AI tools like ChatGPT are changing search
- Conversion rate optimization – Making websites not just get traffic, but turn that traffic into customers
- Product management – Bridging the gap between marketing and development teams
I work with businesses in the equine industry, canine health and wellness, dietary supplements, SaaS companies, and B2B businesses. Basically, if you sell things online or need people to find you through search engines, I can probably help.
The Balance Between Passions
Running BirdingGirl and running my consulting business require very different parts of my brain, and honestly, I love that balance.
When I'm working on a client's SEO strategy or analyzing website data, I'm in problem-solving mode—strategic, analytical, focused. When I'm out with my binoculars or writing about birds, I'm in observation mode—present, curious, appreciative of the moment.
Both feed different parts of who I am. And frankly, taking morning bird walks before diving into client work makes me better at both.
If You're Curious (Or Need Help)
If you want to know more about what I do professionally, check out my consulting website. I've got case studies there showing real results I've achieved for clients, service information, and some articles about SEO and digital marketing that are (I hope) actually useful and not full of marketing fluff.
And if you're thinking, "Huh, I could actually use help with this," or "I know someone who needs this," feel free to reach out through my contact page. I'm always happy to have an honest conversation about whether I can help or point you in the right direction if I can't.
Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Bird Content
Alright, enough about the day job. I promise this blog will remain firmly focused on birds, terrible photos I've taken, questionable identification attempts, and the general joy of watching feathered creatures do their thing.
But I figured it was time to properly introduce this side of my life, especially since some of you have been following along since the early BirdingGirl days and might be curious what I've been up to during that 11-year hiatus. (Spoiler: working a lot, raising kids, and still birding whenever humanly possible.)
Thanks for reading, and thanks for being part of this little corner of the birding internet.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some fall sparrows to go look for.
— Cathleen
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