# About > Source: https://go-seo.com/about/ > Last updated: November 7, 2026 One Decision-Maker. - [Follow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakejdischer/) - [Follow](https://www.reddit.com/user/goseo_blake/) - [Follow](https://www.youtube.com/@go-seoLA) I'm Blake Discher. I founded GO-SEO in 2007, and I still supervise every client account myself, no junior staff, no account managers, no hand-offs. That's not a limitation. It's the point. ## Two Careers. One Lesson. How I got here I didn't come to SEO from a marketing agency. I came to it as a small-business owner who needed it to work. ### 1995: Corporate photography, Detroit I opened my commercial and corporate photography studio in Detroit and spent the next three decades photographing for corporate clients. Like every independent business, mine lived or died by whether new clients could find me. ### 2007: GO-SEO is founded I taught myself SEO to market my own studio, then started helping fellow photographers do the same. That consulting grew into GO-SEO, Inc. For 17 years I ran both businesses side by side, which meant every strategy I recommended to clients, I had already tested on a business with my own money on the line. ### 2009 to 2015: Writing and teaching for ASMP As a National Board Member of the American Society of Media Photographers, I wrote about SEO and websites for ASMP's Strictly Business blog and presented on search and marketing to more than 200 audiences. ### 2024: All in on SEO, from Burbank I retired from photography, moved to Burbank, California, and made GO-SEO my full-time focus. Today that includes Generative Engine Optimization: making sure businesses get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, not just ranked on Google. ## Traditional SEO. Then Search Evolved. Search is constantly changing, and we change right along with it GO-SEO operates out of Burbank, California, and serves clients nationwide. For the first decade, the work was straightforward: rank your business on Google, own the first page, bring in qualified traffic. We were good at it, and that core discipline hasn't changed. Then search changed. AI-powered results started answering questions directly, without sending users to websites. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot now sit between your business and your next customer. Showing up in those answers requires a different kind of optimization. We call it **Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO**. It's the other half of what GO-SEO does now, and it's why clients who have been with us since the early days are still with us. ## SEO + GEO.Both. Always. GO-SEO provides traditional SEO and Generative Engine Optimization for small and mid-size businesses. In practice, that means: - **Google search rankings:** Technical audits, on-page optimization, content strategy, and link building that moves the needle on organic traffic - **AI search visibility:** Structured content and schema that gets your business cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews - **Ongoing monthly optimization:** It's not a set-it-and-forget-it retainer; rather, an active management with monthly reporting and direct communication We track AI citation performance using Otterly.ai alongside state-of-the-art SEO tools such as Ahrefs, Sitebulb, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics. Most agencies don't know what Otterly is yet. We've been using it since 2024. ## Credentials. Press. Proof. Recognized by the industry I started in, and the one I work in now. - **Semrush AI Search Operations System**, certified June 2026. [Verify certificate](https://verify.skilljar.com/c/vhywx77dqpwc) - **Quoted as an SEO expert by Sony** in Alpha Universe: ["The Pro Files: 8 Steps to SEO Dominance"](https://alphauniverse.com/stories/the-pro-files--8-steps-to-seo-dominance/) - **Former National Board Member, ASMP** (American Society of Media Photographers) - **Articles for ASMP's Strictly Business blog**, including ["A Common Website Mistake"](https://www.asmp.org/strictly-business-blog/common-website-mistake/), ["Content is King"](https://www.asmp.org/strictly-business-blog/content-is-king/), and ["Lose the Addiction to Vanity Metrics"](https://www.asmp.org/strictly-business-blog/lose-addiction-vanity-metrics/) - **Author** of [Stop Your Grumbling. Get Out There!: Networking to Improve Your Bottom Line](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1480147990) - **Speaker** on SEO and digital marketing to more than 200 audiences Why GO-SEO ## Three things that set us apart Who we work with Owner-operated businesses that need a real partner Service-based companies such as photographers, consultants, healthcare providers, and home service businesses who want a direct relationship with their SEO partner, not a rotating cast of account managers they've never met. Direct access, always The person you call is the person doing the work A lot of agencies sell you on the senior team, then hand you off. At GO-SEO, the person you talk to in the first call builds your strategy, reads your audit, and responds to your emails — and that's been true since 2007. The new frontier Ranked in Google and cited by AI Most agencies optimize for Google and stop there. We also track whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews are recommending your business because that's where search is going, and we've been watching it since before most agencies knew to look. [Book a free 15-minute strategy call](https://calendly.com/go-seo/15-minute-discovery-call) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Who founded GO-SEO? GO-SEO, Inc., a [Los Angeles SEO agency](https://go-seo.com/los-angeles-seo-agency/), was founded by Blake Discher in 2007. Blake runs all client accounts directly and has been practicing SEO and digital marketing for over 19 years. ### Where is GO-SEO located? GO-SEO is based in Burbank, California, and serves businesses across the Los Angeles area and nationwide. You can reach us at [818-244-3300](tel:+18182443300). ### What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)? Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing a website's content and technical structure so that AI-powered search engines, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot, cite and recommend your business in their responses. GEO works alongside traditional SEO to cover both Google search rankings and AI search visibility. ### Does GO-SEO handle all client work directly? Yes. Blake Discher handles every client's strategy, work, and communication personally. A virtual assistant occasionally helps with administrative tasks, but no junior staff or account managers are involved in your account. ### What types of businesses does GO-SEO work with? GO-SEO specializes in service-based small and mid-size businesses, including photographers, consultants, healthcare providers, home service companies, and local businesses throughout the United States. ### How long has GO-SEO been in business? GO-SEO has been operating continuously since 2007, more than 19 years as an SEO and web design agency based in Burbank, California.