text: SEOblog Interview: Tampa SEO Expert Eric Ritter from Digital Neighbor | | IAC
  We're excited to have interviewed Tampa SEO Expert Eric Ritter from Digital Neighbor for the next installment of our Featured SEO Expert Series!
  Digital Neighbor is one of SEOblog's Top SEO companies in Tampa.
  Eric is like the conductor of an orchestra at Digital Neighbor. He knows how all the digital instruments should sound together. When he's not solving marketing challenges for the neighborhood, Eric is also an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida, where he teaches Digital Media in the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications.
  Digital Neighbor is your friendly digital marketing agency where cutting-edge meets compassion. Digital marketing is scary and complex. That's why we don't have clients; we have neighbors – we treat you like a helpful friend next door. With extensive experience in digital strategy, SEO, paid media, email marketing, social media and analytics, we will help you achieve your goals. Why choose us over a large digital agency? Because we work smarter: with more dedication, a sharper focus on your goals and accountability for your projects.
  What would you say is unique and/or challenging about the current Tampa SEO industry?
  "SEO is more than search engine optimization. It's about playing the long game. It's about doing things the 'right' way and not taking shortcuts. Sometimes we see results overnight, but more often, it's about planting the seeds for success that may not blossom until a year or later. It can be hard to have patience with the SEO process, but we've seen firsthand that it pays off in time."
  How does your agency stand out in a crowded market like Tampa?
  "We stand out through the friendships and partnerships we build with our clients. We try to always put a friendly face to what we do – and this lets us foster stronger and more long-lasting connections than if we were a faceless brand. We treat each client as a neighbor. In addition, we pride ourselves on always staying on top of the latest trends by auditing all of our services annually."
  "We believe content marketing is a huge part of any good SEO strategy. A single blog post we created for one of our local plastic surgery clients drives more traffic – and conversions – to their website than any other page. Our blog ranks first for dozens of keywords and single-handedly drives over $13.8 thousand in traffic value."
  "Never let a relationship with a client, partner or employee go to waste. Building meaningful relationships can really unlock the best sides of everyone, even if you don't always notice someone's value at first. In other words, your network is your net worth."
  "A great SEO agency has a commitment to addressing nuance in strategy and implementation. SEO is an art as much as it is a science and numbers game. There are hard rules, but sometimes following the rules won't get results. Instead, an agency needs to be able to think outside the box and take chances to really see success."
  "As machine-learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms become more complex, we know we'll see a greater emphasis on quality over quantity. We know Google wants to give users results that are relevant, authoritative and accurate, and that continues to raise the standard of what we do day-to-day."
  "They're misunderstanding the industry and current climate. SEO isn't dying – it's just changing and evolving with the rest of the world. SEO doesn't look the same as it did even a year ago and we think it's important to accept and work with those changes rather than abandon the industry."
  "We find that clients are happiest when they receive clear, consistent and open communication. When clients know they're being heard and listened to, it builds a greater sense of trust between us. It also helps us really understand their needs and goals on an individual level. Good communication is a win-win."