Hello, humans!
Rain Blanken
Rain Blanken is an editorial leader who has been working in digital media for 15 years.
Rain Blanken is a writer, editor, and creative leader. She specializes in SEO wizardry and coaching happy teams.
Hello, humans!
Rain Blanken
Rain Blanken is a writer, editor, and creative leader. She specializes in SEO wizardry and coaching happy teams.
My deep understanding and proven strategies for technical, on-page, and off-page SEO create the perfect environment to bring your most essential content to the top of search results.
But you don’t have to take my word for it: the analytics tell the story.
Apr 2007 - Feb 2014 | (Site since restructured)
For About.com, then owned by The New York Times, I was the 7-year host of their DIY Fashion vertical. In these early years of the internet, I wrote all of the HTML for the site, built SEO best practices, and provided media to editorial spec.
Created and maintained keyword strategy for the site
Managed editorial calendar and created SEO content on the latest costumes and fashion trends.
Photographed, edited, and organized all visual assets for step-by-step tutorials
Regularly reviewed on-page SEO and built quality backlinks via outreach for article features on Fox News and The Huffington Post.
Attended media events like New York Fashion Week and cosplay conventions, interviewed people of interest in the fashion and entertainment industries
Published content to WordPress and the About.com content system
May 2019 - Jan 2017 | thenewswheel.com
I co-created thenewswheel.com, a news site that advised consumers on updates from their favorite automotive brands. I created and maintained all SEO standards and procedures for thenewswheel.com and over 400 dealership Wordpress sites across the country.
Conducted and trained team on keyword research and metadata best practices
Managed assignments, special projects, and compensation for team members
Created standard operating procedures, role guides, and documentation structure for the content team.
Interviewed and coached new talent and advised on senior promotions.
Trained press teams at media events such as the Chicago Auto Show.
WordPress administrator and trainer for various sites, writing code and troubleshooting.
Presented monthly analytics reports
May 2019 - Dec 2022 | WDW Magazine.com
I took on this neglected blog site that was receiving just a few thousand views per month. Over the next few years, I restructured the digital team, guided our Wordpress site rebuild, and created SEO processes. to dominate SERPs with EAT helpful content.
Increased site authority from 10 to 52
Built a presence for WDW Magazine in the Google News feed.
Rebuilt the website to improve technical SEO speeds, reduce large contentful paint, and limit front-loading scripts.
Created procedures for ongoing SEO practices like keyword research, title tags, and metadata
Built relationships with Disney Parks and Experiences, and brands such as Funko Games, Loungefly,
Worked with Disney Parks PR representatives to report on Disney Parks news and align our style guide.
I love SEO because it sets up a platform to give visibility to great work and the brands that the work represents. With real, measurable results in Google Analytics and first page search rankings, we can show stakeholders -and creative writers- just how many readers engaged with an article.
I can build both websites and high-performing editorial and marketing teams from the ground up. I specialize in creating scalable internal processes for keyword research, metadata creation, and SEO content.
In project management, I have advanced knowledge in drafting and maintaining freelance contracts, developing a culture of documentation, and introducing journalistic standards for digital publications.