Burkan Bur
With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and agency work, I’ve led projects for major clients like Amazon, Hilton, Doordash, OWN, SC Johnson, Sharp Healthcare, Intel, American Express, and Experian.
As the Managing Director and Head of SEO at The Ad Firm, my role involves leading client relationships, managing project deliverables, and expanding accounts to provide an exceptional customer experience. I’m responsible for setting strategic direction in various aspects of digital marketing, including SEO, content marketing, digital PR, social networking, and keeping up with the latest trends and algorithm changes.
What I like most about my role
I love collaborating with businesses to help them achieve their sales goals. My role allows me to work closely with my team, focusing on mentoring, training, and running a department that promotes efficiency and value. I enjoy the challenge of communicating complex strategies to technical teams and executives alike, ensuring that everyone is aligned toward our common goals.
Additionally, I take pride in effectively bridging communication between technical development teams and top-level executives, including CMOs and CEOs, which is crucial for cohesive strategy and execution across all levels.
Past Work Experience
Starting my career as a programmer and developer, I have a unique perspective combining technical expertise and strategic acumen. I hold an MBA from Bilgi University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Istanbul, and proud to have started and taught the first-ever SEO and analytics courses at UCSD.Â
My extensive experience includes leading and developing teams. I’ve been in this industry since the early days of Internet marketing, witnessing its evolution and the emergence of new trends firsthand.
Certifications:
- Business Management in Marketing, UCSD
- Web Development, UCSD
- Project Management, UCSD
- Google AdWords certification, Google
- Google Analytics certification, Google
- Advanced Search Engine Strategies, Search Engine Workshops
Hobbies outside work
Outside of my professional life, I’m an avid world traveler, martial artist, basketball player, and dancer. These activities not only keep me physically active but also foster a sense of creativity and balance in my life.
Articles Written by Burkan Bur
How Video Content Earns AI Citations and Strengthens Your GEO Strategy
Video content strengthens your generative engine optimization (GEO) strategy by giving AI search engines useful source material for the questions your audience asks. When your videos open with direct answers, use plain language, and include
Building an Entity Corroboration Loop That Proves Topical Authority to Google
Building an entity corroboration loop helps you show Google exactly who your brand is, what topics you cover, and why your business deserves to be trusted. Instead of publishing content and hoping it ranks, you
Primary vs. Secondary Conversions: The Google Ads Setup Mistake Quietly Wasting Ad Spend
Your Google Ads dashboard says the campaign is crushing it. Conversions are up, cost per conversion is down, and Smart Bidding looks like it earned its keep. Then sales tells you the phone has been
Creating GEO Specific Landing Pages That Avoid Duplicate Content Risks
GEO-specific landing pages are among the most effective tactics in local SEO for service-area businesses. A well-built city page puts your business in front of searchers looking for your service in a specific area at
Why First-Party Data Is Now the Strongest Competitive Edge in Google Ads
First-party data gives your Google Ads campaigns a stronger competitive edge because it helps the algorithm learn from real customer actions, not broad platform assumptions. When your competitors rely on the same default bidding strategies
Why Each AI Platform Cites Different Sources and How to Optimize for All of Them
Each AI platform cites different sources based on how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, and Google AI Overviews find, evaluate, and present information. You can ask the same question across each tool and see your brand
How Page Experience Influences Local SEO Engagement Metrics
A local searcher finds your business in the map pack. They tap the link. Your page takes three seconds to load. By the time it does, 53% of them are already gone. That is not
Designing Local SEO Service Pages for Both Rankings and Revenue
Most local businesses treat their service pages as either an SEO play or a sales page. The SEO version targets keywords, stacks content, and earns rankings, but reads like a search engine brief that no
Creating SEO Location Pages That Build Immediate Trust
A local searcher clicks through to your location page. They scanned the map pack, selected your listing, and are now on your site. You have roughly five seconds before they decide if this business is
Building AI SEO Dashboards That Go Beyond Rankings and Traffic
The question every marketing leader needs to ask in 2026 is clear: Is your brand being seen, cited, and chosen by the AI systems your customers now use first? Traditional rank reports and traffic dashboards
Building Local SEO Trust Signals That Influence AI Assistants
When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews to recommend a local SEO company, PPC agency, or web design firm, the AI doesn’t search the web in real time and return the top-ranking result.
Local Entity SEO to Strengthen Your Business Identity
When most local businesses think about SEO, they think about keywords, rankings, and Google Business Profile optimization. Those things matter. But there is a layer underneath all of it that determines how confidently Google surfaces