Michael
Patrick Cortez

Semantic & Technical SEO

Entity-based SEO, site architecture, crawlability, and structured data — the deep technical work that separates brands that rank from brands that drift.

AI Optimization (GEO)

Getting brands mentioned in ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. The new visibility game runs parallel to SEO — and most brands aren’t playing it yet.

Brand & Content Strategy

Building the positioning, voice, and content architecture that earns authority — not just traffic. Strategy that holds up when algorithms change.

Performance Marketing

Paid search, conversion strategy, and measurement frameworks grounded in 20 years of driving real business outcomes — not vanity metrics.

Sales & Revenue Leadership

Former Director of Sales for US Cellular. I understand the full revenue picture — from acquisition to retention — and how marketing connects to it.

AI-Native Marketing Workflows

Using Claude Code, MCP integrations, and AI-native systems to do in minutes what used to take days. Teaching marketers to work at this level is what this blog is about.

I’ve spent close to 20 years in sales and marketing — long enough to have lived through every major shift in the industry, from early search to social to the AI inflection point we’re navigating right now.

My career started in sales. I was Director of Sales for US Cellular, where I learned that revenue is the only metric that doesn’t lie, and that the best marketing is built backward from what actually closes deals. That perspective shapes everything I do.

Today I’m a Partner and Marketing Manager at Webfor — a digital marketing agency serving businesses across the Pacific Northwest and beyond — where I lead strategy across SEO, content, brand, and AI optimization. The Director of Marketing role is next.

My technical focus is semantic SEO — helping search engines and AI systems understand not just what your pages say, but what they mean, what entities they cover, and what authority they carry. It’s the most durable form of SEO because it aligns with how both humans and machines process information.

I’m a problem solver by instinct and a relationship builder by nature. The combination — strategic depth plus genuine care for the people I work with — is what I think separates the best marketers from the technically competent ones.

On stage — in my element.

Present

Partner & Marketing Manager (Director-elect) — Webfor

Leading digital marketing strategy, client growth, and internal marketing for a full-service digital agency in the Pacific Northwest.

Multi-year

Board Member & Moderator — SEMpdx

Served on the board of Portland’s leading search marketing non-profit. Ran monthly industry events and the annual Engage conference. On-stage moderator alongside world-class SEOs.

Earlier Career

Director of Sales — US Cellular

Led sales operations and team performance for a major US wireless carrier. Built the commercial instincts and revenue discipline that inform every marketing strategy I’ve run since.

Foundation

Business Degree + ~20 Years in Sales & Marketing

Two decades across sales leadership, digital marketing, SEO, brand strategy, and agency partnership. Lifelong student of the craft.

SEMpdx — Board Member & Speaker

Helped build and run one of the Pacific Northwest’s strongest digital marketing communities. Board governance, event production, conference moderation, and speaker at multiple events.

Washington State University

Guest lecturer in undergraduate marketing programs at WSU Vancouver — bringing real-world digital strategy, AI, and SEO into the classroom.

AMA PDX — Agency Volunteer

Member of the American Marketing Association Portland chapter’s agency volunteer bench — lending expertise to the community.

Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce

Speaker at Chamber events in Southwest Washington — connecting the local business community to what’s actually working in digital marketing.