This interview is with Fabio Devin, CEO at Dorve.

Fabio Devin, CEO, Dorve

Fabio, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming an expert in SEO, Accessibility, UX, UI, and Branding?

I have a degree in marketing and a minor in design. I started working in banking marketing around 1994, with companies like Citibank, Visa, and Deutsche Bank. However, I shifted to web design and development in 1998 as a freelancer. Later, I began offering different types of services based on my expertise and studies, which I completed by obtaining an M.Sc. in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

In 2008, I founded Dorve, a data-driven company that offers a variety of services, focusing on marketing and UX. Since these areas overlap with others like SEO, branding, UI, and development, they all came naturally. As a CEO, I had to become an expert in all of them, and I enjoy working on projects in all of these areas.

What pivotal moments or experiences in your career solidified your passion for these interconnected fields?

Simply put, the birth of the Internet. I have worked with the Internet since 1994. However, in 1998, I told myself, “I want to be part of this revolution,” and completely quit my previous career in banking marketing.

A second pivotal moment was when someone told me, “You’re an excellent designer. You’re used to data-driven solutions from your marketing background, and you use research for everything… that’s called UX.” At that time, around 2000 or 2001, I didn’t know that discipline existed. Since then, I have devoted my life to UX and research.

You've mentioned the importance of user experience in SEO success. Can you share an instance where prioritizing a specific aspect of UX led to a significant improvement in a website's SEO performance?

A memorable example involved a client whose site was generating extensive content but lacked structure, user focus, and a clear content strategy. Initially, they had issues with keyword cannibalization, poor audience targeting, and technical flaws that undermined both user experience (UX) and SEO performance.

We began by restructuring their content strategy, ensuring that each piece was crafted with a specific audience and purpose in mind. This involved detailed research to identify audience segments and their needs, followed by UX improvements that focused on user flows, clarity, and accessibility. A key part of this was aligning their content and internal linking strategy to create a seamless experience and drive engagement.

Next, we tackled the technical side, focusing on performance metrics beyond Core Web Vitals (CWV). Although speed and layout shifts (CLS) were important, we emphasized deeper aspects like navigation intuitiveness, reducing friction points, and improving mobile usability. We also adjusted their cart flow to address high abandonment rates, which had a direct impact on conversions.

By combining UX and SEO holistically—integrating user research, content relevance, seamless navigation, and technical soundness—we achieved remarkable results. The client secured over 600 Page 1 Google keywords, up from just 20. Organic traffic surged, but more importantly, we saw meaningful engagement and improved conversions.

This case highlighted how the synergy of UX, content-based marketing, and SEO is essential for sustained growth, proving that technical metrics are only part of the larger UX-driven strategy.

Your example of the website with the scripting error highlights the importance of technical SEO. What advice would you give to businesses, especially those with dynamically generated content, to ensure their technical SEO is robust and avoids such pitfalls?

For businesses with dynamically-generated content, robust technical SEO requires:

Use Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Ensure content is fully crawlable by search engines.

Optimize Core Web Vitals: Go beyond basics—improve interaction speed, transitions, and error handling.

Conduct Regular Technical Audits: Identify issues early using tools like Search Console and Lighthouse.

Test Crawlability: Verify search engines can render all dynamic elements properly. Prevent

Keyword Cannibalization: Structure content and links to avoid overlapping topics. Focus on

Mobile Usability: Optimize navigation and touch interactions for mobile.

Monitor for Errors: Use logging tools to catch JavaScript or API issues.

Speed Up Content Delivery: Use CDNs and compress resources.

Ensure Security & Compliance: Use HTTPS and follow privacy laws.

Promote Collaboration: Align developers, SEO, and UX teams for balanced outcomes.

These steps will help avoid pitfalls, enhance performance, and boost SEO.

Many businesses struggle to balance SEO best practices with creating engaging and visually appealing social media content. Can you provide a specific example of how you successfully merged accessibility considerations with social media design to achieve both inclusivity and engagement?

A client approached us with a challenge: Their social media posts were visually engaging but lacked accessibility, limiting reach and engagement. Here's how we balanced both:

Alt Text for Images: We ensured every image included concise yet descriptive alt text, improving accessibility for visually impaired users and enhancing discoverability on search engines.

Readable Fonts & Contrast: We used high-contrast colors and legible fonts to make the content readable on all devices, ensuring accessibility without sacrificing design.

Captions & Subtitles: All videos were released with accurate captions to make them accessible for those with hearing impairments and increase engagement across platforms where sound-off viewing is common.

Content Optimization: We structured posts for both engagement and SEO by incorporating relevant hashtags and keywords while ensuring concise, easy-to-understand language.

This approach resulted in higher engagement rates and improved visibility, as both accessibility and SEO elements were integrated seamlessly into the design.

You emphasized the value of data-driven content in link building. Beyond identifying content gaps, how can businesses leverage data to find and connect with potential partners for guest posting or collaborations that enhance their link-building efforts?

This is one of the most difficult questions in SEO today. Unfortunately, there are very few reliable partners, as it has become common to flood site owners with requests from low-quality websites using the "spray-and-pray" tactic (sending thousands of emails, hoping someone will respond).

This practice results in webmasters ignoring these emails and automatically sending them to trash, which impacts legitimate partners as well.

A data-driven approach involves highly targeted actions, leveraging data from decision-makers, reaching out through means other than generic contact forms or using platforms, and crafting content that genuinely appeals to the recipient.

This method is more cost-effective (aside from the initial investment in building a system or using platforms like Apollo) and significantly more effective overall.

In your experience working with clients, what are some common misconceptions or mistakes businesses make when trying to implement accessibility into their web design, and how can these be rectified?

Actually, the main misconception is that 'accessibility' doesn't matter and that nobody will ever care, which sometimes (though less often than it should, but it's a gamble) leads to the company being taken to court. We have a team specifically dedicated to fixing those ADA complaints that 'will never happen to me.' The obvious solution would be to do things right from the start. Another very common mistake is thinking accessibility is just about contrast ratios or only visual accessibility.

This misconception usually falls on the development side because a designer might provide a completely accessible design, yet the most critical parts of accessibility actually depend on development. I'd say 80-90% of accessibility is development-related.

Contrast ratio is very easy to implement and fix (though still very important). In this case, the only remedy is to hire an accessibility expert to audit the developer's work.

Considering the ever-evolving landscape of SEO, what are your top recommendations for businesses to future-proof their SEO strategies and stay ahead of the curve?

This is very easy to answer, although very few people who manage SEO for their websites know it: Just follow the guidelines. Google’s SEO guidelines haven’t drastically changed in decades—they’ve remained consistent for years, with only minor additions here and there.

However, most people starting with SEO, or even those with a few years of experience, have never read them. While the guidelines are long and tedious, they’re the only way to ensure you're 100% safe. The proof is that neither we nor any of our clients have ever been hit by a Helpful Content Update (HCU) or a Google Core Update (GCU).

That’s the only "trick" we’ve used, and we’re confident it will remain valid next year, the year after, and for years to come.

For aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals looking to specialize in SEO, Accessibility, UX, UI, or Branding, what advice would you offer based on your own career trajectory and experiences in these fields?

Well, my experience is quite unique because it stems from a combination of factors that turned me into what is often referred to as a "unicorn." However, those specific circumstances no longer exist, so rather than trying to be a "jack of all trades," I recommend specializing in a specific field. Additionally, I strongly suggest pursuing formal education if possible, such as attending a university and even aiming for a master’s or Ph.D.

For example, I have a degree in marketing and a master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Together, these cover all the subjects mentioned in the question, albeit not very deeply. This demonstrates how new professionals can first specialize in one area and later either delve deeper into it or gain a broader perspective by pursuing advanced education in another field.

A great example of this approach is Don Norman, one of the leading figures in UX, who is both an Electronic Engineer and a Psychology Ph.D. The bottom line is: study. If attending a university is not an option due to financial constraints, seek alternative ways to educate yourself.

This could include reading books, online content, engaging in forums, practicing on your own, or whatever it takes. The important thing is to never stop investing in your education. Remember, there are others competing for the same opportunities as you, and they are preparing themselves to secure those positions.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I appreciate the chance to share my ideas, and I encourage others to keep exploring, learning, and growing in these fields!