Hello!
I am Ross Dunn.
Digital Marketer & SEO Expert
CEO / Founder of StepForth Web Marketing Inc.
Ross Dunn is a digital marketer and Canadian entrepreneur from Victoria, BC, who has founded two successful internet marketing companies, hosts the popular SEO 101 podcast, has spoken at multiple conferences and trade shows and has worked with several Fortune 500 companies.
Ross grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit, which, when fueled by his passion for computers and search engine optimization, resulted in the natural transition to being his own boss and ultimately starting his own internet marketing company.
The Origin of StepForth Web Marketing
In 1997 Ross was a Skipper at a whale watching company! Yes! A professional whale watcher! Working for Prince of Whales Whale Watching he had many responsibilities. One day, he was asked if he could build them a website. So, he built his first commercial website! (Jumping ahead, they became his first and longest client for 21 years)
He enjoyed creating the website, but he had to learn how to get it ranked. At the time, no one else was doing this work. Primarily, graphic designers did all the website work and much like today, it’s easy to make a website look good that no one will find. He then ranked an online Casino #1 for the keyword “poker” and his business exploded!
Shortly after, he was hired by Time Inc to do competitor analysis. He was also brought into Sports Illustrated and Fortune magazine to do in-house training. Before he knew it, he was doing speaking gigs, took over the SEO 101 Podcast for WMR.FM, and was published online and offline.
His work was exciting, but he wanted to make an even bigger impact. He found he could do this with small and medium businesses. And this is where StepForth was born!
Other Business Ventures
In addition to StepForth Web Marketing, Ross Dunn also co-owns another business and has been involved in a few recent projects of note.
First Dentist Digital Marketing
Along with co-founder Michael Lambe, Ross began First.Dentist. An SEO and Design company focusing on the creation and marketing of dental websites. In 2014 Ross joined forces with First.Dentist to become SEO director, and utilizing the skills and talents of the StepForth team in addition to new team members at First.Dentist, started helping dentists in the US and Canada increase their visibility online.
Past Projects
The following are projects Ross has undertaken to aid his community and the world where possible.
Covid19Now.com
While this data has become easier to locate in recent months, in the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic Ross found that finding information specific to British Columbia was often buried deep in government websites that were difficult to navigate. He saw an immediate need for an easy to use website to help get the most important information to the forefront for British Columbians and Canadians. The end result was the birth of Covid19Now.com
Covid19Therapy.ca
Shortly after the website Launched, Ross was presented with a proposal by one of his SEO clients, local Psychotherapist, (the late) Corrinne Allyson. She was interested in setting up a website to offer free therapy sessions to first responders within British Columbia, modeled after a similar free service which had been setup in Ontario. Working with StepForth, Covid19Therapy.ca was born and grew amidst the pandemic helping first responders in need. It is now offline.
Anti-Whaling.com
Ross was the site designer and manager of this extremely popular anti-whaling website back in the late 90’s and early 2000s. His efforts helped to raise the profile of the plight of Gray Whale hunting in the Juan de Fuca Strait. He also was a Director of the West Coast Anti-Whaling Society.
AntiSharkFinning.com
Soon after watching the impressive movie Sharkwater, Ross got in touch with belated biologist Rob Stewart in order to acquire profound photos to create a supporting website for sharks. As a long time fisherman and a marine naturalist, Ross felt the need to support the movement to ban shark finning.
Companies Ross Has Worked With
Over the years, Ross and his team at StepForth have provided consulting and SEO services to a wide range of business. While he got his start doing design work and ultimately SEO for local Victoria BC Companies like Prince of Whales, he has worked with hundreds of small and medium sized business from all over the world. Ross has worked with large fortune 500 companies such as Time Inc. Interactive, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Singularity University, Golf Asian, as well as the Government of Canada.
The world’s longest-running SEO podcast!
Host of SEO 101
Since 2009, Ross has been the host of the longstanding SEO podcast, SEO 101 on WebmasterRadio.FM where he discusses the latest SEO and online marketing strategies with his co-host and fellow early SEO pioneer, John Carcutt of Advance Digital.
SEO 101 is Search Engine Optimization from the very beginning. They provide helpful information for beginners without overwhelming with too many technical details.
SEO 101 on WebmasterRadio.FM has earned several top podcast ratings from the Search Engine Journal, HubSpot, Authority Labs, The Hoth, Reddit’s SEO Community, and more.
Ross Dunn’s Personal Life
Ross was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia. Growing up in Oak Bay, he graduated from Oak Bay High School with a hunger for outdoor recreational tourism and a penchant for marketing. In 1997, he began his first business, BraveArt Website Management which took off quickly and allowed him to purchase another local marketing company after which he re-branded the company, StepForth Search Engine Placement Inc., and ultimately StepForth Web Marketing which he still owns and operates today.
