Get to Know Andrew LoCascio, President & Founder of Sound Strategies

Andy LoCascio has been an IT professional since late 1985. He is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo where he earned degrees in business administration and computer science.
He worked for Funaro-Lufrano Associates through 1995. During that time he specialized in creating custom applications for the IBM System 38 and IBM AS400. Some of his more notable clients included Major League Baseball, Flight Safety International, and Eagle Electric.
Sound Strategies was formed in late 1995 and initially provided comprehensive IT solutions for clients using the IBM AS400. Andy LoCascio joined the IT solutions provider Seaview Consulting in late 1996 as a partner and eventually helped grow the business to well over 100 employees. Seaview Consulting was purchased by RCM technologies in 1998 and Andy stayed with the firm for three more years before once again going off on his own.
In 2002 the focus of Sound Strategies shifted toward creating custom applications for the web with a major concentration in search engine optimization. Sound Strategies created the exclusive rank monitoring tool; RankMgr and the comprehensive link exchange and directory management tool; LinkMgr.

Please introduce yourself and where you work.

Andrew Locascio – President/Founder Sound Strategies, Inc… New York

How do you think SEO has changed over the last 10 years?

Basically, every facet of SEO has changed. Link acquisition has shifted from quantity to quality. Page performance and optimization has become a major ranking factor. Greater focus on the actual user experience which made for better-improved link acquisition and sharing. Rank sculpting has become especially critical and the best approach is to create optimal visitor flow. Social media has become a critical element in the SEO strategy.

How did you get introduced to digital marketing, more specifically SEO?

We have been building websites for over 20 years and organic traffic has always been the highest priority. Our first websites were service websites in extremely competitive markets.

What are the services you provide to your clients?

• Page performance and optimization
• SEO and Social Media strategies
• Keyword Analysis
• Rank and performance monitoring
• Hosting
• Web development and design
• Server configuration and management
• Mobile APP design and development

What strategy according to you will prevail in 2018 for SEO?

Carefully crafted strategies that focus on low volume high-quality link acquisition through content marketing and partnering. The best possible page and performance optimization. Increased focus on the visitor experience.

What would your advice be to people who are looking to take up digital marketing as a career choice?

The right job is critical. Find a development group that manages many websites and offers a full range of services. Avoid the in-house IT roles which are just traps with minimal skill building because there simply isn’t enough exposure to multiple domains and audiences.