Pre launch / Idea validation
Prior business exit
Sold a prior SEO marketplace called Vetted, then pivoted into building Arvo as an AI SEO writer, leveraging existing SEO domain expertise and operator network.
→ Product concept validated with a clear ICP (agencies/business owners needing faster SEO)
Launch / First traction
YouTube — long form
Posted a tutorial video on 'how to make a Wikipedia page' — simple, low-production, filmed solo in a basement with a whiteboard. Video targeted an evergreen search query on YouTube.
→ 1.2M impressions, ~300 views/day ongoing; 65% from YouTube search, 20% from Google search — identified YouTube as the primary growth engine
Early growth — Content volume push
YouTube — long form
Committed to posting one YouTube video per day for nearly a year across three content buckets: (1) evergreen tutorials, (2) news/Google update reaction videos for fast subscriber spikes, and (3) viral-style software videos. All filmed solo with Loom, Miro whiteboard, Camtasia, and a Shure SM7B mic.
→ Core driver of growth from 0 to $70K MRR; majority of 600 paying customers attributed to YouTube
Scale — Multi channel YouTube network
Youtube multi channel network
Created multiple YouTube channels (e.g., 'Vasco SEO Tips,' 'Tim SEO Guru,' 'SEO News') and hired non-creator talent sourced from Upwork — specifically targeting freelancers who already had videos on their profiles as a signal of camera comfort. Paid creators per video and per performance. Expanded to Portuguese and Spanish language channels.
→ Multiplied content output beyond what one founder could produce alone; reached non-English audiences
Scale — Paid amplification of proven organic content
Youtube infeed ads
Took organic YouTube videos that had already proven they could drive sales but whose views had stagnated, and ran YouTube in-feed ads on them. In-feed ads appear on the YouTube homepage and right sidebar, making them look like organic content.
→ Revived traffic and sales on videos that had plateaued organically; extended the revenue-generating lifespan of top-performing assets
Optimization — Attribution and tracking
YouTube — long form
Implemented three tracking mechanisms: (1) dedicated UTM links in each video description, (2) per-video coupon codes redeemed via support chat, and (3) a welcome questionnaire at signup where users self-select the YouTube channel/creator they came from.
→ Improved attribution accuracy across organic YouTube, enabling better decisions on which videos to amplify with paid ads
Optimization — CTA placement and specificity
YouTube — long form
Moved call-to-action from end-of-video to beginning and middle. Replaced generic CTAs ('check out the website') with specific, interactive prompts directing viewers to take a concrete action inside the product.
→ Significant increase in signups (magnitude not specified but described as 'a lot')
MRR $70k Users 600 users