Brandon Saltalamacchia’s office, adorned with a dazzling collection of retro gaming paraphernalia, offers a glimpse into the passions that have driven his professional life.
In this interview with Saltalamacchia, you’ll learn about his humble beginnings as an independent publisher to navigating the labyrinthine challenges of SEO in a Google world.
The early days: A camper van and a dream
Saltalamacchia’s foray into independent publishing began in 2017 while working full-time for Future Publishing. A self-described “newb” in SEO and content marketing, he channeled his love for camper vans into a small passion project — a website dedicated to van life.
“It was a little pot on wheels,” said Saltalamacchia, recalling his first camper van, “but we had a bunch of fun with it.”
That website, built on pure enthusiasm and curiosity, caught the eye of a buyer in 2019. The sale allowed Saltalamacchia to pivot toward his true passion: retro gaming.
Retro Dodo was born as a personal project, combining Saltalamacchia’s knack for content creation with his lifelong love of classic games.
“I started writing about things I enjoyed and unboxing Game Boys [on YouTube],” he said.
It wasn’t long before the site began to gain traction, fueled by Saltalamacchia’s genuine enthusiasm and a simple, straightforward content strategy.
Building Retro Dodo: From passion to business
Retro Dodo grew steadily from its inception, thanks in part to Saltalamacchia’s willingness to experiment with SEO and social media.
“I installed the Yoast SEO plugin and made sure every little thing was green,” he said.
While Saltalamacchia admitted to following some misguided SEO advice early on, the site flourished due to its authenticity and dedication to serving its niche audience.
By 2021, Retro Dodo had evolved into a full-fledged media company with a team of six, producing daily content, video reviews, and even books. It reached about 2 million readers at its peak and Saltalamacchia recalled
“My [Google] Search Console said, “Congratulations, you hit 1 million organic results in May [2023],” Saltalamacchia said.
The site’s success brought collaborations with major brands and recognition from influencers like Casey Neistat, who invited Saltalamacchia to New York to discuss their shared love of retro gaming.
However, beneath the surface of Retro Dodo’s success lay a precarious dependence on organic search traffic — a vulnerability that would soon be exposed.
The Google algorithm crash
Google’s September 2023 helpful content update sent shockwaves through the SEO world and impacted many other independent publishers. For Retro Dodo, the impact was devastating.
“We lost about 85% of our traffic,” Saltalamacchia said. “It felt … like you’re almost swimming and someone’s put a big weight on your feet and it’s just dragging you and dragging and there’s nothing you can do.”
Saltalamacchia’s initial optimism gave way to stark reality as months passed without recovery.
“I tried pretty much everything,” he said, detailing attempts to improve site speed, refine content, and follow advice from SEO consultants. Despite his efforts, Retro Dodo remained essentially invisible in Google.
The experience brought Saltalamacchia face-to-face with Google representatives, including Search Liaison Danny Sullivan. While the meeting offered a platform to share his frustrations, it ultimately provided little in the way of actionable solutions.
“Danny told me, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing. Your site’s great. I can’t see anything wrong with it.’ Which I wish he never said that to me in all honesty because you almost want to find something wrong to snip,” Saltalamacchia said.
Reinvention and a new chapter
Faced with dwindling traffic and mounting financial pressure, Saltalamacchia made difficult decisions, reducing his team and scaling back operations. Yet, Retro Dodo’s core community remained loyal, and Saltalamacchia refused to give up on his vision.
“We’re very lucky to have quite a large community and a lot of people that return to our work to read, especially news and reviews. We’re quite well known in our niche for that. So, we’re still profitable, we’re definitely nowhere near as what we used to make,” Saltalamacchia said.
Heading forward, Retro Dodo is pivoting toward video content, premium memberships, and creating its own products and events.
Retro Dodo’s transition to the Ghost platform reflects a broader shift in focus: building a sustainable, high-quality digital magazine for retro gaming enthusiasts.
Simultaneously, Saltalamacchia embarked on a new venture with Kagi, a paid, ad-free search engine designed to prioritize user experience over ad revenue.
“Kagi [is] trying to humanize the web,” he said. “No ads, no tracking … My full focus is on making Kagi a great environment and helping independent publishers and helping families search without distractions.”
In his role as a consultant, Saltalamacchia wants to help Kagi champion independent publishers and redefine the online search landscape.
Lessons for creators
Saltalamacchia’s journey offers valuable insights for aspiring creators and independent publishers.
“People won’t really be blogging anymore unless they’re super passionate about that subject. So, I think creators are going to move to YouTube even though it’s just as competitive,” Saltalamacchia said. “The only people that are still doing it and still surviving are the ones with true passion for the niches that they cover.”
Google changed the game for independent creators. So what’s his advice for creators in this era of when we’re watching the enshittification of Google? Focus on creating exceptional premium-level content and building genuine relationships with your audience.
What’s next?
For Saltalamacchia, the future is a mix of nostalgia and innovation.
With Retro Dodo’s evolution and his work at Kagi, he’s poised to make a lasting impact on the retro gaming community and the search landscape.
“Google and YouTube are [basically] the same thing. And the creator economy over at YouTube is phenomenal. … There’s a really good financial incentive to build great content and build a community that supports you.
“Whereas then there’s Google just destroying blogs left, right, and center. It really bewilders me how the search team have got it so wrong when the YouTube team have created such a fantastic environment to learn to be informed to entertain yourself and to build a potential great content business. so I think that’s where creators are going to move to.”
As Saltalamacchia looks to the future, one thing seems certain: it’s far from game over.
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