Saltwater Pulse began as a printed outdoors newspaper called The Gillwetter, distributed throughout the coastal communities of southeastern North Carolina. It later expanded into a network of saltwater fishing eZine–style websites for dedicated anglers, featuring monthly covers, local captains’ fishing reports, photos, videos, and charter boat listings.
Over time, Saltwater Pulse evolved into an informational resource for fishing charter captains, guides, outdoor service providers, and small business owners who want practical, real-world guidance on online marketing and business growth.
One of the most common questions we hear is:
“How do I get my business to show up at the top of Google?”
The honest answer hasn’t changed—it takes time, effort, and consistency.
While SEO has become more technical, the core principles remain largely the same as they’ve been for decades. What is new is the role of artificial intelligence in search. AI now influences how search engines understand content, user intent, local relevance, and trust signals. At the same time, the internet is flooded with recycled advice and AI-generated content that lacks real-world perspective, making it harder than ever to know what actually works.
Everything shared on Saltwater Pulse is grounded in years of hands-on, in-the-trenches experience, combined with a practical understanding of how modern AI-driven search systems evaluate websites today. No shortcuts, no hype—just clear insight into what may, and may not, work in your local market.
Stick around, bookmark the site, and explore the resources. I’ll continue sharing real-world guidance to help you adapt, stay visible, and grow—without chasing trends that don’t deliver results.
Thanks for stopping by,
Mark Mayo
601MEDIA / Saltwater Pulse
We also design and build custom websites for fishing charters and guide businesses, built for visibility, trust, and conversions.
eZine Marketing Strategy
For many years, we featured monthly eZine covers across our local fishing websites using real catch photos from captains’ reports and galleries. These eZines promoted our captains’ businesses while showcasing our charter fishing website designs, WordPress development, and SEO services.
Proven Marketing Strategies for Charter & Outdoor Businesses
From the Saltwater Pulse Blog
How do I start a Charter Fishing website?
Starting a website for your charter fishing business can be a valuable way to reach potential customers and promote your business. Here are a few steps to consider as you begin to plan your website: Choose a domain name: Your domain name is the address of your website, and should be easy to remember and relevant to your business. Choose a domain name that reflects the name of your business and includes relevant keywords, such as "CapeFearCharterFishing.com." Select a website builder: There are many different website builders available, each with its own features and capabilities. Research different website builders [...]
How do I market my Charter Fishing Business?
Marketing your charter fishing business is an important step to attracting and retaining customers. Here are a few strategies you can consider as you begin to market your business: Create a website: A website is a key marketing tool for any business, and is especially important for a charter fishing business. Your website should provide information about your business, including the types of fishing trips you offer, the prices of your trips, and the amenities you provide. Be sure to include high-quality photos and videos of your boat and your fishing trips to help potential customers visualize what your [...]
How do you start a Charter Fishing Business?
Starting a charter fishing business can be a rewarding and challenging enterprise. Here are a few steps to consider as you begin to plan your business: Research the market: Before you start your business, it is important to understand the local demand for charter fishing services. Research the local fishing industry and assess the competition to determine whether there is a need for your business. Obtain the necessary licenses and permits: Depending on your location, you may need to obtain a variety of licenses and permits to operate a charter fishing business. This may include a business license, a [...]
How To Start A Charter Fishing Business (Part 5)
While there are many aspects to starting, running and maintaining a charter fishing business, it is an ever evolving enterprise. Your business will be impacted by new and changing regulations, new fishing techniques, and a consistently changing marketing approach. Your job, aside from catching fish and entertaining your customers, is to stay current with all the changes that the future of charter fishing will bring. It is my opinion that every charter captain should develop a specialty. Whether you are an inshore guide, near shore guide out to say twenty-five miles, or an offshore guide to the Gulf Stream, you [...]
How To Start A Charter Fishing Business (Part 4)
Let’s talk about advertising. Starting a business without advertising would be difficult if not improbable. As I started my charter business, I found that my advertising approach changed considerably for the first two to three years. Call it fine tuning might be more appropriate. I guess I started with a website and a print advertisement in a magazine. First let’s look at the website. At first it was basic. I had a page with a picture of me on my boat, a description of my boat and its features, and a brief section about me and my “qualifications”. Then there [...]
How To Start A Charter Fishing Business (Part 3)
Knowing your expenses is critical not only to making a profit but also, to make sure you avoid financial trouble. It is easy to dream of doing something you love and how easy it is to build a business out of that dream. I mean you are a great fisherman, right? Well, if you are not business savvy, being a great fisherman may not make it in the charter business. Here are some expenses you need to know: boat payments (if you own your boat you are ahead of the game!), boat and liability insurance, boat maintenance, if you dock [...]