Title: Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Company: Fast Frigate Digital Marketing
Location: Williston, Vermont, United States
Christopher J. Nichols, founder and chief operating officer of Fast Frigate Digital Marketing, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements and leadership in search engine optimization.
Mr. Nichols is a leading expert in search engine optimization (SEO), with more than 15 years of experience and significant achievements in digital marketing and enterprise SEO strategy. Since 2025, he has served as the founder and chief operating officer of Fast Frigate Digital Marketing, a company he co-founded to deliver innovative digital marketing solutions. In this capacity, Mr. Nichols focuses on marketing the business, positioning it to attract clients, and actively engaging within the SEO community through private Slack channels and Discord servers.
Among other responsibilities, Mr. Nichols manages operational aspects of the business, including monitoring expenses, finances, invoicing and back end operations, while also handling select client work. His dedication extends to community building, training internal team members and supporting overall business growth. Despite the challenges of operating a small startup with limited revenue, Mr. Nichols finds fulfillment in mentoring new interns and guiding them through their professional development.
Before launching Fast Frigate Digital Marketing, Mr. Nichols held several key leadership roles at Cox Automotive Inc., a top 500 privately held Fortune 500 company in the U.S. Employed by the organization for over a decade, he began as a senior SEO strategist in 2013, working his way up to director of enterprise SEO and content strategy for Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader and Dealer.com spanned from 2023 to 2025. In this capacity, Mr. Nichols led cross-functional teams in implementing strategic SEO initiatives that drove organic traffic, improved search engine rankings and increased overall value for these prominent automotive platforms. He was also responsible for overseeing technical SEO operations and collaborating closely with engineering departments, project managers and marketing teams to ensure the timely deployment of critical projects.
Before joining Cox Automotive Inc., Mr. Nichols worked at Resolution Incorporated from 2008 to 2012. Initially hired as a B2B/B2E sales specialist, he transitioned into an e-commerce assistant manager role by 2011 after demonstrating proficiency in IT support, marketing and web development. Mr. Nichols’ portfolio included work for such notable clients as Pepsi USA, the ASPCA, Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) and CBS for AMC’s Star Trek.com. He managed purchasing, product photography, new product development and website updates until the company was acquired and dissolved in 2012.
Following high school, Mr. Nichols completed coursework in web page design, digital/multimedia design, and information resources design at the Community College of Vermont in Burlington in 2009. This academic foundation enabled him to transition seamlessly into technology-driven roles in digital marketing and e-commerce. Mr. Nichols’ commitment to professional development is reflected in multiple professional credentials, including an analytics certification from Google, mastery of finance fundamentals from Wharton Online, strategic thinking from LinkedIn, and communication with executives from LinkedIn.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Mr. Nichols has demonstrated civic engagement through volunteer roles. He has also contributed thought leadership in his field through publications such as “How to Uncover Impactful Automotive Keywords Using Google’s Search Console” on the Dealer.com blog.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Nichols has been recognized for assembling high-impact teams capable of driving meaningful change within challenging industries, an achievement he regards as his most significant professional milestone, and continues to set standards of excellence within the evolving landscape of digital marketing and SEO. He attributes his success to the extensive support he received from mentors, colleagues and supervisors who provided flexibility for exploration and deep thinking.
Looking ahead, Mr. Nichols is determined to continue focusing on building an agency that prioritizes transparency while delivering genuine value to clients. Drawing on extensive experience gained at both enterprise-level organizations and local agencies, he aims to foster an environment where collaboration among friends and colleagues leads not only to financial success but also to personal fulfillment for all involved.
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