Rilwan Mogaji is a leading SEO specialist in Austria and the co-founder of Mogaji Digital Communications, a Vienna-based agency dedicated to helping brands achieve sustainable, long-term growth.
In this interview, Rilwan shares why he believes SEO is one of the foundation of brand- building and his perspective on how AI search tools are changing the future of discovery in the beauty and fashion industry.
FAB: Rilwan, can you tell us a bit about your journey and what inspired you to start Mogaji Digital Communications in Vienna?
Rilwan Mogaji: I started my entrepreneurial journey inside companies that operated with a single obsession: “How do we win today?” Every decision was a shortcut, quick fixes, hacks, tricks. No long-term plan. No long-term objective. And every time, the companies grew quickly and collapsed just as fast.
Working in that environment made one thing clear to me: most brands fail because they think in days, not decades. They chase clicks instead of trust. Virality instead of authority. Transactions instead of relationships. I thought something had to change.
That’s why, I decided to start Mogaji Digital Communications in Vienna together with my business partner Lika Gustin. I built a company focused on the long game, a business that helps brands grow through trust, consistency, and strategy that compounds year after year. Not hacks and Not shortcuts but real, sustainable growth.
FAB: For readers who are not familiar with the field: what exactly does SEO do for a business, and why is it so important today?
Rilwan Mogaji: SEO stands for search engine optimization. In simple terms, it helps a business appear when people search for something online.
If someone searches for “best aesthetic clinic in Vienna,” “organic skincare,” or “sustainable fashion brands,” SEO determines which businesses appear first. Those positions are incredibly valuable because most customers discover new brands through search.
For many companies, SEO becomes one of the most powerful growth channels because it brings visitors who are already looking for exactly what they offer.
FAB: Many companies invest in social media and ads, but often overlook SEO. Why do you think that happens?
Rilwan Mogaji: Social media is very visible and immediate. You post something and instantly see reactions. SEO is different. It works more like building a reputation. You invest in your website, your expertise, and your content and over time, your visibility grows.
But there is a strategic advantage here: when someone searches on Google or chatgpt, they already have intent. They are looking for a product, a treatment, or a solution. That makes search one of the most powerful places to reach potential customers.
FAB: If you owned a beauty clinic, fashion brand, or lifestyle business, what would be the first four things you would do to improve its visibility online?
Rilwan Mogaji: The first and most important step is clarity: understanding who your ideal customers are and what they actually search for throughout their customer journey when they are looking for your type of product or service.
Second, I would build a website that clearly communicates expertise. That means answering the questions potential customers have and demonstrating real experience, results, and insights in your field.
Third, I would focus on trust signals such as reviews, media mentions, and authoritative content. In industries like beauty and fashion, trust plays a decisive role in whether someone chooses your brand or not.
Fourth, I would invest in building a strong brand presence. That includes developing both a personal brand and a business brand, and collaborating with influencers who align with your values and audience. When people talk about your brand online, link to you, and mention you across different platforms, it strengthens your overall digital presence. From my perspective, this is very much part of modern SEO.
FAB: In industries like fashion and beauty, brand image is everything. How can SEO support a strong brand presence online?
Rilwan Mogaji: SEO is often misunderstood as a purely technical discipline. In reality, it is deeply connected to branding.
When your brand consistently appears in search results, articles, guides, and expert content, people begin to associate your name with authority in that field.
For fashion and beauty brands, this means SEO can reinforce brand perception. Instead of just appearing in advertisements, the brand becomes part of the conversation around trends, expertise, and knowledge.
FAB: What role do reviews, expert content, and trust signals play for beauty clinics or fashion brands that want to attract new clients online?
Rilwan Mogaji: They play an important role, but in different ways depending on the industry. For beauty clinics, trust signals are absolutely critical. Patients want to know that they are in safe and experienced hands. Reviews, before-and-after results, expert content, and media mentions help build that credibility and reduce uncertainty before someone books a treatment.
In fashion, the dynamic is slightly different. Discovery and inspiration often come first. People are influenced by trends, aesthetics, and brand identity. However, signals such as media coverage, influencer mentions, and strong online presence still strengthen a brand’s authority and visibility.
Search engines also look at many of these signals. When a brand is frequently mentioned online, linked to by reputable sources, and discussed across platforms, it reinforces its relevance and authority.Ultimately, strong online visibility comes from a combination of brand recognition, digital authority, and a presence across multiple platforms.
FAB: Looking ahead, how will AI search tools like ChatGPT influence how people discover beauty brands, fashion labels, or aesthetic clinics?
Rilwan Mogaji: AI search is changing how people discover information. Instead of scrolling through ten links, users increasingly ask AI systems directly for recommendations or explanations.
But what many people don’t realize is that these AI systems rely heavily on information that exists on websites across the open web. If your brand has strong content and authority on google, it can also appear in AI-generated answers.
For readers who want to explore this topic in more detail, I recently discussed the impact of AI search in a separate interview:
Read the interview about AI search and the future of SEO
And for companies that want to build long-term online visibility, we provide strategic support through our ongoing SEO support programs, where we work with businesses over several months to strengthen their presence in search engines and AI-driven discovery systems.
