How I Got into SEO

This is an interesting story. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is an interesting marketing channel, which at first, I wanted to avoid at all costs. Little did I know that I would thoroughly enjoy it. I started out as an apprentice which I had sought after for what seemed like a very long time. We were in a period where COVID-19 measures were being enforced again, then taken away. I was given an opportunity to get started in the career I wanted to pursue in a time where finding work and opportunities was close to impossible.

I started my apprenticeship with no real guidance and it was tough teaching myself marketing as well as fulfilling the role, especially since I was the only marketer in the company. 

In the end, the business hired a marketing consultant who would help me and the business. He instantly got me into SEO. 

I was asked to do keyword research and PPC (Pay Per Click) which I thought I was going to hate. The thought of doing the project was already scary, but I got stuck in and I started to really enjoy it.

The crucial thing that I learned; not just about SEO, but in marketing too was that it’s about psychology. If you know your potential customer’s next move, then you’re one step ahead of the game.

With SEO, you need to know what your customers or potential customers are searching for. The good news is that you can analyse your competitors to see which search terms they are using in order to acquire website traffic. Analysing your competitors weaknesses is something to take advantage of and it’s what a lot of marketers don’t do which is why they struggle to get results.

Learning

There is so much that goes into SEO because it is constantly changing. The best way for me was to learn as I go. Having my teeth into a campaign was how I have learned everything I know today. Also, the marketing consultant specialised in SEO, so he would help and support me where needed. If you’re lucky enough to have a coach or mentor, then I can’t stress enough how important it is to ask questions. Asking questions doesn’t show weakness, it shows willingness to learn which is what employers want and it should be what you want for yourself. If I’m not learning, then I’m not happy.

Reading books on SEO was a great resource to help me along my way. A good introduction book that I read was SEO for Beginners by Mark Northwell which gave good insight into what SEO is, the history of it and some very useful information that you can refer back to.

The best book I bought was by a famous SEO expert, Ryan Stuart called SEO Blueprint which gives you a good step-by-step guide on how to run a successful SEO campaign along with some good structures and templates you can implement to stay on top of your campaign.

Events

I am very excited to be attending BrightonSEO this year and it will be my first SEO event considering I’ve only been doing it for around a year now. BrightonSEO is a very popular SEO conference that so many people talk about, and it’s a place to really sharpen your SEO skills by attending the talks by many different speakers. And of course, it’s a great opportunity to network and meet new like-minded people.

Why SEO is a Good Marketing Channel to Get in to

SEO is a growing marketing channel because more and more people prefer to search for things online because it’s convenient and fast. Searchers don’t want to be searching for hours upon hours trying to find answers to a pain point when you could well offer the solution they’re after. And of course, with your content, a call to action is a must-have, so the searchers can find out about you and what you can offer them.

I really love the problem-solving aspect of it. Whenever there is a client that realises that they need to invest in SEO, it’s always exciting crawling their website and understanding where some issues may lie. And of course, the strategy part. It’s like being a doctor in a way, because you are diagnosing their website, and prescribing them with a solution which will help them perform better. The exciting part about SEO is the fact that there’s not just one answer to everything. Every project is different and each project requires different tactics. 

Want to know more about SEO and how to get into it? Get in contact with me to find out some ways to get yourself started in the industry.