Like most SEOs, I’m not really sure. I stumbled into the industry over 10 years ago with the right amount of naivety and curiosity. Following a stint playing youth football for 4 years, I set out on an entrepreneurial journey where I created my own record label, failed at an events business, learned, and then unlearned web development.
Those experiences weren’t enough to put me off. I enrolled in a marketing management degree at Northumbria University, and built a successful part-time freelance business building WordPress websites, while trying my hand at SEO & PPC.
After university I spent 4 years as a digital marketing executive at a software consultancy called Scott Logic. I was introduced to some of the smartest people I’ve ever met and it gave me a ton of experience on the ‘other side’, managing agency relationships and building a stronger general understanding of digital marketing.
Throughout that time I developed a passion for SEO, and in order to move from generalist to specialist, I joined an agency called Silverbean, later AGY47, as an SEO consultant. I owe much of my SEO knowledge to the hands on experience at Silverbean, and the great team that helped me progress from Consultant to Head of Search in less than 3 years.
Today I’m using all of those learnings, skills and platforms I’ve evolved over time to help other agencies and brands to unlock growth opportunities in search.