Role at Rise at Seven

US SEO Director. I lead Rise’s SEO craft in the US. This involves making sure we deliver exceptional search strategies, are aligned with the amazing PR work coming out of our NYC office, and ultimately growing the business this side of the pond.

Where did it all start for you?

I studied Journalism at university where I was very briefly introduced to SEO. Strapped for cash and wanting to fund my student lifestyle, I then took up a part time, work from home SEO job that I found on Craigslist. It ended up being quite dodgy and black hat, but I had no idea at the time. It got me more interested in the world of search marketing, though, and my career took direction from there.

After I graduated, I worked as an SEO Copywriter for a luxury fashion retailer, then moved into the world of agencies, spending a few years at independent agencies around the north east of England, where I’m from. Then I packed up and moved to London where I spent eight years at a global network agency, plying my trade, rising through the ranks, and working with huge brand names.

I’d been planning a move to the US for a couple of years. Just before I left for the States, I spoke to Carrie and Phil about Rise at Seven and what my skills and experience could bring to the company - and here I am!

Experience so far:

Most recently before joining Rise, I was leading SEO for one of the UK’s largest banks (NatWest), creating a holistic, joined-up strategy across search, PR, content and more. At the same time, I was also senior agency leader across all projects for a global tissue products corporation (Kimberly Clark - Huggies, Kleenex, Andrex etc), helping them to scale best-in-class SEO efforts for all of their brands across markets. We won a lot of awards for our work which showcased how consumer brands can utilize their websites, even if they don't operate a D2C model.

Over the years I’ve also led SEO strategy and activation for brands including Disney Store, Canada Goose, Zurich Insurance, Beko, Dorchester Collection and TGI Fridays.

Outside of SEO, I’ve been a barman, call centre agent, professional drummer and a smoother maker.

What I’m best at:

Building and managing client relationships is something that has stood out in my career. From training up junior members of client teams to improve the efficiency of our workflows, or feeding back on performance directly to C suite execs on how SEO is working towards their business goals - the human connections of the job is something I enjoy and excel at.

I’ve also got a lot of experience in formulating and presenting strategies - going from the nitty gritty data and working it up into something big, exciting and meaningful which clients can really buy into… It’s a process that I enjoy and find rewarding.

What I’m known for:

I’m known for being helpful and getting shit done. I want to do right by my clients and colleagues, and ultimately create a positive and productive work environment.

Strong opinions I have about my craft:

SEO isn’t one single craft anymore, it’s the orchestration of various channel workstreams which work together to boost online visibility. If you’re still seeing SEO and just SEO, it’s time to move on.

Fun fact:

I took a gap year from SEO to play drums for a living. It was great, but in the end it couldn’t keep me away from the rock and roll lifestyle of digital marketing. 🤘🏻