Meet Elizabeth, the newest addition to our team of SEO specialists. Elizabeth spent the last few years working for an agency based in Spain and is now back in the UK continuing to flex her search marketing muscles as a Coastie!
We caught up with Elizabeth to ask a few questions about her experience so far.
Welcome, Liz! What’s your first impression of Coast and how is it different to other places you have worked?
My very first impression of Coast was the welcoming ambience and the structure in place for onboarding new “Coasties”. Communication across the board is a great thing which I believe all companies should have, and here at Coast, the communication has been swift!
Coast is different from other places I have worked in terms of size, it’s much bigger than what I am accustomed to, and everything is very well structured. There are also lots of company events, which makes it a great place to work for that work-life balance that we all yearn for.
What is it about SEO that makes you so passionate about search?
For me, I believe it is the problem-solving aspect. I come from a background where maths has been a strong passion of mine right from an early stage. Although SEO is not directly related to numbers, there is some synergy between the algorithms used to place websites in the SERPs, and solving mathematical problems using a well-thought-out model or plan.
Also, with technology comes innovations, and SEO just happens to evolve with it. With search, there is always something new to learn and for me that is the icing on the cake. The ability to learn new things and explore different areas within the digital marketing world is what makes this a very exciting skill to have.
Plus, there’s this sheer joy that comes with seeing positive results once changes have been implemented. SEO is broad indeed, but the results always speak for themselves when the strategy (e.g., adequate keyword research, link building, content, etc) is right.
What has changed since you first started working in search?
I feel that when people heard the term “SEO” in the past, they’d have this puzzled look on their faces, whereas now it’s a cool term that most people have heard of, even if they don’t really know what it entails. I guess this is what makes SEO intriguing and simultaneously exciting. It is great to see many businesses incorporating SEO more and more into their marketing budget, whereas before there was little to no funds allocated to search.
Google algorithms keep changing as well, so what might have been hot cake then is perhaps not as tangible now. For example, building links back then was more about numbers (how many links you build), but now it has evolved to require good quality links specifically.
Another change is the difficulty in getting “easy” rankings in the top of the SERPs. In the outset of SEO, putting a couple of keywords would get you up there, but now you really need to be meticulous and strategic about keywords, as many businesses are now online so the competition is quite high.
What would you say to a business considering implementing SEO as a strategy?
Businesses that have an online platform MUST implement SEO as a strategy, because – when implemented strategically – its benefits are the prerequisites of any business.
We live in a digital world, with more and more businesses going virtual – especially since the pandemic. So, implementing a strategy that not only puts your business out there but that also keeps it outperforming your competitors is what every business should emulate now!
What do you think are the benefits of using an expert agency to manage a business’s SEO strategy?
I think the key term here is “expert”. There are many agencies that include SEO as part of their services, but very little incorporate the right techniques. Here at Coast, we don’t just offer SEO as a service, we also leverage its capabilities to inform multi-channel marketing solutions that really merge every aspect of digital marketing.
Using an expert agency to manage a business’s SEO strategy means that your company values are being looked after. It also means not missing out on all the important bits of online marketing, which means your business can focus on other aspects, safe in the knowledge that your online presence is being taken care of by expert SEO specialists.
Ultimately, the goal of search is to drive traffic which has the potential to convert into sales. For many businesses, more sales means an increase in ROI, so it really is a win-win situation for any business that chooses to hire an expert agency to manage their SEO.
If you’d like to find out more about our SEO services, give us a call today!