12 months and many firsts.

“I am so happy to be celebrating my one-year anniversary as a Search Executive in one of our client activation teams. And in that time, I’ve had many new, exciting experiences. For the first time, I genuinely feel a part of the B2B marketing and digital world, having experienced my first trip (ever) away with work, meeting and becoming friends with some incredibly talented people, and most of all, this year, becoming an owner of a business…

My first, first.

“Brighton SEO has been a real highlight for me during my first year at Wyatt International. For many digital professionals, Brighton SEO is essentially holy ground. For me, it was my first work trip away, and my first time being surrounded by thousands of people in my field. It was my first time eating an unreal Caesar salad on Brighton Beach (shoutout to Lucky Beach), and my first time feeling like a genuine part of the marketing world, which I can only thank my awesome colleagues for.

“The day we travelled down was a day that started with me eating an almond croissant at my office desk and finished with me sitting on a beach watching the sunset and listening to the waves roll in. It was disorienting, but in an exciting way that got me buzzed for the days to come.”

Don’t get lost in the technical.

 “I must share some of my core takeaways from my two days in Brighton because they have been invaluable in elevating my day-to-day work for our clients. Firstly, something that stood out to me was a talk on: ‘Intent is King, creating content for the new age SERP’. The concept of not getting lost in the technical side of things and remembering user intent has always been an issue of mine – I would say I’m more of a ‘typical techy SEO’. However, the speaker broke down user intent and the different types of content that can be applied to each stage of the buyer’s journey in a way that made it click in my mind. Google, SERPs and all the technical goodness is great, but there is a human being at the end of it. I found this extremely valuable as it has helped me realign my priorities when working with our clients.

“Another important moment for me was a talk on ‘Keyword Cannibalisation’ – a term and issue that has floated by me many times, but I had yet to find the time to research and find ways to tackle it head-on. This was one of the moments that my line manager, Lee Savery had told me would occur – he said my ears would prick up and I would find something brand-new that I could do for one of our clients. He was right!

“This shift in my brain – adopting a client-first approach – was crucial. On the second day, I learned more about breaking down the user journey and explored ways in which to think more strategically – a skill that I am now beginning to develop after just one year in SEO.

“I also got to experience a talk from Google’s Head of Search, John Mueller – he told an auditorium full of people that he had no idea if any new updates were pending. “Keep an eye out”, he said. And that we did. That very night there was an announcement of another core Google update – how fun!”

Self-sabotage.

“Technical” and B2B SEO talks aside, one of the biggest takeaways for me was the talks on the second day that focused on personal development. One of the main reasons I got into the digital marketing industry in the first place is because of the career development potential. No matter the business or industry I found myself in, I knew digital was a thriving sector, one that provided the tools, guidance, and an entire community ready to support each other.

“On the other side of the positives are, of course, the negatives. It’s fair to say that often, in the marketing world, we encounter a lot of self-doubt and suffer from imposter syndrome. But learning more about how we self-sabotage and about the importance of taking time away and mastering mental health in an always-on world was really helpful for me – particularly as I continue to grow in the industry.”

“And now I’m here… and it’s great.”

“I learned a lot at Brighton SEO, and it really has been a highlight for me this last year which is why I wanted to stress its importance in my first blog for Wyatt. And, just thinking back on the second day at Brighton – yes, I will have a creeping sense of self-doubt from time to time, particularly when tackling Google’s rule changes… but I know that I am in a business that truly cares. In fact, I was going to say ‘a business that cares for its employees’ – which it does, but it’s not entirely accurate. Wyatt International cares for each of us as co-owners. Yes, that’s right, we’re now an employee-owned business. My journey up until this point (outside of Wyatt), has been a roller-coaster, and now that I’m here, it’s great to know (and feel that I am) truly valued and listened to as an important member of the team.

I cannot wait to see what the next 12 months bring and I cannot wait for my next trip down to Brighton!