I am excited to share that I was recently featured on a podcast where I had the pleasure of discussing my journey as a digital marketing expert and the CEO and founder of Nomadic Advertising. I was excited to have this conversation and the opportunity to touch on topics such as how I got started in digital marketing, my initial experiences in SEO, and my approach to helping businesses succeed online. I’ve summarized some of the discussion below but recommend you watch the full podcast.
The Beginning of My Digital Marketing Journey
My interest in entrepreneurship began during high school when I dabbled in various projects, such as creating e-commerce stores and gaming websites. However, I struggled to attract customers and gain traction. This led me to explore marketing and work with other companies to grow my skill set. As I honed my marketing abilities, I became confident that I could successfully generate customers and revenue for any business I started.
Finding My Niche in SEO
My initial focus was on SEO due to its potential for generating traffic and business with minimal upfront capital. As a freelancer, I scoured the internet for SEO knowledge and began working with different companies. This experience allowed me to identify what worked and what didn’t, and I eventually landed a full-time marketing role in a company.
Learning from Others and Filling Knowledge Gaps
While working with this company, I collaborated with another consultant who helped me fill the gaps in my SEO knowledge. We shared our respective expertise, and I realized that I had valuable knowledge that many others lacked. The success I brought to the company through my SEO work boosted my confidence and propelled me further into the digital marketing world.
Persuading Businesses to See the Value of SEO
Initially, I struggled to convince business owners of the importance of SEO and its potential to bring more customers to their businesses. However, I eventually changed my messaging and focused on addressing their pain points, emphasizing that the goal of SEO was to generate more business rather than simply ranking high on Google. This approach resonated with clients who were not familiar with SEO, leading to fruitful collaborations and business growth.
Transition from Local SEO to Bigger Clients and a Customized Approach
In the early days of my career, I focused on local SEO, working with small businesses in Toronto. As I grew in my career, I began working with larger, nationwide companies, including publicly traded ones. However, my agency still caters to small and medium-sized localized businesses, providing tailored and customized services to clients from various industries.
Adapting to the Changes in the Internet and the Impact of AI on SEO
The internet is changing rapidly, especially with recent developments in AI and chat GPT. I view these changes as opportunities rather than threats. I believe AI will not replace human content creators, but rather help them become more productive and efficient. While AI-generated content can be useful, it is essential to have a human behind the process, ensuring the content’s quality and relevance. My agency has been cautious about adopting AI-generated content, as we value the quality of human-generated content and the potential risks associated with AI-generated content.
Balancing AI-generated Content with Human Creativity and Emotion
The quality of AI-generated content is not always up to par with human-created content. AI-generated content often lacks personality and emotion, which are crucial elements in creating engaging content. I believe that creating unique content with a human touch, backed by research and data, will result in higher-quality content compared to AI-generated content. The key is to find a balance between leveraging AI to improve productivity and maintaining a human touch in the content.
Reflecting on Eight Years in the SEO Industry
I have been in the SEO industry since 2014, starting with local SEO and transitioning to larger clients and a more customized approach. Over the years, I have continuously adapted to the changes in the internet landscape and the impact of AI on the industry. By maintaining a focus on human creativity and emotion, I aim to provide high-quality content and services to my clients.
Common Challenges Clients Face When Going Online
When most clients come to us, they’ve successfully built their business through word of mouth, referrals, and leveraging their own network. While these methods are powerful, they can be inconsistent in generating leads and business. Clients often struggle with content creation, both for Google and SEO, as well as on the social media side of things. Many clients simply don’t have the time to create and maintain content while running their business, so we step in to help with content creation and management.
The Future of My Agency and Plans for Expansion
We’re always looking to grow and expand our agency, but currently, we’re focused on growing our customer base and working with more innovative companies. We believe that partnering with innovative companies is not only more enjoyable but also allows us to be a part of their innovation. For example, we’ve recently started working more with companies in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector, which is an industry that has a lot of potential for growth. We aim to build partnerships in spaces where we believe there’s going to be tremendous growth, and we want to help make that growth happen.
Embracing Innovation and Collaborating with Unique Companies
Our company’s mission is to work with innovative companies that might not otherwise be found online if they don’t partner with an agency like ours. We enjoy working with companies that offer unique products and services, as it’s more fun to market them and help them grow. We also get to be a part of their innovation, making our work even more fulfilling.
My podcast feature provided a wonderful opportunity to reflect on my journey as a digital marketing expert and share valuable insights about SEO and marketing strategies. If you would like to listen to the full interview, I have embedded it into the top of this post. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to learn more about how digital marketing can help your business thrive.
