New Starter Series: Kieran Wilson

Hello there!

My name is Kieran Wilson and I am one of the latest recruits here at First Internet, joining at the end of May as a Technical SEO Specialist. Before joining FI, I spent a year working as a Senior Digital Marketing Executive for Sharp Business Systems where I was responsible for managing SEO strategy for the existing website as well as for a new website build. 

Although I had been studying marketing since my A-Levels, my career really began whilst completing my master’s degree in Digital Marketing Communications at MMU. It was during this time I started my first marketing role working for Conception Marketing, a small agency based in Manchester. Juggling a job where I was a relative novice whilst studying for a master’s degree was certainly a challenge, but thankfully I prevailed! Since then, I have gone on to work for several companies in various roles ranging from social media to email, SEO to content design.  

After finishing at Sharp, I felt the need for a new challenge, one which involved specialising in SEO for a marketing agency. It had been a while since I had worked for an agency and SEO has been an area of marketing I have wanted to pursue for many years. When I was offered an SEO position at FI, I knew straight away it was a perfect match. To specialise in SEO for an award-winning agency was a no brainer for me and it certainly has not disappointed!

My role at FI

My role as a Technical SEO Specialist is a broad one. Ultimately, I am responsible for improving the organic and paid search performance for our clients. Working towards this goal, however, is not always black and white; it can involve me taking on numerous different tasks from one day to the next. On any given day I can be working on up to six different clients, with tasks ranging from basic website maintenance such as fixing broken links and setting up redirects, to more in-depth content strategy planning and keyword research.

Knowing what needs to be done to improve the performance of our clients’ websites starts with regular auditing. It is my responsibility to look at each website with a fine toothpick and identify issues that could be hindering performance. After this, it’s a simple case of getting down to work to develop a strategy that can overcome these issues! 

What do I enjoy most about SEO?

There are many reasons why I enjoy SEO. Firstly, it allows you to be creative, especially when you are trying to fix an issue. There are countless techniques and methods out there for you to try, the challenge is finding out what works best for the issue you’re faced with. This is made even more difficult when you factor in that search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and no one knows for certain what the changes are! It makes problem-solving a daily occurrence and a real challenge, but one that is highly rewarding when you do finally come across the right solution. Another benefit this brings is that no two days are ever the same, so it never gets boring! 

What do I enjoy most about working at FI?

Easy, the company culture! We are fortunate to be part of a company with a culture that gives us the tools to improve our skillsets whilst having lots of fun along the way. It’s a culture that is infectious as soon as you walk through the door and one that is impossible not to buy into. 

What I also love about working at FI is that we are free to express ourselves and drive change to improve how we operate as a business, no matter what our role in the company is. If you have an idea that will benefit the team then FI is happy to accommodate. It’s this willingness to adapt that has allowed FI to be so successful in recent years, and long may it continue!

This article is part of a series introducing the new members of the First Internet team. Visit our blog to read more.