I'm responsible for doing SEO on numerous websites across the Crown Oil Group.Goes without saying, you don't keep your job working as an in-house SEO, if you're not doing something right!

I'm a multi-skilled marketer and happy to discuss all projects and objectives you have for the promotion of your business online.Through The SME Lab, I'm able to offer help and assistance to businesses of all sizes, but my main focus is on helping Small & Medium sized businesses to get the same level of service that is usually only available through Marketing Agencies charging many multiples of my own fees.I have well over 10 years experience, with over 5 years spent working for a Marketing Agency in Manchester on client projects of all sizes, from SME's, through to large National businesses on a wide range of projects.So working with me you get that high level knowledge & experience, but at a fraction of the price an agency would charge.## PPC: Google Ads & Facebook AdsNo matter which industry your business is in, Google Ads & Facebook Ads have huge potential for not only generating traffic for your website & business. But also providing you with a positive ROI by generating leads & sales for your business.## SEO: Local SEO, Technical SEO (on-page SEO) & OutreachLocal SEO: Improve your websites local visibility within Google when potential customers are looking for business just like yours.Technical SEO: Ensure your website is both optimised for Google's & visitors.Outreach: Improve organic visibility within Google through Guest Blogging / Blogger Outreach.## Web Design: WordPress websites for small businessesI'm working on launching a new service to help small businesses get online with a brand new website far cheaper than they can expect to pay web design agencies and even other freelancers. More details to follow soon...

I moved to Manchester to go to University in 2007 as I could see that Manchester & London offered better options long term for Digital Marketing jobs. With Manchester being the preferred option due to it being far cheaper to live in than London. (Turned out OK in the end I think...)After moving to Manchester & starting University, I began Freelancing for SME clients across Manchester & beyond. It was a great way to earn a bit of extra money & continue to build on my knowledge & experience at the time.I picked up the majority of the freelance work I did at the time through word of mouth, client referrals & the various freelance job boards & business forums at the time.Then in June 2012, I decided to launch the first of my freelance websites in order to give prospective clients an opportunity to learn more about my services & give them a way to reach out to me.Over the years, I've done various jobs for clients which have included (but not limited to) SEO related work such as Local SEO, Technical SEO Audits (+ Implementing the changes), to Link Building / Outreach and Discovery.I've helped with PPC Setup and Management (Adwords and Facebook Ads), as well as Backlink Auditing, Removals and Disavows and a lot more besides.

I began learning how to build websites for fun initially, as I'd always had an interest in computers. I began learning to build websites with HTML & CSS using Adobe Dreameaver. This ultimately gave me a great grounding for Technical SEO, as it has meant that I'm able to fully understand and analyse the on-page SEO elements.These new learned skills soon proved to be a lucrative endeavour as I began to find friends and family with their own businesses were asking me to build websites for them. This was very much a side project outside of my full-time (non-digital marketing) job at the time.From 2005, I came across WordPress, a simple blogging platform at the time, which allowed me to build websites faster and easier. Which ultimately allowed me to begin learning and teaching myself more about how Google worked and what I would need to do in order to help my web design clients to get found in Google.Over the next couple of years, I found myself spending more and more time putting my new found SEO knowledge into action with small blogs and affiliate websites for fun. It was at this point that I began to give serious consideration to pursuing this as a career.This ultimately lead to me relocating to Manchester to start University in 2007 doing an 'Ecommerce Systems' degree, Well, that was the plan until I was told on my first day that it had been cancelled. So I switched to 'Internet Computing' (which was basically Computer Science) which I wasn't enjoying, so I switched again 18 months later to Business I.T. which alas, wasn't that much more enjoyable either...

I was responsible for doing SEO on a leading Composite Door company's website...I'm not naming the company... So you'll have to take my word for this...In over 18 months (Jan 22 - August 23), I've managed to improve this leading composite door company's average monthly traffic by around ~110%!SEMrush Rankings Increases (by percentage)...Top 3 Rankings321% increase in August '23 compared to December '22161% increase in May '24 compared to December '22Top 20 Rankings262% increase in August '23 compared to December '22224% increase in May '24 compared to December '22Top 100 Rankings165% increase in August '23 compared to December '22149% increase in May '24 compared to December '22How was this achieved?Zero link building, I solely focused 100% on-page optimisation and improvements across the website to achieve these results. I should caveat this by saying like in any freelance/consulting role. There was a lot I wanted to do, but unfortunately, my hands were tied. Ultimately, they decided to hire an in-house team to take over the work I'd already done.

# From SEO Consultant to Senior / Technical SEOI was taken on as an SEO Consultant, but quickly proved my worth with my knowledge & passion for SEO, beyond the expectations of my role. As the most experienced & knowledgeable SEO within the MS office. My advanced knowledge of SEO enabled MS to begin offering clients Technical SEO Audits.# Helped to launch the Backlink Analysis & Removal DepartmentI was responsible for beginning & heading the Backlink Analysis & Removal department, until MS hired a full-time member of staff to work on this.# Handled PPC Management for ClientsBefore pushing PPC at the agency. I handled PPC Management for a small handful of clients, before MS hired a full-time member of staff to work on this.My own drive to learn & improve my knowledge outside of work, along with my willingness to take on more responsibility enabled Marketing Signals to undertake more work such as Link Audits & Technical SEO audits which helped to grow the business!## My role by 2017 expanded to include;# All the Technical SEO Audits across all of the clients old & new. Reporting on & in some cases, implement the SEO improvements & suggestions to client websites, from SME's to Large, National Businesses.# Helped with WordPress Web Design & Server Management after a Web Designer left!# Backlink Analysis & Disavows, given back to me after my colleague who was responsible for this left!I was always kept busy on a day to day basis, as my skills & knowledge were always in high demand within the office!## Strong Digital Marketing skills in;# Technical SEO Audits# Link Building & Outreach/Discovery (Paid, Gifting & Infographics)# PPC Management# WordPress Web Design# Backlink Analysis & Link Removal# Developing & Managing Organic Search Marketing Campaigns# Analysing Client Results & Implement Appropriate Action# Experience Managing Multiple Client Accounts# Experience of using SEO Tools inc; Ahrefs, SEMrush, Screaming Frog, Majestic SEO, Moz, etc.

For more information about my time at Manual Link Building through to Marketing Signals, see the information listed above.# Related Role: Marketing Signals - "Technical SEO & Senior SEO Account Manager" ## Manual Link Building was the original agency name for Marketing Signals #---When I started, I had reservations about working for an agency called 'Manual Link Building' and what I had found out about them on their website.Archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20120118074250/http://www.manuallinkbuilding.co/Penguin had literally landed 3 weeks before I started so it was pretty good timing all round, as I'd just finished the last of my exams at University and was considering my options before the agency owner reached out to me to come and work for him, as I'd been weighing up my options whether to move back to my home city or stay in Manchester at the time.I explained before I started working here, that I wanted to do more advanced SEO work than what was currently being done at the agency before I started. Prior to this, I'd been told their current working practices consisted of their UK team managing the clients and outsourcing the work to their Indian outsource team, who would carry out the 'manual link building' work, which included posting to (spammy) link directories and posting low quality 'themed blog posts', etc.I had a lot of experience of SEO (building websites, on-page / technical SEO and link building) through my own learning, freelance work and my own websites over the previous few years before I started working here. Something the owner of the agency was keen to take advantage of he wanted to expand the range of services and have his agency "grow up" now that Google seemed to be targeting low quality SEO practices more and more with their Panda and Penguin algorithm updates.