Name: Stefania Romanelli
So, what do you do?
I'm responsible for part of our SEO client portfolio, analysing and reviewing their websites to devise the best strategy to improve their organic visibility on search engines. Together with my team (the amazing Dan and Agata), we provide advice and recommendations on how to implement all those little titbits that make Google happy.
What's on the agenda for today?
08h50: I usually arrive at the office, prepare myself a cup of tea and start my computer. I'm welcomed by the team chatting about the most unusual things and the related banter.
09h00: The morning starts with me reading SEO blogs to make sure no update has happened overnight, as well as reading emails, which I try to reply to or keep as part of my to-do list for the day (or week).
11h00: By this time, I'm working on one of our deliverables. Today, it's a content gap analysis and some website structure recommendations for a new client, so I need to understand everything about their business and map all necessary topics with the right keywords.
13h00: I grab something for lunch. I take a break by either watching videos or reading my Kindle (if it's alive - I'm known as the "Kindle Killer" at home - I've managed to kill at least six by now. Don't ask me how).
14h00: I have a quick catch-up with an Account Manager in client services in preparation for the weekly call with a client. During our calls, we make sure we're informed of possible future website changes, and that everything is running smoothly.
15h00: I'm scraping and looking at a new site for the tech jam in an hour's time.
16h00: It's tech jam time - the entire SEO consultancy team gathers around a table and lists every issue found on a new site. This is a very efficient way to identify the most amount of issues in the least amount of time.
17h00: I'm back at my desk reviewing a few pieces of content to make sure the correct keywords and internal links are being used for a campaign the content & engagement team is working on.
17h30: I wrap up and usually read some more blogs before leaving for the day.
What's the best thing about your job?
The best thing is variety. When you work in SEO, you need to wear many hats and be analytical, knowledgeable about algorithms, coding, programming, and enjoy the investigative side of the job. At the same time, you also need to have an interest in user experience and design, as well as language, keywords, content, and creativity. Moreover, our world changes constantly, so we need to keep up with the latest news and updates.
What's for lunch?
Most of the times it's sushi. It's just so good, isn't it? Otherwise, I might have something brought from home (pasta, anyone?) or a quick sandwich from Pret.
How did you get started in digital marketing?
After my university degree mixing Business Economics and Foreign Languages, I found an internship working with the PR specialist of a company. It turned out that I had a lot of free time to help with the launch of the company's new website, which was due in a month or two, and the CEO was really knowledgeable about SEO. He and the eCommerce Manager started teaching me, and once my internship was over, I was hired to work on the site and concentrate on its SEO, content, and PPC, rather than PR. It was when I moved to the UK, though, that I decided to only focus on SEO, and then, a few years later, I started working at Greenlight.
Plans this evening?
Not much. I'm going to go home, prepare dinner and have a quiet night on the couch with Netflix on.
What's the coolest thing you've learned on the job?
Thinking about it, I've learned a lot, particularly from my fellow team members. There's always a way to do things better and faster with the right tools. I also learned a lot in terms of strategic thinking and adapting recommendations to different clients with different needs.
How do you keep up with the latest digital marketing updates?
I regularly read articles on blogs such as Econsultancy, Search Round Table and Moz, and I follow a few people in the industry on Twitter, but the best thing is discussing new updates with the team during tech jams or our SEO breakfasts, where we concentrate on one or two hot topics over a sausage and egg roll.
