WTSPodcast

In this week's episode, we chat with Billie Hyde, SEO Training Lead at The SEO Works about setting client expectations.

Where to find Billie:

Website: https://billiegeena.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/billiegeena

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billie-hyde-a0396919a/

---

Episode Sponsor:

This season is sponsored by Screaming Frog. Screaming Frog develop crawling and log file analysis software for the SEO industry, and wanted to support the WTSPodcast as listeners to the show. They are keen to support and promote technical SEO women in the industry, and would like to use this sponsor slot to offer an open invitation for contributors in the WTS community to write for the Screaming Frog blog. If you’re keen on being heard by a large technical SEO audience, then do drop them an email with a pitch via [email protected].

Where to find Screaming Frog:

Website - https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/screaming-frog/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/screamingfrog

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ScreamingFrogSEO

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/screamingfrog/

---

Episode Transcript:

Areej: Hey, everyone. Welcome to a new episode of the Women in Tech SEO podcast. I am Areej AbuAli, and I am the founder of Women in Tech SEO. Today's episode is all about setting client expectations. Joining me today is the brilliant Billie Hyde, who is SEO Training Lead at The SEO Works. Hey, Billie.

Billie: Hi. How are you doing?

Areej: I'm good. How are you?

Billie: Brilliant, thank you.

Areej: It's so great to have you with us. You're super, super active in the industry, you're so active in the community. I'm really, really happy that we get to talk together today on the WTSPodcast.

Billie: Me too. I'm just fangirling over here.

Areej: Well, can you tell everyone a little bit about you, and what you do, how you got into the world of SEO?

Billie: Absolutely, yes. I'm Billie Hyde, or if you follow me anywhere online, it's Billie Geena. I can't use my real name because of SEO. There's a slightly more famous musician kind of guy with the same name,

I'm the Training Lead at the SEO Works. My job is to basically find ways for us to do SEO more efficiently, teach their student department, as well as training people that are new to the industry, and getting them their start here a well. I have a split role, so I am also a senior account manager as well. I look after a handful of clients and have the usual stress that every agency SEO has basically as well.

Areej: I can imagine. Have you always been agency side?

Billie: No. I did use to work in-house. I did that for about a year. I'd worked on the training side there, after working as a content SEO for a while. In-house, at certain places, there's just very little growth, and you're stuck in a rut, so I tried agency. I don't think I'm ever going to go back, I don't know.

Areej: Wow. I love it. I know it's very, very different for different people. Some people are more team in-house, and others are more team agency. I can imagine especially with your role being very training-driven, it completely makes sense to be on the agency side. I love that your company has a training lead role. That's really exciting.

Billie: It's really fun. Like most places, SEO just took off for our agency over the pandemic, and because of the skills shortage, it just makes sense of having me do this to get people who aren't currently in the SEO world into it. It's been working really well for us.

Areej: That makes a lot of sense because I know how difficult it is as well right now, recruitment, and hiring, and bringing on new people. The fact that you have dedicated time and resources to training people who might be new to SEO. That's such a critical role to have.

Billie: Absolutely. It just makes sense. I just can't believe we didn't think of it before.

Areej: What advice would you give for women who are starting in the industry brand new?

Billie: My best advice is don't try to learn everything at once. That's what I did when I first came into the industry, and I burnt myself out. I got confused with all the different acronyms and terms. I recommend specializing in one area to start with. I started in content, and now, I'm a technical SEO when I am doing agencies, that kind of work. Pick a niche to learn, but don't stick to it. Just take in as much information as you can from anyone that will give it to you, but don't just ...