Interviewing Louisa Clark

Welcome to a new WTSInterview edition, where we interview brilliant SEOs in our industry and share their stories with the world! WTS members are welcome to share their story by simply filling out this form; we encourage folks from all walks of life in our industry to do so.

Introducing Louisa Clark! She is the SEO specialist at award-winning health technology company, Mayden, and oversees content strategy and creation across the organisation.

Louisa is passionate about using her specialism to reach target audiences, promoting a product that is genuinely changing what's possible for psychological therapy services and their patients.

How did you get into SEO?

I hadn't even heard the term Search Engine Optimisation until I graduated from university and was looking to enter the job market. As an English Literature graduate, I really had no idea what I wanted to do and, perhaps ironically, I turned to the search engines for answers. I remember typing in "jobs for English Lit graduates" and that's when I discovered the world of content creators and SEO.

In 2015, I was lucky to land a job as a PR and outreach executive at a Digital Marketing agency in London and, under the guidance of my talented mentor at the time, quickly became Head of Content. I found the subtle nuance of writing for both my target audiences and search engines fascinating and my career took off from there.

What is your favourite SEO task?

I'd have to say identifying those all important content gaps through competitor and keyword research analysis. There's a wealth of information online these days and it's an art to create and optimise web content that search engines deem valuable whilst ultimately delivering useful and trusted information into the hands of our target audiences.

I love the element of combining strategic thinking and creativity with data analysis to develop content that allows a website to cut through the noise. It's so rewarding when the implementation of a content strategy is successful and drives greater organic results, user engagement and ultimately generates quality leads.

What is your go-to tool or resource that you can't live without?

It would have to be SEMrush. I love all the functionality and insights it provides. Due to the nature of our websites, I would be lost (and drowning) without the backlink auditing tool. I'm also a firm believer in SEOs sharing and learning as our industry changes and develops. Never underestimate the power of networking to stay ahead of the curb.

What is something you learned in SEO that made you have an 'AHA' moment?

Sometimes it's a guessing game, and that's ok! When confronted with a new industry or target market, you're not necessarily going to hit the nail on the head every time. I've come to realise that trial and error is instrumental to the delivery of a content & SEO strategy. Don't be afraid to try something, because you can always iterate and tweak your strategy based on data insights. Be creative and constantly test and learn.

What is your proudest industry achievement?

A few years ago I made the decision to dedicate my efforts to brands that are genuinely trying to make a positive impact on the world, and I'm now lucky enough to work for a company that does just that. Mayden's product is the leading digital care record for psychological therapies in the UK and my proudest achievement so far is optimising content that is regarded by search engines as the leading authority on helping children and young people's mental health services to report on their national dataset.

What advice would you give those who are starting out in SEO?

Our industry is fast paced and ever evolving so my advice would be to never stop learning. Join a community online or find yourself an experienced mentor. Sign up to training webinars and subscribe to newsletters. Go to conferences and meet like-minded individuals who are willing to share and learn from one another. You're not alone on this journey!

Give a shout out to someone in the industry who inspires you, and tell us why

As I branched out from on-page to technical SEO I discovered Crystal Carter's blog on the strategic value of structured data. Since then I pretty much devour anything she has to say.

Finally, what empowers you to be the brilliant person you are?

I'm a firm believer that the grass is always green where you water it. One third of our lives are spent at work, so I try to dedicate my time and energy to things that bring me joy (both in my professional and personal life). I've also gone from being a mentee to mentor over the years and I'm proud to have the opportunity to positively impact and nurture someone else's career.

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Thanks, Louisa, for a truly insightful interview!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

Check out our Interviews page for more interviews. If you've enjoyed reading this, we'd love for YOU to share your story with the world! Simply fill this form here, we welcome brilliant SEOs from all walks of life! 🙌🏽