I got into search engine optimization in a circuitous manner. When I graduated, the Internet wasn’t something anyone knew about. When you went online, you connected directly to a bulletin board or to someone’s computer via modem. How things have changed!
I decided to go into business school when I graduated high school. I eventually graduated with a diploma in accounting and finance and worked as an accountant for a number of years, working towards my Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation.
Along the way, I got some experience working for myself designing business cards, publishing a small newspaper, running a computer store and as an independent accountant. While running my own business I also worked with a Chamber of Commerce as a director for a few years.
Instead of finishing my CMA, I ended up deciding to go back to school, graduating from Thompson Rivers University (TRU) with a bachelor of journalism, where I majored in public relations. It’s odd that I was exposed to the possibility of working in Internet marketing in my online journalism class.
Building on my previous writing experience I continued to work as a reporter. It’s certainly an exciting business, no matter where the newspaper is, and I really enjoyed it.
But then it was time to move the family to Edmonton, Alberta and, in doing so, move on into search engine optimization. I had first been exposed to SEO while in school and had optimized the first site I had ever built.
I really enjoy SEO and Internet marketing. It’s a constantly changing field and no less interesting than journalism. I also like that my accounting, PR, marketing and journalism background have helped to give me a skill set almost ideally suited to working in SEO.
After working for an Edmonton SEO company and being laid off, I decided I didn’t want to stop doing it and ended up starting my own Edmonton SEO company.