Leeds SEO

We’ve got a real treat in for you this week, an interview with everyone’s favourite Kiwi, Jane Copland. Jane recently came to join us in lovely Blighty and has been enjoying the delights of the Big Smoke (as well as the pleasure of working with @evilgreenmonkey).

LeedsSEO stalked her up to talk Moz, swimming and what SEO is really all about.

Give us your SEO life in a nutshell.

I began working in SEO in 2006, although I’d worked on a couple of websites since 2003 and was fairly proficient at “the Internet” already. When I first started working at SEOmoz, we were just a small consultancy with a relatively well-read blog. It was an amazing place to be, as SEOmoz went from what it was to what it is now. I don’t even think I’ve been in SEO long enough now to look back on what I did (and what we all did) during those two and a half years at SEOmoz to really have a good perspective on it! It was certainly a wonderful first job: I’d never even worked in a supermarket or coffee shop before.

I left SEOmoz and moved to Ayima in London in January 2009. I loved working there, but it was the right time to move, and the right place to move to. I now feel like I’ve been at Ayima and in England for a lot longer than three months.

You have worked for the legendary (in SEO terms) SEOmoz – what made you click that link and apply for the job?

I was browsing Craigslist, which is incredily popular for job postings in the States, at about midnight one evening. It was a few months after I graduated from university. I’d been applying for some rubbish jobs–the junior assistant editor of terrible free newspapers, etc.

I saw an ad titled ‘Do you use your powers for good or for awesome?’ It was a ‘well what the hell’ moment that made me click through. I read the description, figured I could probably manage ‘this SEO stuff” and applied. A few weeks later, and after two interviews and one public blogging contest (which I rigged, and subsequently won, thus proving myself a good social media marketer), I had the job.

Tell us one thing we would never guess happens in the SEOmoz office.

Well, one of my favourite ‘you wouldn’t think so’ stories involved Rand and his new scooter. It was the first day he’d ridden it to work and he was wearing a motorcycle helmet… which he couldn’t remove upon arrival in the office. We’d recently hired a new designer–Matt Heilman–who rides a real motorcycle. Thus, one of the new hire’s first tasks was to remove his boss’s helmet while Rand muttered, confused, ‘I just can’t work out how to do it.’ Good thing Matt was there, as Rand may have spent quite a portion of the day wearing his oversized helmet otherwise.

I know you didn’t ask about Ayima, but it may NOT come as a surprise to know that we have a table tennis and pool table. We also have a leaderboard and office rules for each game. I am rubbish at table tennis, but not too bad at pool.

How many countries has SEO taken you to? And which has been the best?

I’ve travelled to the UK (obviously), the US (equally obviously), the Netherlands and Australia with SEO: I’d been to those countries before for swimming, but of course conference travelling is very different. The two Australia trips (SMX Sydney in 2008 and again in 2009) were excellent, although I’ve also been lucky enough to travel around the United States for SEO as well. You really can’t beat Vegas. Or Amsterdam

How have you found living in London?

It’s the best city in the world

Have you learned to use a Mac (I noticed the picture on your blog)?

I have! And an iPhone.

And dare I ask, but, which is better – Mac or PC?

I will never, ever, buy a PC ever again. That answer the question?

Twitter – great communication tool or mindless egotism?

It depends on the tweeter

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee and lots of it, please.

If you could be anything other than a killer SEO, what would you be?

I’d have liked to have gone a bit further with swimming than I did: my ultimate goal was to swim in the Olympics for New Zealand, which never happend. I did represent my country though, so I really shouldn’t complain… and you certainly can’t be an athlete forever!

With that not really a practical option, I’d be at the other end of the spectrum: I honestly wouldn’t mind learning a lot more web development. The technical side of SEO, and beyond into dev stuff, interests me a lot more than the marketing side, and I’m better at it as well.

What’s the one piece of advice you would like to give the MASSIVE LeedsSEO readership?

It really is all about links.