Ayub Ansary

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

Yes, when I was younger, there were definitely moments where people didn’t fully understand my career direction, especially when I chose to dive into SEO and digital marketing. At that time, SEO wasn’t as widely recognized as a viable career, and many people pushed me toward more traditional paths like engineering or medicine. There were definitely some doubts from family and friends about pursuing something so specific and digital. But I trusted my instincts and the growing potential of the online space. Over time, as SEO gained momentum and became more mainstream, I saw the results of sticking to my passion, and those who once doubted now saw how far it could take me. It wasn’t easy, but sticking to what I believed in paid off!

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

In simple terms, my job is all about helping websites show up higher on search engines like Google. When someone searches for something, like "best running shoes," I work to make sure websites are more likely to appear in those results by improving their content, structure, and technical details. I also help websites get noticed by other websites, which boosts their credibility in the eyes of search engines. Think of it like helping a store get more customers by making it easier to find, better organized, and more trustworthy. It’s a mix of strategy, creativity, and data analysis to make sure websites reach their target audience effectively.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

Yes, absolutely! When I was a student, I didn't just focus on schoolwork. I realized early on that learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms. I spent a lot of time reading blogs, watching videos, and participating in online forums to learn about digital marketing and SEO. I also experimented with building my own websites and working on small projects, just to get hands-on experience. One thing that really helped was getting involved in online communities and networking with people who were already in the industry. Those conversations and insights helped shape the way I approached SEO and marketing when I eventually started my career. Building skills outside of school helped me stay ahead and gave me practical knowledge that textbooks couldn't always provide.

How did you start building your network?

I started building my network by putting myself out there and connecting with people in the SEO and digital marketing space. Early on, I joined online forums, like Reddit and specialized SEO groups, where I could learn and ask questions. I attended webinars, online events, and local meetups related to digital marketing to meet others face-to-face (or virtually). I also made a point of connecting with industry experts and peers on LinkedIn, commenting on their posts, and sharing insights I learned along the way. As I grew more knowledgeable, I started contributing to blogs and creating my own content, which helped me get noticed by others in the industry. Over time, these connections turned into valuable relationships and collaborations. It’s all about being genuine, learning, and finding ways to add value to the community.

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I had to overcome was the initial skepticism around SEO as a career path. When I first started, SEO wasn’t as widely recognized or understood, and many people, including friends and family, didn’t see the potential in it. I faced a lot of doubts about whether it was a sustainable career or just a passing trend. To overcome this, I focused on developing my skills and learning as much as possible through practical experience. I built my own projects, worked with small businesses, and tested different strategies to prove that SEO worked. Over time, as I saw the results, I became more confident, and my work started speaking for itself. I also stayed persistent, even when things didn’t move as quickly as I hoped. Networking with other professionals and continuously adapting to the changes in SEO helped me stay ahead of the curve. It took time, but proving my value through results and never giving up on my passion for SEO ultimately turned things around.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

The one piece of career advice I wish someone had given me when I was younger is: "Don’t be afraid to fail and learn from your mistakes." I spent a lot of time early in my career trying to avoid failure, thinking that mistakes meant I wasn’t good enough. But the truth is, failure is a huge part of growth. Each mistake taught me something new and pushed me to refine my skills. If I had embraced failure earlier and seen it as part of the learning process, I would have progressed faster. It’s all about experimenting, learning, and not being afraid to pivot when things don’t go as planned.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

The most useful piece of career advice I received as a student came from one of my mentors who was an experienced digital marketer. They told me, “Focus on building real-world skills, not just theoretical knowledge.” At the time, I was heavily focused on acing exams and learning concepts from textbooks. But this advice made me realize that the best way to truly excel in a career, especially in SEO and digital marketing, is by applying what you learn in real-life scenarios. I started taking on freelance projects, building my own websites, and experimenting with different strategies, which helped me gain hands-on experience and develop practical skills. It was a game-changer because it shifted my mindset from just studying to actually creating and learning by doing. That advice helped me get ahead in my career.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

No, I didn’t know all along, and my career path wasn’t a straight line. I actually stumbled into SEO and digital marketing by accident. In the beginning, I was interested in tech and had a fascination with websites. As I started experimenting with building my own sites, I realized that just having great content wasn’t enough – it needed to be discoverable by people. That’s when I started digging deeper into SEO and understanding how search engines work. Over time, I found myself more passionate about helping websites rank better and driving traffic through strategic optimization. It was a mix of curiosity, trial and error, and seeing the results that made me stick with it. The more I learned, the more I realized this was where I wanted to focus my energy. So, no, I didn’t always know, but once I discovered SEO, it clicked, and I knew it was the right fit for me.

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

My first big break came when I landed a project for a small e-commerce brand. At the time, I had been honing my SEO skills through smaller freelance gigs, but this was the first time I worked with a real business that needed a complete SEO overhaul. I got the opportunity through networking—one of my earlier connections referred me to the brand. They had been struggling with low traffic, and they needed someone to optimize their site to increase visibility and sales. I worked tirelessly, implementing both on-page and off-page strategies, including keyword optimization, content improvements, and link-building. The results were incredibly rewarding—traffic increased, their rankings improved, and they saw a noticeable boost in sales. That project really solidified my confidence and proved to me that SEO could drive real, measurable business growth. It also led to more referrals and bigger projects, marking the beginning of my career as a full-time SEO professional. That success gave me the momentum to keep pushing forward, and it made me realize that I was on the right path.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

When my job gets tough, it’s usually because SEO can be unpredictable, and the results don’t always come as quickly as you’d like. Sometimes, a website you’ve optimized doesn’t perform as expected, or an algorithm update from Google changes everything you thought you knew about ranking strategies. That can be frustrating, especially when you’re working hard and seeing minimal progress. But what helps me push through is focusing on the process, not just the outcome. SEO requires a lot of patience and testing. When things get tough, I remind myself that every setback is an opportunity to learn something new. I dive deeper into data, experiment with different approaches, and sometimes even reach out to fellow SEO professionals to discuss challenges. It’s also about adjusting expectations. SEO isn’t about instant results—it’s about long-term strategy. Even on tough days, I keep my eye on the bigger picture and trust that persistence will eventually pay off. The satisfaction of seeing those tough projects finally succeed makes all the hard work worth it.