Starting as a mentee in 2021 to now taking the stage in 2024, my journey with Women in Tech SEO has been an exciting one. I’ve experienced incredible growth, built lasting friendships, and developed into the person I am today.
Women in Tech SEO offers a supportive space where I’ve learned, asked questions without fear of judgment, and discovered opportunities I never imagined. Now, I’m excited to give back by presenting my talk, “SEO Testing Framework: Set Up Your SEO Test for Success,” at WTSFest USA.
History and involvement with WTS
In 2021, I started my journey with Women in Tech SEO by joining the Slack group. I was so nervous and quite overwhelmed with the amount of channels. There were questions I didn’t even understand that were being asked and so many women who were willing to help one another.
Sometime after I joined, Areej had announced that there would be a mentorship cohort starting soon. It was a matchmaking system based on your responses to the questionnaire, meaning that if there wasn’t someone who would be a good match based on your skills, experience, and what you hope to learn, then you would not be able to join the cohort.
This match significantly shaped my career and I’ll be forever grateful. I was matched to Lindsey Bailin, who worked on some huge sites and had all the knowledge and expertise I could ever dream of. While she was an SEO, she was still able to learn and lead the charge for other things like CRO and even email marketing at her company.
She helped open my eyes to other possibilities of things you can learn along with SEO. We developed a clear career map and she helped me identify key skills to transition from a Junior SEO Specialist to an SEO Specialist. Lindsey’s support and mentorship were instrumental in my professional growth and helped provide a solid foundation for my career.
I even used the method we developed together again when I planned to move up from SEO Specialist to SEO Strategist. Since the mentorship cohort ended, we kept in touch and still have met on Zoom from time to time.
Aside from the great start to joining the Women in Tech SEO community, since then I’ve lurked in the Slack channels and offered advice, resources, or recommendations where I can.
What Women in Tech SEO Means to Me
Women in Tech SEO is more than just a professional network; it’s a community that fosters lifelong friendships and offers opportunities I might not have found elsewhere. This sense of community has been crucial in my journey, allowing me to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the field of SEO.
Women in Tech SEO Festival 2024
This conference marks a significant milestone for me as it will be my first time presenting on stage. I am thrilled to share this experience with such an inclusive and welcoming community, and truly believe there isn’t a better way to start my speaking career. Beyond presenting, I look forward to reconnecting with online friends in real life and creating new connections within the Women in Tech SEO community. The anticipation of engaging with like-minded professionals and learning from their experiences adds to my excitement for the event.
My Presentation: SEO Testing Framework: Set Up Your SEO Test for Success
At the upcoming event, I am excited to present my talk titled “SEO Testing Framework: Set Up Your SEO Test for Success.” This presentation will guide attendees through developing ideas for SEO tests, from proposal preparation to progress monitoring and result reporting. I will share valuable insights on coming up with impactful test ideas, how to propose your ideas to clients, and documenting results for thorough analysis. My goal is to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to conduct successful SEO tests, ultimately driving better outcomes for their projects and clients.
Looking Back: The Power of Women in Tech SEO
Reflecting on my journey with Women in Tech SEO, I see it as a testament to the power of mentorship, community, and continuous learning. My upcoming presentation is more than just a chance to share my knowledge; it’s a celebration of the incredible support and growth I’ve experienced. I’m so excited to take the stage and represent the spirit of Women in Tech SEO, where we empower each other to excel, innovate, and lead in the SEO space.
Areej AbuAli, Founder of Women in Tech SEO, and all-around awesome human being would like to,
“Let the whole world know that Celeste was the first to submit her draft deck to us, even before the draft deck deadline!”
