My Current, Weird, Dual Role

My day-to-day is astonishingly varied — and that’s how I like it. I split my time between two different roles at Sparro:

60% of my time is spent as Sparro’s internal marketing guy.
40% of my time is spent as a client-facing SEO Specialist.

Officially, my roles are…

Brand & Communications Manager

Sparro by Brainlabs, March 2023 - Today

It’s my job to help grow the profile and reputation of Sparro.

I manage the agency’s press strategy, journalist relations, awards submissions, owned media channels, and external event management.

This is a new position for the agency that involves working directly with the agency’s co-founders. I put my hand up for this role in early 2023 as I was seeking an opportunity to learn new skills — and relearn a few PR skills that had sat dormant since university.

In the time since I’ve been in the position, Sparro has:

  • been acquired by independent global performance agency, Brainlabs

  • been awarded Australia’s 6th Best Place to Work, and one of Australia’s Top 50 Workplaces for Women

  • won AdNews Digital Agency of the Year 2024

  • won B&T’s Performance Agency of the Year 2024

  • become a certified Great Place to Work for 2 years in a row

  • been published over 70 times

  • been shortlisted for 19 major awards, and won 6 of them (as of Nov. 2024)

  • attracted 30% more followers on LinkedIn

  • hosted it’s first ever Black Friday event with 50+ client guests

  • hosted a client social golf day, with over 80 attendees including clients and sponsors

  • achieved it’s best ever organic, SEO-driven rankings in 11 years, and

  • has never had more work coming in for combined media + creative clients.

SEO Specialist

My goal is to change clients collective understandings of SEO: website optimisation isn’t about keyword ranking, it’s about branding.

I’ve always loved storytelling and taking a deep-dive into the technical makeup of the internet (and been a bit of a jerk about bad websites), so working in SEO really suits me.

Today, I work with a handful medium-sized SEO clients in diverse industries, including retail e-commerce and healthcare. I always work in a consultative manor across a number of other clients on an ad-hoc basis.

Sparro, December 2022 - Today

Previously, on My Career

SEO Executive

Sparro, July 2021 - December 2022

This role taught me more about data analysis, account management, multi-channel marketing and solving business problems in 1.5 years than my entire time at university.

My first role at Sparro exposed me to a variety of challenging clients across travel, product comparison, beauty and wellness.

I started at Sparro 100% remotely — right at the beginning of Sydney's longest COVID-19 lockdown — and didn’t meet a single coworker in person for six months. Despite this, I made strong connections with my team and clients.

Zhik

Webjet

The DOM

In Essence

Innoxa

Oil Garden

Above the Collar

The Blue Space

Curtin University

The St. Food Co.

Zhik Webjet The DOM In Essence Innoxa Oil Garden Above the Collar The Blue Space Curtin University The St. Food Co.

Owned Media Coordinator

AKQA / AKQA Media, April 2020 - July 2021

I worked within a small team to provide SEO consultancy and implementation for AKQA's clients. I carved out a niche for myself as a hybrid specialist across Content & SEO.

I was the agency's go-to for content writing, copy editing, and content briefing. I honed the cores skills I needed across keyword research, content gap analysis, tone-of-voice, and topical research. I also practiced the fundamentals of SEO.

While entry-level, I learnt a lot from this position and was exposed to big-name clients very early in my career. I also got to work with some of the media and creative industry’s best and brightest minds.

HESTA

CareSuper

People's Choice Credit Union

Aussie Home Loans

Bankwest

Nestlé Purina

Bunnings Warehouse

Nestlé Infant Nutrition

Travellers Autobarn

Fonterra

Upskilled

Salesforce

HESTA CareSuper People's Choice Credit Union Aussie Home Loans Bankwest Nestlé Purina Bunnings Warehouse Nestlé Infant Nutrition Travellers Autobarn Fonterra Upskilled Salesforce

Content Outreach Intern

Switched On, October 2019 - March 2020

After graduating university, I got my start writing content and playing a support role in an SEO-focused team.

I spent most of my time conducting content outreach, optimising on-page SEO elements, writing content, and learning the fundamentals of SEO through osmosis.

I started as an intern working 2 days per week. I was brought on full-time within less than a month.