SEO & Digital Marketing Experience: Over 20 Years in the Industry
I’ve been working in SEO and digital marketing since 1999: first with a Belfast startup, then as an SEO consultant for a leading UK internet company, and later as co-founder of one of Northern Ireland’s first integrated digital and UX consultancies. Along the way, I’ve worked with businesses of every size, from local sole traders to names like Barclaycard, Selfridges, O2, and the Game of Thrones Studio Tour. Here’s a sample of the businesses and brands I’ve worked with.
Examples of Recent Work
AC NI, Print Ready, Go Box Self Storage, Klas Engineering, ABL Group, McGrady Insurance, Alderwood Studios, Ashgrove Furnishings, Cherished Gift Company, Streamvale, Moira Cosmetic Dental, Julie A. Robinson Optometrist, McAtavey, IBC Music, Morrissey Chartered Accountants, Mourne Breeze Business Solutions, Evolve HR, Game of Thrones Studio Tour
Examples of Previous Clients and Brand Experience
MAXIS, Age Concern UK, Barclaycard, O2 UK, AIB Bank Ireland, Elvery Sports, AVIS Car Hire, Trabolgan Holidays Ireland, Ericsson, Dublin Convention Centre, Lusty Beg Island Resort, Madame Tussauds, London Tourist Board, O’Callaghan Hotel Dublin, DARD Northern Ireland, Safeway, Selfridges, Tesco, Sun Microsystems, Land Registry of Northern Ireland, NI Tourist Board, Northumbria Council
My Story
I started in SEO and digital marketing in 1999, working with a small startup in Belfast and learning largely through trial and error. By 2001, I was working as an SEO consultant for a leading UK internet company, delivering projects for brands including Ericsson, London Tourist Board, Safeway, Aiwa, and Selfridges.
Off the back of that experience, I co-founded Elemental Creative, one of Northern Ireland’s first integrated digital marketing and UX consultancies.
We worked with multinationals, charities, and SMEs across the UK and Ireland, including Age Concern, Tesco, Barclaycard, O2, AIB, Northumbria Council, Elvery Sports, O’Callaghan Hotels, Avis, Sun Microsystems, the Land Registry of Northern Ireland, and the NI Tourist Board.
I stepped back between 2008 and 2013 to focus on family, with occasional project work. When I returned full-time, I had the chance to work on some brilliant projects, with the Game of Thrones Studio Tour being a particular highlight. I now provide SEO and digital marketing mentoring through several Northern Ireland council programmes, partner with some of the top digital agencies in the region, and work with clients across the island of Ireland.
Teaching and Mentoring
I teach SEO and Paid Search at Level 4 and Level 6 for the Chartered Institute of Marketing through the North West School of Marketing. I’m also an approved Go Succeed NI mentor and Intertrade Ireland consultant, delivering SEO and digital marketing mentoring and training through council-backed business support programmes. Training now includes AI search and generative engine optimisation (GEO) as a core topic alongside traditional SEO and paid search.
I hold myself to the same standard whether I’m working with a large organisation or someone just starting out. My role is to guide and help. Sometimes I can’t quite believe I’m still doing what I started in 1999 and I still love it.
You can find out more about my background and see recommendations on my LinkedIn profile.