The exceptional expertise and experience of our Paid Media and Search department is growing and so is our team. We’re excited to introduce another valuable team player into our marketing mix. Welcome, Gary Billington!
‘Gaz’ became a part of StrategiQ’s SEO team in June 2023 as a Technical SEO Manager. With a solid foundation in website performance on and off the page, his knowledge really helps push website ROI and technical accuracy to new levels.
We sat down with Gary to learn a little more about his career path to date and what brought him to StrategiQ…
So, Gary, tell us a little bit about your background.
Well, I was just a little lad born in the North of England, with only coal, cobbled streets and broken dreams to play with… (cue the Hovis music – might have to explain that for the younger members!).
After completing college, I looked to move to Ipswich for a university education. Once I got over how flat it was down here, with less rain and stunning coastal walks, I was hooked on Suffolk so I’ve stayed here ever since.
I’ve always had a passion for design and making things from a young age. I ditched the colouring books just after university to kick start my career in tech after picking up the website bug working for an online e-commerce site at a backstreet Norwich warehouse.
Shortly after this, I moved on to work for one of the largest UK holiday rental companies. It was a big change for me and gave me access to a captive audience of millions of holidaymakers to showcase my design skills and help users find their perfect holiday.
Quickly moving up the ranks, my design and usability skills improved the YOY visitors by over 107% and increased conversion by 1.4%. Heading up my own team helped me progress into the world of search engine optimisation and technical SEO more specifically. I knew this was going to be my future passion and spent years honing my craft.
What made you want to come to StrategiQ?
The StrategiQ team did a great job of marketing to me! I had been served a lot of content from across the team on my LinkedIn feed. When it came to looking for my next career move, they were at the forefront of my mind and seemed like a young, dynamic, and great company to be a part of; offering the breadth of work that appeals to my skill set.
What are you most excited about in your new role at StrategiQ?
Pushing the boundaries of what I know and what’s possible. With SEO, the landscape and tools are always changing – and so should we! I think StrategiQ seems like a place where you are nurtured to do just that.
I also look forward to embracing the change in pace and the needs of bigger clients and projects.
What’s something you’d say you’re exceptionally good at?
I am an extremely keen and passionate individual with a hawk eye for detail. I’m always trying to help people out, no matter my experience level, and muck in where possible. I have really good general knowledge and I think my overall friendly demeanour makes me a really good coach to colleagues and clients.
What’s the best part of working agency-side for you?
I’ve been working in B2B website commerce for over 15 years now and I still get a real buzz from seeing strategy and designs coming to life. Being at the forefront of the creation of an idea and taking a plain page through to a fully formed working idea that can be actioned still gets me out of bed in the morning! There’s nothing better than knowing your work and talent makes a real difference.
Moving away from all the business talk – tell us what a perfect day off would look like to you!
I would probably be found mountain climbing, at a festival or comedy gig. I love to spend my spare time with my three young children, friends, and extended family, so anything that generally sees me being out and about.
I am mad about design and building and have recently been getting my fix by single-handedly doing up my new home – so spare time is short these days!
What is the best way to approach you?
I’ll talk about anything with anybody and truly foster a friendly, open-door communication policy. If you want to get me going, I love to watch and play snooker – why not ask me about that?
Interested in being the next addition to the StrategiQ team? Explore our current vacancies here.