Inspirational Women In Digital Marketing & SEO 2020

A short list of female digital marketers and SEO’s to follow 

This list was originally created on International Women’s Day where it is customary to pause and appreciate all the exceptional things that women have done in the past, at the moment, and in the coming years.  And while IWD is a brilliant celebration, it is clear that women put in work on all days ending in ‘y’. So why not keep the praise rolling in? To that end, here’s my list of some of the most inspiring women working in Digital Marketing and SEO in 2020.

This list includes women who inspire me in SEO and digital but also includes recommendations from some of my SEO bros here at Optix Solutions. This list is in no particular order because everyone is amazing! 

The Visionary: Areej AbuAli

Arjeej AbuAli is a talented, technically minded, and seemingly fearless SEO who is the founder of 1000 strong, internationally subscribed, Women in Technical SEO Facebook Group. Though it is just a few years old, it’s grown into a serious force in the SEO industry. As well as creating safe, encouraging spaces for search minded women to compare tactics and challenges, she’s pushing the wider industry to do the same.

Since her first Brighton SEO appearance catapulted her to the world stage, she’s been asked to speak at industry events all over the world, and when she does she expects gender inclusivity. And she normally gets it. So events that normally have a handful of female speakers are now opening their doors to make the playing field more accessible. Outspoken, supportive, and incredibly smart, she is one to watch.

The Expert in Expertise: Lily Ray

Ok. Full transparency. The @lilyraynyc twitter feed is one of my main sources of SEO news. She’s there every time there is even the smallest suggestion of an algo update or an indexing adjustment.  Her timely insights and charts bring clarity and calm to the chaos. 

An experienced SEO, she speaks at industry conferences around the world giving particular insights on the value of Expertise, Authority, and Trust for ranking and succeeding on SERP. Her articles are thorough, incredibly well researched and her commitment to her craft is an example to which all SEOs should aspire.

The Open Book: Sarah Bird, CEO of Moz

Sarah Bird is someone who is incredibly accomplished, intelligent and strategically minded but also manages to be completely humble and personable.  She runs a business that is top of its field and yet finds the time to mentor other women and any humans who are new to SEO or business at large.

I find it astounding that SEO/digital was a career change for Sarah. Y’all, she originally trained and practiced international law! And her willingness to be open about the process, successes, and resilience of her business in such a competitive industry is a gift.

The Originator: Arianna Huffington, Founder of Huffington Post

Though she’s not in the public as much these days, co-founder and former Editor-In-Chief of one of the world’s top websites, Arianna Huffington has inspired me for many years. A Greek-born, Cambridge graduate, she was an accomplished writer before she started the Huffington Post in 2005. Within six years, Huffington Post was sold AOL for $315 million and she was at the head of it until 2016. She’s currently on the board at a little startup called Uber and is also the CEO at Thrive.

It is easy to look at Arianna Huffington’s stats and believe that she is unstoppable. But she is a great advocate of work-life balance. That one of digital media’s most accomplished individuals is also a champion of taking a nap, brings me nothing but hope and joy. If the future is female and well-rested, then I’m all in.

The Tactician: Cindy Krum, Founder and CEO of Mobile Moxie

Ok, I have full-blown SEO fan-girl admiration for Cindy Krum. She literally wrote the book on mobile optimisation, and her passion for this topic is unparalleled. She also contributes to some of the SEO industry’s top publications and speaks at events like Brighton SEO and shares visionary and inspired insights and methods in her webinars.

I can literally listen to her talk about mobile optimisation for hours. I have done. It was awesome.

The Influencer: Massy Arias

The Instagram age is full of influencers. Many have admirers but so the reason why Massy Arias is on my list is because of the way she built her worldwide following of 2.5 million.

She treats IG like a blog, taking up all 2000 characters on her posts. And she posts in Spanish and English to gain audiences in both communities. So she launched her app and product line, her followers responded enthusiastically. Her Jedi level engagement methods (check out @mawarriors) are a master class for businesses of any size.  And she shares her life and her passion through IG, leveraging this into partnerships and projects that reach beyond her niche.

The ones to watch…

They’re making moves and calling shots. These ladies are doing amazing things now and the coming years, we are expecting even great things.

• Britney Muller, the Senior SEO Scientist at Moz

• Sam Charles, Director at award-winning agency Float Digital.

• Kalli Soteriou, Head of Social & Content at 10 Yetis Digital

• Marie Haynes, worldwide SEO phenomenal woman

• Samantha Noble, Managing Director and Founder at Biddable Moments and the Digital Females collective.

• Kirsty Hulse Founder of Many Minds Agency

That’s my list, but who inspires you?