In this special 5-year anniversary episode of Beyond SEO, Glen (Host & Technical Lead) sits down with Kevin (Founder of Growthack) and Sarif (SEO Strategist) to look back at how Growthack went from a solo consultancy to a specialist SEO team working with leading B2B and eCommerce brands.
You’ll hear how Growthack started in 2020 while Kevin was still at Experian, why he chose to focus on smaller, high-impact clients, and how the Growthack brand, name and website were pulled together at the very beginning.
We also walk through Sarif’s full journey – from arriving in the UK, taking a chance on a marketing path, and joining Growthack as a content intern in early 2022… to becoming a full-time SEO Strategist owning content process, client communication, and commercial outcomes.
If you’re interested in SEO careers, building an agency, or how people actually grow inside a small specialist team, this episode is for you.
What you’ll learn in this episode
1. How Growthack started in 2020 during lockdown while Kevin was still at Experian
2. The story behind the Growthack name, branding, and first website
3. How Sarif joined as a 6-week intern and ended up creating his own role
4. Why real client work matters more than just “learning SEO” in theory
5. How content strategy at Growthack goes beyond “traffic” and into commercial value
6. Why SEO is 30–40% technical and 60–70% communication
7. How working across B2B, eCommerce and SaaS accelerates learning
8. Why Growthack is built as a platform for self-development, not just a job
00:00 – Intro: Welcome to Beyond SEO with Growthack
00:18 – Growthack’s 5th Year Anniversary & Team Reflections
01:02 – From Solo Consultant to Specialist SEO Team
02:06 – Sarif’s Journey: Joining Growthack in Early 2022
03:14 – How Growthack Started in 2020 (Experian, lockdown, side projects)
04:09 – Choosing the Name “Growthack” & DIY Branding
04:57 – Sarif’s Internship: Design, Content & Rebuilding the Website
06:00 – From Intern to Junior Exec: Doing “a bit of everything”
07:02 – Learning SEO via YouTube + Real Client Work
08:20 – Moving into a Strategic Role & Owning Content
09:45 – Content Beyond Traffic: Commercial Value & ROI
11:00 – Why Real Conversations with Clients Shape Strategy
12:15 – Working Across B2B, eCommerce & SaaS (and why it matters)
13:06 – “It Depends”: Industry, context & hard conversations in reporting
13:35 – You Can’t Learn SEO Without Doing It
14:35 – Why Kevin Hired Sarif: Initiative, Websites & Freelance Work
15:35 – Sarif’s Background: From Bangladesh to the UK & Choosing Marketing
17:05 – Discovering SEO as an Introvert-Friendly Path (then realising it’s not just “behind a laptop”)
18:02 – SEO as Football: Technical vs Positioning & Communication
18:13 – Kevin: Technical SEO is 30–40%, Communication is 60–70%
19:21 – Building SEOs Who Can Sit in the Room with CMOs & Brand Leads
20:05 – University vs Real-World Experience in Marketing
20:45 – The Self-Development Piece: Why Growthack Exists
22:00 – Growthack as a Platform to Create Your Role
23:41 – How the Business Has Changed: Kevin Doing Everything → Real Team
24:56 – Glen & Sarif Taking Ownership, Freeing Kevin to Work on the Business
25:32 – Sarif Now: Full Lifecycle Ownership of Client Content
27:00 – Taking Responsibility & Fixing Problems Before Clients See Them
28:09 – Closing Thoughts & 5-Year Reflection
28:25 – Follow the Podcast & Get in Touch
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