Beyond SEO with Growthack.io

Welcome to Beyond SEO, the podcast by Growthack.io where we explore what really drives brand growth, from search and content to data and strategy.In this first episode, Glen Chamisa sits down with Ryan Jones, Marketing Manager at SEOTesting.com, to unpack how experimentation shapes modern SEO.- Why testing matters more than ever in SEO- How AI search and LLMs are reshaping discovery- Building a testing culture inside SaaS and small teams- The balance between brand and acquisition- Lessons from running marketing for a bootstrapped SaaS00:00:00 Introduction – Beyond SEO with Growthack.io00:00:18 Guest Intro – Ryan Jones from SEOTesting.com00:01:39 The Power of Testing in SEO00:05:23 Why Most Businesses Avoid Experimentation00:06:45 How AI Search Is Changing the Game00:08:44 When and How to Test Campaigns Effectively00:10:44 Building a Testing Culture in Marketing00:11:56 Managing Time and Focus in Small SaaS Teams00:18:33 SaaS Onboarding and Retention Strategies00:18:43 Understanding the SaaS vs E-commerce Difference00:31:03 Personal Branding vs Company Branding in SaaS00:37:05 Word-of-Mouth as a Marketing Channel00:38:52 Brand vs Acquisition – Which Should You Prioritise?00:41:00 Lessons for Start-ups and Resource Management00:44:53 Core Values at SEOTesting.com00:51:44 Biggest Lessons from SaaS Marketing00:55:11 Closing Thoughts and Where to ConnectGrowthack.io specialises in building SEO systems that drive revenue by combining technical, content, data-driven insights and AI-ready strategies to help your business scale smarter. No hype. No guesswork.Award-winning SEO that helps your brand stay discoverable, trusted, and ready for what’s next.Connect with us:Growthack.io → https://blog.growthack.io/LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthackdigitalRyan Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-g-jones/SEOTesting.com → https://seotesting.comSubscribe for more conversations that go beyond rankings and into what really drives growth.#BeyondSEO #SEOTesting #SEO #SaaSMarketing #Growthack #RyanJones #SearchMarketing #Podcast #StartUps

In this episode, Glen Chamisa and Kevin Kapezi sit down with Charlie Phillips, Founder of ATOM Promos, to unpack how building the right systems can make sales more scalable, consistent and profitable.By the end of this conversation, you’ll learn:- How to build a predictable sales system that drives results - Why personality alone isn’t enough in modern sales - How LinkedIn can become your most valuable sales channel - Actionable ways to improve your sales performance and personal brand 00:00:00 Introduction – Beyond SEO with Growthack.io 00:00:22 Guest Intro – Charlie Phillips from ATOM Promos 00:02:10 Charlie’s Journey: From Sales Starter to Systems Builder 00:05:45 Habits, Consistency and Lessons from Early Career 00:10:30 Building Predictable Sales Systems 00:14:50 Scaling Ethan Golding’s Coaching Business from $20K to $75K/month 00:19:15 The Difference Between Top Performers and Strugglers 00:24:00 What Makes an Effective Sales Process 00:28:20 Creating Structure and Consistency in Sales 00:33:10 Process vs Personality – The Truth About Sales Success 00:37:25 How to Build Confidence and Communicate Better 00:41:10 The Modern Sales Mindset – What’s Changed 00:45:00 The Salesperson as Consultant and Problem Solver 00:48:20 Balancing Persistence with Empathy 00:51:45 Common Misconceptions About Sales Today 00:54:10 LinkedIn and Personal Branding for Sales Professionals 00:56:45 Creating Trust-Driven Content That Converts 00:59:10 Measuring ROI and Building a Strong Online Presence 01:01:00 Closing Thoughts and Where to ConnectGrowthack.io specialises in building SEO systems that drive revenue by combining technical, content, data-driven insights and AI-ready strategies to help your business scale smarter. No hype. No guesswork. Award-winning SEO that helps your brand stay discoverable, trusted, and ready for what’s next.Connect with us:Growthack.io → https://blog.growthack.io/ Charlie Phillips → https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-p/Glen Chamisa → https://www.linkedin.com/in/glen-chamisa/Kevin Kapezi → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkapezi/ #BeyondSEO #SalesSystems #LinkedInMarketing #Growthack #CharliePhillips #ATOMPromos #SalesTraining #PersonalBranding #B2BMarketing #PredictableGrowth

Glen⁠ and ⁠Kevin⁠ sit down with ⁠Azeem Ahmad,⁠ international marketing speaker and strategy director of ⁠Reflect Digital⁠, to unpack what it really takes to build B2B brands that people remember.By the end of this conversation, you’ll learn:- How brand building works differently in B2B compared to B2C- How to balance short-term performance with long-term brand growth- Why creativity and emotion still matter in “boring” B2B industries- How to build trust, community, and human connection in your marketing- The skills and mindset that define the next generation of B2B marketers00:00:00 Introduction00:00:16 Guest Intro – Azeem Ahmad (Azeem Digital)00:01:18 Azeem’s Background and Career Journey00:03:15 Challenges and Wins in Global B2B Marketing00:04:26 Internal Communication and Leadership Challenges00:07:34 Dealing with Egos and Navigating Politics in B2B00:09:26 The Role of Good Managers and Empowering Teams00:14:33 Integrity, Data, and Speaking the Truth in Business00:16:23 Moving from In-House to Agency – Lessons Learned00:20:21 Continuous Learning and Staying Uncomfortable00:26:02 Seeing the Bigger Picture Beyond One Channel00:31:00 From Specialist to Strategic Leader – Confidence and Delegation00:38:06 Public Speaking and Representation in Marketing00:43:11 Overcoming Fear and Finding Your Voice on Stage00:49:49 Why B2B Marketing is Seen as “Boring” and How to Fix It00:52:10 Letting Customers Go to Build Trust00:55:03 The Rise of Creativity and Human-Centred B2B Brands00:56:52 Learning from B2C and Adding a Human Face to B2B01:01:09 Future Skills and Mindsets for the Next Generation of Marketers01:06:02 Exciting Projects – The “Search Pulse” Report01:11:12 Trust, AI, and Changing Search Behaviour01:13:53 Where to Connect with Azeem01:15:02 Outro – Subscribe and Connect with Growthack.ioSearch Pulse Report here: https://searchpulse.reflectdigital.co.uk/Growthack.io specialises in building SEO systems that drive revenue by combining technical, content, data-driven insights and AI-ready strategies to help your business scale smarter. No hype. No guesswork.Award-winning SEO that helps your brand stay discoverable, trusted, and ready for what’s next.Connect with us:Growthack.io → https://blog.growthack.io/Azeem Ahmad → https://www.linkedin.com/in/azeema1/Glen Chamisa → https://www.linkedin.com/in/glen-chamisa/Kevin Kapezi → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkapezi/#BeyondSEO #Growthack #AzeemAhmad #AzeemDigital #B2BMarketing #BrandBuilding #PerformanceMarketing #MarketingPodcast #DigitalMarketing #B2BBranding #MarketingStrategy #LinkedInMarketing #GlenChamisa #KevinKapezi

What does success really mean in business and life? In this bonus episode with Charlie Phillips, we kept the camera rolling and the mics live for this more personal conversation, which was supposed to be off the record!Charlie explores what truly motivates him, his dad, and how he inspired him to become an entrepreneur from an early age, as well as why entrepreneurs need to maintain a positive mindset around money.00:00 Intro – Bonus Episode with Charlie00:21 The “Bars of Gold” Mindset & Comparison Trap01:23 Money, Success and the Fulfilment Gap02:26 Happiness vs Fulfilment – Internal vs External Drivers03:33 Purpose, Fatherhood and Staying Grounded05:11 The Mountain Analogy – Finding Alignment in Business07:21 Saying No, Client Fit and the 10K Ceiling09:49 Revenue vs Profit – Why Charlie Went Solo12:26 Investing in Yourself – Mentors, Mindset and SNME15:40 Money Mindset, Confidence and Need vs Want18:18 Desperation in Decision Making19:17 Outro – Where to Find Charlie and GrowthackIf you'd like to see the previous conversation, tune in to EP02: LinkedIn as a Sales Engine: Systems, Branding & ROI.Growthack.io specialises in building SEO systems that drive revenue by combining technical, content, data-driven insights and AI-ready strategies to help your business scale smarter. No hype. No guesswork.Award-winning SEO that helps your brand stay discoverable, trusted, and ready for what’s next.Connect with us:Growthack.io → https://blog.growthack.io/Charlie Phillips → https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-p/Glen Chamisa → https://www.linkedin.com/in/glen-chamisa/Kevin Kapezi → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkapezi/#BeyondSEO #successmindset #personalgrowth #Growthack #CharliePhillips #personaldevelopment #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset #businessgrowth #businesssuccess

What’s really changing in SEO right now?In this internal episode of Beyond SEO, Kevin, Glen and Sarif take you inside Growthack to break down the technical work, strategic thinking and data challenges shaping modern SEO.From website migrations and data integrity to server-side tracking and the impact of AI on search, this episode shows how Growthack approaches SEO differently — and why brands are shifting away from the traditional agency model.If you want an honest, practical look at how a specialist team executes, this is it.What you’ll learn in this episode:- Why migrations are becoming one of the most critical SEO services- How broken or missing tracking is costing brands growth- Why AI is exposing weaknesses in brand, content, CRO and CRM- How data integrity and server-side tracking change decision-making- Why Growthack’s agile model outperforms traditional agencies- What “good-fit clients” look like (and who Growthack avoids)- How SEO links with brand, paid, CRO, PR and email in 2025- Why transparency, detail and communication matter more than everChapters00:00 – Intro: Beyond SEO with Growthack.io00:18 – Meet the team: Kevin & Sarif introductions01:20 – What we’re working on now & AI disruption01:46 – Why migrations are a core focus at Growthack03:30 – Reporting, analytics & making sense of AI-era data04:52 – “Your data is a mess” – data chaos, AI & the need for clean inputs05:39 – Server-side tracking and why it’s so complex (but necessary)06:11 – Fix your brand, product & fundamentals before chasing AI07:33 – Why clients really choose Growthack (and our best-fit client profile)10:27 – Small enough to care, big enough experience: the anti–big agency model11:06 – UK awards nights & competing with larger agencies12:38 – Client feedback: easy to work with, quality, and retention15:02 – Transparency, calling out bad data & not hiding issues from clients17:00 – How we approach growth “beyond SEO” (brand, audience, outcomes)18:07 – Case study: elementsuite, content planning & brand-aligned SEO21:19 – Unified marketing: SEO, email, paid, CRO and social working together23:47 – What a good-fit Growthack client looks like & using specialist partners24:53 – “It’s all connected” – closing thoughts25:18 – Call to action for eCommerce & B2B brands looking for growthWork with GrowthackWe help eCommerce and B2B brands improve technical SEO, fix data issues, navigate migrations and unlock sustainable growth.We only take on clients who fit our specialist model.Get in touch: https://www.growthack.io#SEO#TechnicalSEO#AISearch#SearchMarketing#DigitalMarketing#WebsiteMigration#DataAnalytics#ServerSideTracking#FutureOfSearch#Growthack#BeyondSEO#SEOTips#MarketingTrends#EcommerceSEO#B2BMarketing

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 episode1. How Growthack started in 2020 during lockdown while Kevin was still at Experian2. The story behind the Growthack name, branding, and first website3. How Sarif joined as a 6-week intern and ended up creating his own role4. Why real client work matters more than just “learning SEO” in theory5. How content strategy at Growthack goes beyond “traffic” and into commercial value6. Why SEO is 30–40% technical and 60–70% communication7. How working across B2B, eCommerce and SaaS accelerates learning8. Why Growthack is built as a platform for self-development, not just a job00:00 – Intro: Welcome to Beyond SEO with Growthack00:18 – Growthack’s 5th Year Anniversary & Team Reflections01:02 – From Solo Consultant to Specialist SEO Team02:06 – Sarif’s Journey: Joining Growthack in Early 202203:14 – How Growthack Started in 2020 (Experian, lockdown, side projects)04:09 – Choosing the Name “Growthack” & DIY Branding04:57 – Sarif’s Internship: Design, Content & Rebuilding the Website06:00 – From Intern to Junior Exec: Doing “a bit of everything”07:02 – Learning SEO via YouTube + Real Client Work08:20 – Moving into a Strategic Role & Owning Content09:45 – Content Beyond Traffic: Commercial Value & ROI11:00 – Why Real Conversations with Clients Shape Strategy12:15 – Working Across B2B, eCommerce & SaaS (and why it matters)13:06 – “It Depends”: Industry, context & hard conversations in reporting13:35 – You Can’t Learn SEO Without Doing It14:35 – Why Kevin Hired Sarif: Initiative, Websites & Freelance Work15:35 – Sarif’s Background: From Bangladesh to the UK & Choosing Marketing17:05 – Discovering SEO as an Introvert-Friendly Path (then realising it’s not just “behind a laptop”)18:02 – SEO as Football: Technical vs Positioning & Communication18:13 – Kevin: Technical SEO is 30–40%, Communication is 60–70%19:21 – Building SEOs Who Can Sit in the Room with CMOs & Brand Leads20:05 – University vs Real-World Experience in Marketing20:45 – The Self-Development Piece: Why Growthack Exists22:00 – Growthack as a Platform to Create Your Role23:41 – How the Business Has Changed: Kevin Doing Everything → Real Team24:56 – Glen & Sarif Taking Ownership, Freeing Kevin to Work on the Business25:32 – Sarif Now: Full Lifecycle Ownership of Client Content27:00 – Taking Responsibility & Fixing Problems Before Clients See Them28:09 – Closing Thoughts & 5-Year Reflection28:25 – Follow the Podcast & Get in Touch

In Episode 6 of Beyond SEO, Glen Chamisa sits down with Founder Kevin Kapezi and SEO Strategist Sarif Sarker to explore the future of Growthack, from moving beyond a one-man consultancy to building a small, senior “special forces” SEO team.Together they break down:1. Why long-term 5-year plans don’t make sense in 2025. 2. The shift from consultant → leader. 3. How a lean expert team can outperform larger agencies. 4. The differences between B2B and eCommerce SEO. 5. What Growthack wants to achieve in the next five years. 6. Why specialist-led client relationships work better than account management layers.If you’re a CMO, marketing leader or senior SEO looking to understand how small teams scale impact — this is the episode.00:00 – Introduction 00:20 – Meet Kevin & Sarif 01:40 – Why 5-year plans don’t work anymore 02:20 – Growthack’s next 6–12 months 03:00 – From consultant to specialist team 04:30 – Technical, content and strategic roles 05:15 – Why specialists should stay client-facing 06:50 – What excites the team about the future 08:00 – “If you want to go far, go together” 09:00 – Kevin’s mindset shift from doing → leading 11:00 – Advice for SEOs wanting to hire their first team member 13:00 – Sarif: The impact of a proper team structure 14:30 – B2B vs eCommerce SEO 16:30 – Why B2B is more interesting than people think 18:00 – Patience + buying cycles in B2B 19:10 – Glen: Why Growthack can compete with bigger agencies 20:00 – Recent client wins & performance stories 21:00 – How Growthack builds trust with clients 22:00 – What Growthack wants to be saying in 5 years 24:00 – Final thoughts & how to get in touch Work with GrowthackWe help eCommerce and B2B brands improve technical SEO, fix data issues, navigate migrations and unlock sustainable growth.We only take on clients who fit our specialist model.Get in touch: https://www.growthack.io#growthack #BeyondSEO #SEOpodcast #SEOcareers #technicalSEO #contentstrategy #SEOteam #B2BSEO #ecommerceSEO #digitalmarketing #agencylife #SEOfuture