Meet the Team: Jee
Niamh O'Higgins
Content Specialist
Posted: 16 Jan 2025
SEO Specialist Jee has been working her magic at Optimising for some time now, and we’ve finally had the opportunity to sit down and find out more about what got her here!
Let's jump straight in!
How did you get into SEO?
Like a lot of us here, I didn’t grow up wanting to be an SEO Specialist, it wasn’t even really a job I knew existed. I decided to pursue accounting when I started uni, but I discovered pretty quickly that it wasn’t for me, so I left that and took a gap semester to figure things out. It was around then that I started looking into digital marketing, drop shipping, and other things in the industry. During that time, I set up a WordPress account that I could play around with and write blogs, using basic SEO to gain exposure without shoving ads in people’s faces. After that semester off, I switched to a degree in communications and media studies because I felt it went hand-in-hand with the content side of SEO that I enjoyed. It was a low-hours degree, so I continued playing around with SEO in my spare time. As part of my course, I did a 3 month internship which exposed me to so many aspects of digital marketing. I did a second internship at a non-profit, and then a third one which is where my career started.
Then, I got a full time job offer straight out of uni and worked there in a coordinator role for over 2 years. I did everything from creating landing pages and looking at keywords to writing blog posts, and I was exposed to heaps of different industries.
It was bittersweet to move on from it and I owe the team there a lot, but it was time, so I went to my next agency. It was the first time I had my own set of clients which was a welcome change of pace, and there was a pretty steep learning curve in terms of SEO and project management. After a while, the time came to move on to somewhere new.
I’m guessing that’s how you came to Optimising?
Yep! While working at that second agency, I met two other SEOs who eventually moved to Optimising, and they told me everything I wanted to hear about it as a workplace. When the time came to switch things up, I saw a job ad posted so I got chatting to James. I thought that if two people I knew of had come here, there must be something good to it!
You mentioned that you didn’t grow up wanting to work in SEO (crazy). When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I really wanted to be an animation artist, I’ve always loved Disney, but the old school stuff. I don’t like the modern 3D animations as much. The combination of art, creativity, and storytelling is something that I’ve always admired - I guess it makes sense why I like content so much.
I also thought it would be cool to be a voice artist… I think I just really liked cartoons!
Does that mean you're pretty good at art?
I drew, painted, sketched, and took art classes as a kid. When I look back now, it’s unfortunate that I let it go as I went through high school and uni. I’ve always had an appreciation for claymation, too, especially Pingu and Wallace and Gromit!
I looked into different courses, but it’s a tough industry, so I decided against pursuing it.
I love asking people if they have any hidden talents, but I guess art is probably yours?
I wish - I probably wouldn’t be here if that was my hidden talent!
What was your first paying job?
I worked in my parent’s restaurant as a waitress while I took a break during my first year of uni - they knew I had the free time! There were 10 hour shifts with lunch rushes that had a line back as far as the door, so it would get pretty insane. It was super fast-paced and I was on my feet all day, which made me realise that I needed a long-term job where I could sit down!
Now that you’ve got your office job, what’s your favourite thing about our in-person days?
I never knew how much I would love coming into the office until I started at Optimising. The support that you feel here genuinely makes me look forward to office days. Even on super stressful days, it’s still worthwhile coming into the office for the atmosphere. I also really appreciate the initiative and effort that’s put into doing extracurriculars like bonding events and yoga. Not to mention the days when Millie the dog comes in! Everyone really just gets along personally as well as professionally.
I’ve heard you mention around the office recently that you’re in a book club- what’s your favourite book?
I don’t really have a favourite one, but I did really enjoy Pachinko.
It’s by a Korean-American author, and I’ve been interested in learning more about my culture, so in that way it was really interesting. It’s probably one of the best books I’ve read so far because it spans over several generations, and touches on the struggles people had to face in each. It really conveys the knock on effect from earlier generations and then throughout history, and you see how we’re all connected.
The Midnight Library is another great one, you really can’t go wrong with it!
So now that we know a bit about you and how you came to be in SEO, how would you describe your job in one word?
I don’t think there’s just one word for it! Maybe something along the lines of all-round… even though that’s two? I’m across a lot of processes and I get to do different things at Optimising, which I love!
Niamh O'Higgins
Content Specialist
From Dublin to Melbourne, Niamh has taken her content journey international. After gaining her degree in Linguistics and dabbling in some other European languages, she decided English was where she could use her words best. Completing a Diploma in Marketing, Advertising, and E-Commerce, and adding a splash of Project Management on the side, Niamh dove into the world of content writing, and hasn’t looked back since.
When she isn’t in the Optimising office having coffee and a treat, she can often be found in South Yarra, having coffee and a treat. She’s also partial to some pilates, a gym class, or an evening stroll (if the Melbourne weather permits).
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