The Search for Osprey’s SEO Champion
Osprey came to us with an exciting challenge: hire the first dedicated SEO specialist in the business. Somebody capable of taking genuine ownership of organic Search across a global eCommerce brand, and not just inheriting an established SEO function.
They needed someone who could come in, take ownership of the SEO strategy and become the internal authority on Organic Search. They would have to be spreading their work across technical SEO, onsite optimisation, content and off-page.
They didn’t necessarily need to be the world’s greatest practitioner across every individual discipline but have the technical understanding to know what good looked like, build a balanced strategy and make sure it was executed properly.
And because SEO was untapped territory for them, their ability to influence people was going to be every bit as important as their ability to influence Google.
- eCommerce
The Client
- eCommerce
Osprey is a globally recognised outdoor brand, best known for its backpacks, travel packs and outdoor equipment.
With a strong international eCommerce presence and products sold around the world, Organic Search represented an important field in their fight to grow their digital presence.
Until this point, however, SEO hadn’t had a dedicated internal owner.
They wanted to change that by bringing the discipline in-house for the first time, hiring somebody who could establish a clear global strategy, work across the wider organisation to execute it and manage its existing agency relationship from an informed position.
This meant their first SEO hire needed to be a particularly well-rounded one.
The Challenge
The challenge was finding someone who could become Osprey’s SEO expert – technically strong, commercially minded and confident working with senior stakeholders.
They needed to own a global SEO strategy across technical SEO, onsite optimisation, content and off-page activity, while knowing where to use internal teams and Osprey’s external agency. They had to set priorities, challenge recommendations and take ownership of performance without needing to execute everything themselves.
As the first SEO specialist in the business, they also needed to influence teams across the organisation, communicate SEO clearly to non-specialists and present confidently to C-suite stakeholders.
Managing the external agency was another key part of the role, requiring the knowledge and confidence to challenge, direct and get the best from a specialist partner.
We weren’t just looking for a great SEO. We were looking for someone who could become Osprey’s SEO champion.
How We Got to Work
We started by scoping the market for SEOs with proven eCommerce experience, prioritising candidates who had worked across multiple international markets.
We identified 25 strong potential candidates, then assessed them beyond job titles and company names. We looked for evidence of the rounded expertise Osprey needed – from technical SEO, content and onsite strategy to off-page SEO – alongside the ability to bring these disciplines together into a coherent global strategy.
Stakeholder management was equally important. Candidates needed to influence senior decision-makers, communicate SEO effectively across the business and confidently manage Osprey’s external agency.
From the initial 25, we narrowed the field to five candidates who genuinely matched the brief.
The Result
Of the five candidates we put forward, Melissa Wong was ultimately the successful hire.
Melissa brought a strong eCommerce SEO background, including experience with major international brands such as The Body Shop. She had the technical depth and strategic breadth to take ownership of Osprey’s SEO function, while also having the confidence to challenge recommendations and prioritise activity.
Her agency experience was particularly valuable. Having worked on both sides, she understood how to manage external partners, communicate effectively with stakeholders and get the best from Osprey’s agency.
For a business hiring its first dedicated SEO specialist, Melissa offered exactly the combination of expertise, strategic thinking and stakeholder ability the role required.
From 25 initial candidates to five carefully selected finalists, we ultimately helped Osprey appoint its first dedicated SEO specialist.
A Successful Hire From Both Sides
What the client had to say
I would recommend James Congdon. His specialist knowledge was particularly impressive and gave me confidence throughout the process. I also appreciated his flexible approach and willingness to listen to and act on feedback, which made working with him both effective and enjoyable.
Facing a similar hiring challenge?
We specialise in recruitment across SEO & AEO, Paid Media, Digital PR, Growth Marketing, eCommerce and SaaS Marketing.
Results That Speak For Themselves
A selection of successful hires and long-term partnerships across the digital marketing industry.
- Agencies
From the UK to the Gold Coast
Edge Marketing is an Australian marketing agency on the Gold Coast.
Co-founder Rohan Dwyer was looking for a Head of SEO who could take ownership of the agency’s SEO department, shape its SEO proposition and drive the service line forward.
- Agencies
Seven Years. 17 Hires. One Future MD.
Reboot is an independent digital marketing agency specialising in Search, Digital PR and Paid Media.
Our relationship with the agency developed over seven years, meaning we were able to support the business as its hiring requirements evolved.
That included finding specialist practitioners across SEO and Paid Media, commercial Growth hires and, eventually, senior leaders capable of taking significant responsibility for the direction and operation of the agency.
As the business grew, the hires became increasingly strategic.
Two searches in particular would ultimately help shape Reboot’s senior leadership team: Director of Growth and Director of Operations.
- Agencies
Putting a Leader Behind Mediavision’s Growth
Mediavision is an established independent digital agency, working with ambitious brands across Search and digital performance.
Having built a successful agency and strong client base over more than a decade, the business was ready to put greater senior ownership around growth.
Until this point, responsibility for winning new business and growing the agency had been shared across the senior team. The next stage required someone who could take proper ownership of it.
This wasn’t simply about hiring a salesperson.
Mediavision wanted someone who could work across the entire agency, bringing together sales, new business, marketing, positioning and brand visibility into a coherent growth strategy.
- eCommerce
Finding an SEO Who Speaks Sneaker
The Sole Supplier is one of the UK’s leading footwear and streetwear platforms, helping sneaker fans discover the latest releases, news and trends from some of the biggest brands in the world.
The business has grown significantly, building a highly engaged audience alongside a team with a genuine passion for the space.
That culture was particularly important to them.
This isn’t a business where people simply happen to work in footwear and streetwear. The team genuinely lives and breathes the product outside of work, and preserving that as the company grows is a major priority.
SEO was already an important acquisition channel and The Sole Supplier had an external agency supporting its activity. The next step was to bring somebody senior enough in-house to take proper ownership of the channel.
- eCommerce
Five Years. One Trusted Partner.
Founded in 1810, Heal’s is one of Britain’s most iconic furniture and interior design brands. For the past five years, we’ve partnered with Head of eCommerce Mark Hammond, supporting the growth of his digital team through specialist hires across eCommerce, performance marketing and design.
- Agencies
Taking the Weight Off the Founder
Tacomi is a specialist Search agency with deep expertise across SEO, technical SEO and the evolving AEO landscape.
We had already been working with founder Chad Conlon and the team when they approached us about one of the most important hires they were about to make to date.
The agency was already operating at a very high technical level, but Chad remained heavily involved in the day-to-day. The next stage of growth required someone senior enough to take genuine ownership from him, without compromising the quality of work that had helped Tacomi build its reputation.
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