Will Gary, SEO Director at Market My Market, brings a competitive spirit and passion to everything he does. His path here wasn’t a straight line, and that’s part of what makes his perspective so compelling. With a background in economics, philosophy, manufacturing, and digital marketing, Will approaches SEO as a constantly evolving puzzle. It’s that mix of curiosity, drive, and the need to always improve that’s helped him grow into a leadership role and keeps him energized by the work.
As he approaches his one-year mark with MMM, Will is focused on sharpening how the team operates while continuing to push what’s possible. His direct and honest communication and thought leadership go beyond the workplace. When he’s logged off, his competitive spirit doesn’t slow down, whether he’s spending time with family, coaching multiple of his son’s sports teams, or playing video games. That same balance of focus and fun shows up in how he leads, making his voice one worth listening to as the team looks ahead.
What’s Your Background?
I started at Frances Marion University on a baseball scholarship and then transferred to Lander University in Greenwood. I played baseball there until I destroyed my ankle on a skateboard. I have a degree in economics and a minor in philosophy. Then, I spent about 10 years in manufacturing doing procurement and inventory management. In 2017, I did a digital marketing internship and have since been fully invested in it. I got a job at another marketing agency that worked almost exclusively in legal, and I have learned and grown through the ranks since then.
What Drew You to SEO After Studying Economics and Philosophy?
There’s a certain amount of human behavior involved in SEO and understanding how people interact with things. I’m a pretty competitive person and can get bored with things if they aren’t constantly challenging me. That’s my favorite thing about SEO. It’s always changing and evolving, and I firmly believe you can never truly master it. My personality and love for solving problems, learning, and keeping up with continuous change fit well with SEO.
What Have Been the Most Rewarding and Challenging Aspects of Your Role at MMM?
The most rewarding part has been working with our awesome team. Everyone here cares and wants to help the company and clients grow and improve. The constant growth is super fulfilling as we almost always try to reinvent how we do things. But I would also say that’s been the most challenging thing. We have been trying to get the most out of AI beyond basic data analysis and content writing by taking a more comprehensive approach. The sheer volume of clients we’re working with can be challenging, too, but in the end, the progress we have made with AI tools has been equally challenging and rewarding.
Looking Ahead, What Are Your Goals for Yourself as an SEO Director and for the SEO Team as a Whole?
For me specifically, I want to see us continue to improve our processes and implementation speed-wise, and work to get more of a standardized process for everyone, from signing a proposal to getting a website built and launched. This goes hand-in-hand with retention. Our sales team works really hard, so I want to make sure we retain those clients and deliver great results.
I would also like to improve our reporting to clients and more clearly convey to them the value of our services rather than having to rely on numbers. We’ve come a long way with our onboarding process, but we still have room for improvement in delivering a better first six months to new clients overall.
You Coach Four of Your Son’s Sports Teams! Is There Any Overlap Between Coaching and Working in SEO?
The main thing is being an effective communicator and providing constructive criticism in a way that people respond well to. While the communication style might be different, everyone likes to hear that they did a good job, and being honest and direct can help them get better. Also, I think if you can keep a kid focused, you can do the same with adults.
What Advice Do You Have for Those New to SEO or Other Professionals Who Want to Achieve What You Have?
It may sound cliché, but find an aspect of SEO you truly enjoy doing that fits your personality and dive into it. A primary driver of my success here has been my genuine love for SEO and its ever-changing, problem-solving nature. If you love SEO but don’t necessarily want to get deep into the weeds, maybe try account management or client communication. Because SEO is something I enjoy doing, I have been able to grow and advance quickly in this space.
You also can’t be afraid to fail. So much of SEO is having ideas and trying them, knowing they may not work out. But at least we took a shot and keep looking for ways to improve. I despise the “this is how we’ve always done it” mentality because you’re never able to learn and get better if you’re repeating the same process over and over. While process is a big part of successful SEO, we start every big project with a new approach to pursue the best option possible.
