About Me

This is Andrea Motta, an active SEO professional, who built up his long-standing career in the United Kingdom. Welcome to my blog!

I moved to England in 2012 to complete my Master’s degree in journalism.

The plan was to stay till the end of my degree but guess what? I ended up living and working in the UK for 10 years.

Life is unpredictable and beautiful – this experience didn’t let me go empty-handed, as I came back after a decade with some brand new skills, a profession, a wife and 2 kids – not bad, right?

Now let’s skip to the beginning of how Andrea Motta became an SEO professional.

My beginnings in Sicily

After completing my bachelor’s degree in International Communications and earning an Italian press membership card, I started my professional career as a sports journalist and was fortunate enough to interview some amazing personalities of the football world like the current manager of Atletico Madrid, Diego Simeone.

I also had the luck to work with local newspapers and radios, which allowed me to follow Calcio Catania, an Italian football club based in my hometown, Catania, in Sicily.

Later on, I flew to the United Kingdom for the start of my revolutionary journey!

The move to England

The shift from 40 degree Celsius summers of Catania to the heavily humid weather of Birmingham was the least favourite part of my move to the UK. However, Birmingham was going to be my home for my next year or so, as I came to pursue my Master’s Degree in International Journalism at Birmingham City University.

After completing the degree, I realised this couldn’t be the end of my journey in England and moved to London, home to some of the most inspirational and innovative companies in the world…

London: the land of talent and opportunities

Here in London, I faced with all the challenges of a freshly graduated student. Unaware of British culture, where experience matters more than academic qualifications, I thought I would easily get a job with a degree from the UK. I was wrong!

So what did I do to gain that experience? At night, I worked as a receptionist in a West London hotel.

My mornings were sleepless too, as I found myself working as a freelance journalist. Ahh my long lost passion! Back at it again.

Then, I had the opportunity to experience life at the Guardian’s Sports Desk, supporting the editorial staff on a variety of tasks, including writing (and optimising) articles for the online version of the newspaper and assisting on the recording of the Football Weekly podcast.

This internship gave me an insight into what the digital world looks like at a media giant and clearly, I was thrilled. This experience led me to pursue SEO as a full-time job.

I joined the agency world, working throughout a vast array of industries as well as internal and external stakeholders, which helped me build upon my skills and improve my CV.

Agencies often make you a one-man show, taking care of everything from account management to paid ads, email and social media marketing.

I didn’t mind that at all! But SEO became my real passion.

Bournemouth: territory of Digital Marketing & Web Design Agencies

Yess! It was again time I packed my bags and moved from London to Bournemouth, a pleasant coastal town located in southern England. You might call it a stretch – however Bournemouth is known as the silicon valley of the United Kingdom, for its packed environment of startups and web agencies.

It was the place where I started building my family with my wife – whom I met a few years back in London -, we bought our first house and welcomed our first child. Then, the COVID-19 outbreak started, dramatically changing our sense of self.

Here is an interview about Brexit that I granted to The Breaker, the official newspaper of the University of Bournemouth.

Remote Work is the way

During the first lockdown, I had recently changed my job. A new agency, a different working environment and a team of executives to coordinate, while facing the challenge of working from home for the first time, due to the pandemic. Quite challenging, wasn’t it?

Was I able to cope with the new remote working style? Surprisingly, yes, it ended up benefiting me in several ways (and I am not the only one: according to a recent study, 82% of employees today prefer to work from home).

It gave me that pinch of courage that I had been waiting for a few years: to undertake a career completely remotely, leaving my comfort zone and go back home to Sicily, convincing my wife that living in the south of Italy is not so bad.

The so-called South Working can be a great opportunity for us and the territory. With passing times and pandemics slowing down, it’s nice to see that many now, including the company I currently work for as a Senior SEO Manager, prefer a fully remote approach.

Why this blog?

Just like any other medium, blogging can act as a powerful tool when used wisely. So, I want to jot down my experience and share my reflection and notes through words on this platform with the digital world.

What is the driving force behind opening this space? To inspire others and even myself.

As I find myself getting motivated and inspired by someone’s words often. Hoping to do the same!

If you wish to invite me to your events or conferences, just fill out a form from the Contact Me section and we can have a direct chat about it. Looking forward to hearing from you!