Chillibyte Have a Rising Star: UK Search Awards

Whilst we value all our team members as, when recognition goes beyond our clients and colleagues, we know we must be doing something right!

Our very own Dora the Explorer (this will become apparent soon) known by everyone else as Anja Dolphin, was recently nominated for an SEO Rising Star award at the 2022 UK Search Awards. Arguably the most prestigious of industry awards, to see one of our own reach the final is something everyone at Chillibyte is extremely proud of.

Already, I can tell, you want to know why she’s Dora……Well, Anja loves nothing more than travelling and so far, has visited 30 countries with more trips already in the diary. Whether it be a break by a lake in France, travelling across as much of Australia as possible, or exploring a city nobody else has visited, Anja will find a way to get there and make it the best experience possible.

At work though, the focus deviates from global travel and instead becomes all about the rankings!

Let’s look at her story as our finalist for the Rising Star award.

The Nomination

As with most awards, to be a finalist, you have to be nominated, and Anja was put forward by our Head of SEO, Akash Valand. Akash has spent his career in SEO and is not only a perfectionist at getting results for clients, but also thrives on driving a team forward. Regarding Anja’s nomination, he said, “Anja was our clear stand-out rising star nominee from Chillibyte. It was very easy to choose her and put her forward. She is a credit, not only to Chillibyte but to the entire search industry, with a refreshing approach to being one of the best SEOs in a short period of time. In addition, Anja is a character who is motivated to not only prove to herself what she is capable of but to also prove herself with concrete results for her client accounts. This type of work ethic is undoubtedly motivating other members of staff in all departments.”

High praise from someone who holds themselves to such high standards is a glowing assessment, and one that Anja feels proud of. Her journey into SEO is a relatively new one, but one she has enjoyed from the start, “I started in SEO five years ago with very little experience. I had worked in digital marketing before but had done nothing so SEO-specific. Chillibyte decided to put me to the test and threw me in the deep end to see if I could swim. Luckily, I was wearing my armbands, and I’m still here! In the last five years, I have developed my content, technical, on-page and off-page SEO skills working on a variety of different sites for clients in a wide range of industries. Now, five years on, I’m the client lead on over 12 of our SEO accounts!”

It’s quite the rise and completed at a pace, indicative of how the search marketing industry works. It doesn’t slow down for anyone!

Despite these new skills and the enhanced responsibility, Anja, ever the modest one, never felt an award nomination was forthcoming, “Akash sent me a screenshot of the finalists for the award, and there was my name at the top! It was a great surprise!”

The Search Awards

The UK Search Awards 2022 were held at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top and saw the best in search go up against each other for a series of awards celebrating the industry and its successes. Competition, as we know, is fierce in search marketing, and Anja found herself up against some huge industry heavyweights. Flanked by company founder Sam Trousdale, Head of SEO, Akash Valand, and Head of Content, Amber Longhurst, the team took to their table ready to see what the night would bring.

Ultimately, it wasn’t about winning. It instead further enhanced that Chillibyte is an agency that is not only developing its own presence continuously but also that of the individuals that make it.

Unfortunately, Anja didn’t win. But this nomination is surely the first of many. Her dedication to perfecting herself and delivering for her clients and colleagues never wavers. It won’t be long before we see her receiving the accolades she deserves. Speaking after the ceremony, disco and drinks, Anja said, “It was an honour to have been considered by my company and the Search Awards. When I started this SEO journey, I’d never have thought about being nominated for an award, let alone being a finalist for one! It was amazing to be acknowledged alongside some of the best in the industry. I’m feeling incredibly grateful that I work for a company that recognises the value of its employees and celebrates success.”

Whilst the award didn’t make its way to Chillibyte HQ, the entire team is very proud of Anja for reaching this final and looks forward to seeing what award may come next!