Diversity, equity and inclusion are key priorities for organizations in 2022.
But DEI should be more than a hype term – and it should happen at every level of the organization, starting at the top.
McKinsey found that those companies in the top quartile for gender diversity in executive teams are 25% more likely To achieve above average profitability.
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The impact is greatest for organizations led by professionals of ethnic diversity; They are 36% more likely to financially outperform less diversified companies.
What does it look like in practice to be truly inclusive, supporting diversity and equity in real ways, in the workplace?
Arrived to Rachel HeseltineVP of Customer Growth at Interactive traderto ask about her recent experiences with colleagues (and the world).
In this interview, Rachel shares what she learned about leadership during her transition, how her colleagues and her company have supported her, advice for underrepresented SEO professionals, and what it takes to grow into an executive role.
Exit in SEO
What were your greatest challenges going from Simon, a well-known male SEO professional and speaker/author, to Rachel?
Rachel Heseltine: “When I announced my transfer at TI, I wrote a note to be read to my team and shared across the organization.
Here’s a quote from that note:
I know this may sound like a big deal to some, but it’s not for me. This is who I am, but basically I haven’t changed. The only thing that has changed is that I will now be wearing clothes that do not have enough pockets.
The greatest challenges were very much in my head. “What will people say?” “How will they react?” “Should I accept or reject?” – all valid questions, but all the things that held me back.
I told my CMO in November 2019 about my situation but asked her to keep it to herself until I was ready.
I didn’t start telling friends until late 2020 and didn’t talk to others at TI about this until August 2021.
Then, the full announcement of the company took place in early January.
I’ve gotten so many lovely notes from people all over the company, many of them I didn’t even know about.
Regarding my personal rebranding, I had to change my Twitter username, which means I immediately lost my verified status. Apparently, Twitter thinks I’m a different person.
Then it was just a matter of changing my name in different places (and also legally through the court system).
I did not go back to the places I had previously written or spoken about, and asked them to change references to me retrospectively. That’s the name I went by then, that’s my name now.
Of course, my old 301 domain is at rachelheseltine.com. I wouldn’t be an SEO expert if I didn’t do that.”
Were there any welcome surprises along the way?
Rachel Heseltine: “There were a few friends I was very hesitant to tell, unsure of how acceptable they would be.
Each of them showed nothing but support and positivity.
Since going public on Twitter and LinkedIn, several other people from the SEO community have contacted me to offer their support.”
Learn to lead with empathy
What new perspectives have you gained on life and leadership during your transition?
Rachel Heseltine: Well, with so much of my transition completed against the backdrop of a global pandemic, and many companies shifting to remote work, I think we’ve all gained new perspectives on life and leadership in this new world.
We use a tool called Insights that measures personality traits, and we use it informationally to determine the best way for people to work and work together.
I re-taken this last month, having last taken it in May 2018.
My biggest difference is that I now drive with empathy, rather than the 2018 drive (although that’s not far behind).
But given how remote life and a distributed workforce are shifting more towards introversion than pre-pandemic, at the office, it makes sense.
When you can’t do a “drive fast” from someone’s desk, you really need to pay more attention to the various signs.
We also use a tool called Ring/Allie; Ring for celebrating victories, Allie for anonymous comments – we pay close attention to both.
Every quarter, the entire company skips meetings at a level (we pioneered this in the marketing department).
It’s another great, regular base of contact with employees you might not meet regularly, to get their opinions on how things are going, any issues they have, opportunities they see, tools they want, and how happy they are with their career orientation (which, in the era of the “great quit,” is vital). to see if you want to try to save someone before it’s too late).
DEI support in real terms
What advice would you give to underrepresented SEO professionals—those who might experience discrimination or fear retaliation if they appear for who they are?
Rachel Heseltine: “Find your supporters — the people you can count on, the people you can reach out to, the people who will reach out to you.
you are not alone.
There are others in the SEO industry who are in the same boat as you.
For example, there’s the LGBTQ+ SEO group that I’ve been a member of for a couple of years.
Find a therapist you can talk to who is experienced in your situation. They will know what are the appropriate steps and how quickly to take them, based on your situation, as well as have a good working knowledge of your state’s protections.
Look at your company, what initiatives do they have in place?
After the summer of 2020, TI officially formed the Council for Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI).
This, and the work they have done through this board, has shown me that my company will work with me in a positive and supportive manner during my transition, once they are informed. And they did. “
Growth in leadership in search engine optimization
What path led you to the VP role and what advice would you give to SEOs looking to lead?
Rachel Heseltine: “I’m the Vice President of Consumer Growth, which integrates SEO & SEM for our marketplace sites (RVTrader, CycleTrader, etc.), merchant sites, content marketing, PR, corporate communications, and social marketing.
Basically, if it involves getting consumers’ eyeballs on websites, that’s my reasoning.
I joined Trader Interactive (TI) nearly four years ago, after leaving a similar position at a previous sister company.
Before that, I worked at HPE and was a Senior Manager managing SEO for 135 AOL O&O sites (at one point) like TechCrunch, Engadget, Huffington Post, etc.
I had a few other roles before that, and in my previous life before SEO (pre-2005), I was a developer for Smalltalk.
Don’t be afraid to take a step back in your career for the right opportunity.
I went from manager at a boutique agency to chief SEO manager at AOL, with a 20% drop in salary.
I did this because the opportunity at AOL—to work with large, well-known publishing sites and a large, established team of SEOs—was something I knew would help me grow as an SEO.
Within two years, I was promoted to Director of Audience Augmentation, and three years later, I became Senior Director.”
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What’s in your SEO toolkit?
What cool new SEO/AI tools are you using or excited to try?
Rachel Heseltine: “Day in and day out, we use the usual suspects for crawling, competitive analysis, and so forth.
But, in terms of new tools, Ryan Jones, author of SEO & SEJ, updated some of his tools recently, and I absolutely love it Ngram tool.
I’ve been using this to help identify areas for improvement for our sites.
All you do is take your keyword list, say the keywords that other tools are showing you your Page 2 ranking for, plug them into this tool, and see what they have in common.
Then, it’s up to your spreadsheet to look for those specific keyword combinations and then go to strategize.”
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What’s next for Rachel in SEO?
You have great SEO achievements under your belt. Is there anything else you want to achieve in your career?
Rachel Heseltine: “I’ve been fortunate enough to have won awards over the years, and at TI we were named Best Indoor Team at the 2020 Global Search Awards, as well as winning two other teams at the 2020 American Search Awards.
But that’s not just me; It’s not even just my team. It is always the whole organization; It really takes a village to build, support and develop an SEO team.
For my future, I just want to continue to improve TI’s digital presence and grow my team members.
What I would like is for those people who have worked with me to see that I have had a positive impact on their careers, and that they, themselves, do so in order to carry forward the next generation that they manage.”
More resources:
- Searchmetrics CMO Talks Enterprise Flips, SEO Jobs & CWVs
- Conversational intelligence trends and tips from the CMO at Invoca
- Local SEO Trends, Tips and New Techniques: Q&A with Joey Hawkins
Featured image: Courtesy of Rachel Heseltine / Trader Interactive
