Liam Quirk is founder and managing director of Quirky Digital, an SEO agency based in Liverpool.
Quirk founded the business in 2020 when he was just 23-years-old, working from his parents’ box room. Now, he employs 13 members of staff and provides services to over 50 clients at the agency’s office in Oriel Chambers in Liverpool city centre.
He is also an Associate Director at Tranmere Rovers Football Club.
Here, he shares his career journey and words of advice…
How did you first get into your industry?
Growing up, I was always fascinated by the Internet and it was going mainstream as I was going through my early school years. The first thing I would do when I would get home from school was jump on the computer and find new applications and blogging websites that I could make my own mark on, especially Piczo which made me realise that I could break things down and make them better than I found them.
Having left school with just three GCSEs, I realised that I wasn’t best suited to a classroom setting. I had a passion for business and was introduced to the world of SEO by my uncle whilst I was still in senior school. He was thriving in the digital marketing industry and I started to learn more about Search Engine Optimisation and built my own lead generation websites that still exist today!
Following this, I found myself in an apprenticeship working in a digital marketing role for an eCommerce retailer before I launched my own agency, Quirky Digital, back in May 2020.
What do you love about your job?
Above anything else, I love walking into the office and seeing how many careers that I’ve helped to start. Quirky Digital is a place where people love to come to work and create friendships.
Creating an agency that works with such a wide range of clients, I’ve been able to get under the bonnet of so many thriving businesses and help them fulfil their ambitions further by supporting them with their digital marketing strategies.
On a more personal note, because we have started working with global clients, this has given me many opportunities to travel, meet people from different cultures and work remotely too.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
My uncle was the first person to inspire me in the world of SEO, first introducing me to digital marketing. And my second boss, Simon Hetherington, is someone who had a major impact on the trajectory of my life and introduced me to self-development whilst I was working at his digital agency when I was just 17. This was during a time in my life when a lot of people around me where going down the wrong path but thanks to Simon’s guidance, and encouragement to read self-development books, I felt inspired and that I had something to aim towards to help me cut out the distractions.
At this time, I really thought that people who were ‘doing well’ were either born into it or lucky, but when I discovered self-development, I learned that it was a process and spent my spare time learning from the wisdom of people like Ed Mylett, Tony Ribbons and Jim Rohn.
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
Shiny object syndrome! When we’re working on exciting projects and hearing great ideas, I always want to get deeply involved with every project. When in reality, I’m better sticking to what I know and what we’re good at – which is delivering SEO at scale.
Another challenge is that it’s a very fast-paced industry so if you’re not ahead of the curve, or you jump from different project to project, you can very easily get left behind.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
Taking feedback on board and not taking it personally. This is something that didn’t come naturally to me, but ever since I made the decision that all criticism is also feedback, then it has allowed me to get out of my own way and work on my skillset.
Nigel Adkins, the manager of my beloved football team, Tranmere Rovers, always talks about “doing the basics right to an elite level” and this is something that I feel that I’ve lived the past decade of my life by.
I’m in an industry full of buzzwords and jargon, whilst being surrounded by innovative people with great ideas, yet, my priority every single day is to try and simplify everything that I can and be consistent with my actions.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
My first salary was £6,000 per year – this was the apprenticeship minimum wage around a decade ago. Then it rose to £14,000 once I was qualified. Thinking back on it, it was peanuts but I didn’t know any different and thought I was raking it in at the time!
Nowadays, in the North West, a new starter in the industry would be looking at £20,000 upwards.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
Going to university and getting a marketing qualification is usually a good grounding, however, in my experience, nothing beats getting your hands dirty and ranking websites from scratch. This would include become familiar with Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, but don’t take it as gospel and test new strategies.
In the digital space, you will always stand out to employers if you have examples of work and previous experience and in my opinion, communication skills are also very underrated in this digital age and will give you a huge advantage.
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
My advice would be, be willing to work harder than anybody around you. If you aren’t naturally gifted, then you will have to make up for it in your work ethic.
Over time, being consistent and persistent in one area will take you further than any natural talents you’ve got.
And don’t be afraid to hear the words no. Most people from the digital generation don’t like picking up the phone and being rejected but all of the most talented entrepreneurs have faced rejection throughout their careers.
One thing that can separate you from the rest is being able to ask for the things you want. Whether it’s advice from someone more experienced than you or a client referral – these things can propel you to the next level and are usually free.
