Meet Nikki Pilkington

Midlife Women are in their Own Business Era: 25 for 25 Nikki Pilkington

For so many reasons, midlife women are in their Own Business Era.

I’m lucky to know many women who’ve left corporate culture, and are now building and scaling their own thing. Trademarking their IP, working solo or employing and contracting others.

During December, I’m publishing an alternative advent calendar featuring midlife women who’ve decided to be the boss of their own careers.

This series of posts, 25 for 25, features midlife women on the rise. Behind the next door on my alternative advent calendar is SEO straight talker, Nikki Pilkington.

Nikki Pilkington: SEO without smoke & mirrors

Nikki Pilkington has been in SEO since before Google was a twinkle in Larry Page's eye. We're talking about over 30 years of digital marketing experience. In that time, she's helped businesses of all sizes get found online, always with her refreshingly “non-wanky approach” to SEO.

Nikki made it her mission to explain SEO in plain English, giving straightforward advice about getting your website found online.

She says the best thing she ever did was taking the plunge into freelancing as a 19-year old teenage mum - “I don't think I'd have the bravery to do that now, but you have no fear and no real understanding of how things can go wrong when you're young.

The second best thing was realising that the internet was going to be huge for business, and I was a rubbish web designer, but an OK marketer. Turning to the people I saw in the US making the most of promoting themselves online started me on a path of respecting and learning from others that I've never strayed from.

These days I'm inspired by anyone who wants to further their own learning, and help others along the way.”

2025 is for …

Nikki will expand her signature Non-Wanky SEO course, publish an ebook aimed at debunking over 70 SEO myths, and hopes to work with more small businesses, helping them get good rankings in search engines and not panic about SEO search.

Inspiration & motivation comes from …

Seeing business owners' faces light up when they finally understand SEO isn't some dark magic that only the chosen few can practice - “Every time I see another "guru" trying to confuse and scare people with technical jargon and overcomplicated nonsense, it fires me up to keep fighting the good fight. Because SEO isn't rocket science - it's just common sense caught up in an industry that loves making things sound more complicated than they are.

What really makes me smile is helping small business owners succeed online. There's nothing better than watching someone go from feeling completely lost about their website to confidently optimising their own content because they finally understand what they're doing.

I love SEO - the strategy, the problem-solving, the constant evolution. But what I love even more is stripping away all the wanky industry bollocks and showing people that yes, they absolutely can do this themselves. They just need someone to explain it in plain English without all the smoke and mirrors.”

Nikki’s advice for her younger self

“I'd tell 1998 Nikki that yes, Google IS going to change SEO. I'd also tell early freelancer Nikki that building an agency and working with corporates isn't all that, you're going to hate it and one day you'll go back to what you love, which is small businesses and working solo.”

Like what you hear? Then connect with Nikki Pilkington here

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Bluesky

I’m Sue Moore, Messaging Strategist and Copywriter. I share smart stuff for writers and hot takes on midlife messaging.

Connect with me here.