Welcome to a new WTSInterview edition, where we interview brilliant SEOs in our industry and share their stories with the world! WTS members are welcome to share their story by simply filling out this form; we encourage folks from all walks of life in our industry to do so.

Introducing Laura Iancu! Laura is a UK-based independent search consultant, mentor and educator known for her work in international SEO and ethical use of search. She is the founder of Searchpedia, the online glossary for all things search and the SEO gal at Octopus Energy. Her work is a steady blend of technical SEO, advocacy around representation, culture and human-centered search experiences.

How did you get into SEO?

Unofficially, through a pet project. Before the influencer era, I was deeply into photography and vintage fashion, which led me to travel across the UK, and occasionally Europe, attending vintage fairs, sourcing rare designer pieces, and recreating iconic looks with them. I started documenting everything online and, without really realising it at the time, I became obsessed with figuring out how to grow and rank the website organically.

I come from a developer/journalistic background, so I naturally approached it with an investigative, DIY mindset. I wanted to understand how search worked, why some content performed better than others, and how technical structure, storytelling, and audience intent all connected. That curiosity slowly turned into a real understanding of SEO, long before I considered it a career.

What is your favourite SEO task?

One of my favourite aspects of SEO is building fully search-friendly website architectures grounded in real user experience research. I enjoy mapping out how people actually search, navigate, and consume information, then translating those behaviours into scalable site structures that are intuitive for both users and search engines.

That includes everything from information architecture and content hierarchies to internal linking strategies, taxonomy planning, and technical SEO considerations. I particularly enjoy connecting UXR insights with search intent data to create websites that not only rank well, but genuinely make sense to users. For me, the most rewarding part is designing systems where content, navigation, and discoverability all work together seamlessly from day one.

What is your go-to tool or resource that you can't live without?

I’m a bit of a tool nerd, as in I like to test one every week if possible. At the moment, I’m really enjoying Brandwatch for its audience research capabilities. I’ve been deep into Reddit (and other forum platforms), and it’s been saving me days of work.

What is something you learned in SEO that made you have an 'AHA' moment?

More of a life lesson, I guess: that like in every job, once you start taking yourself too seriously, you lose all the fun. I witnessed a former colleague I admire to this day going deep into burnout and eventually self-doubt, and it sort of “paved” the way I’m approaching my work today.

What is your proudest industry achievement?

I think it's important to celebrate both the small wins and the bigger milestones, especially the ones that happen along the journey toward long-term goals. But the achievement that feels most meaningful to me right now is being offered a speaker role at BrightonSEO just a week after submitting my application.

For me, it’s not only professional recognition, but also an opportunity to reach a wider audience, share knowledge, and hopefully help others navigate the industry with more confidence and curiosity. The idea that my experience and perspective could resonate with people, or even inspire someone starting out, genuinely fills me with joy.

What advice would you give those starting out in SEO?

If you've gotten this far reading this, please remember that SEO is often far more about common sense than memorising endless best-practice documents or spending hours watching tutorials. At its core, it’s about understanding people: what they’re searching for, how they navigate information, and how to create genuinely useful experiences around that.

Of course, continuous learning is essential if you want to thrive in this industry, especially because search evolves constantly. But alongside learning, it’s equally important to trust your instincts, stay curious, and not be afraid to experiment. Some of the best insights come from observing, testing, and thinking independently rather than simply following what everyone else is doing.

Give a shout out to a person in the industry who inspires you and tell us why

I’d love to give a massive shoutout to Iva Jovanovic, Bengü Sarıca Dinçer, and Emma-Jane Stogdon, they’re the people I look for in every room because the moment I see them, it instantly feels like home.

Also to Miracle Inameti-Archibong, for completely changing the way I think about search during a panel years ago, and to Roxana Stingu, who is truly the kind of best friend anyone could hope to have.

What empowers you to be the brilliant person you are?

What empowers me most is the example set by the people around me. Seeing my friends and family pursue their goals with consistency, resilience, and ambition motivates me deeply. I draw a huge amount of inspiration from watching people grow, create, and push themselves forward.

I’m also deeply motivated by the idea of being a search activist, someone who cares about making information more accessible, discoverable, and genuinely useful for people. That belief is a big part of why I love SEO. I’m fascinated by the intersection between human behaviour, curiosity, and the way we navigate the internet.

Finally, how does it feel being part of the Women in Tech SEO community?

It'll sound cheesy, but if my home was digital, it'd look very much like WTS.

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Thanks, Laura, for a truly insightful interview!

You can follow and/or connect with Laura on her Linkedin or visit her website!

Check out our Interviews page for more interviews. If you've enjoyed reading this, we'd love for YOU to share your story with the world! Simply fill this form here, we welcome brilliant SEOs from all walks of life! 🙌🏽