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 Sushma Maurya! Sushma is an SEO and digital marketing professional with more than nine years of experience working across local businesses, takeaway brands, and growing companies in competitive industries. Over the years, she has worked on SEO strategy, content marketing, local SEO, and brand visibility campaigns while helping businesses improve their online presence and generate consistent growth. She is also passionate about personal branding, AI-driven marketing, and making digital marketing more practical and accessible for businesses of all sizes.

How did you get into SEO?

I actually got into SEO through curiosity more than planning.

In the beginning, I was fascinated by how some businesses would always appear on Google while others with better products were almost invisible online. That made me start exploring how search engines worked, how websites ranked, and why content performed differently. What started as simple research slowly became something I genuinely enjoyed learning every day. I began experimenting with websites, content optimisation, Google Business Profiles, and keyword strategies. The exciting part was seeing real results from small changes: a page moving up in rankings, a business getting more enquiries, or local customers discovering a brand online.

Over time, I realised SEO is not just about rankings. It’s about understanding people: what they search for, what problems they are trying to solve, and how businesses can become more visible at the right moment.

That mix of creativity, psychology, strategy, and data is what made me stay in SEO.

What is your favourite SEO task?

My favourite part of SEO is technical SEO.

With more than nine years of experience in the industry, I’ve always enjoyed understanding how websites work behind the scenes and identifying the issues that impact performance, crawling, indexing, and overall search visibility.

There’s something very rewarding about diagnosing technical problems and fixing them in a way that improves both user experience and organic performance. Whether it’s improving site speed, resolving indexing issues, optimising website architecture, fixing Core Web Vitals, or analysing crawl behaviour, I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of technical SEO. What makes technical SEO interesting to me is that even small improvements can create a significant impact over time. It’s also an area that constantly evolves, which means there’s always something new to learn and adapt to.

Over the years, I’ve worked with businesses across different industries, and technical SEO has often been the foundation that helps all other SEO efforts perform better. For me, it combines logic, analysis, and strategy, which is exactly what I enjoy most about SEO.

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

One tool I genuinely can’t live without is Google Search Console. After all these years in SEO, I still think it’s one of the most valuable resources because it shows how Google actually views a website, from indexing and crawl issues to search queries and performance trends.

I also rely heavily on Screaming Frog SEO Spider for technical SEO audits. I enjoy digging into crawl data, internal linking structures, redirect chains, orphan pages, and finding hidden technical issues that can affect performance.

Another tool I use regularly is Semrush. It’s incredibly useful for competitor analysis, keyword research, tracking visibility, and understanding broader search trends. I especially like using it to identify content opportunities and monitor how search landscapes evolve over time.

Beyond tools, one of my biggest resources is actually the SEO community itself. Some of the best learning comes from industry discussions, experiments, case studies, and real-world experiences shared by other SEO professionals.

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

One of my biggest “AHA” moments was realising that SEO is not only about algorithms; it’s about understanding people.

Early in my career, I focused heavily on rankings, keywords, and technical improvements. But over time, I realised the websites that consistently perform well are usually the ones that genuinely solve problems clearly and build trust with users.

That completely changed how I approached SEO. Instead of thinking only about “How do we rank this page?”, I started asking, “Why would someone actually want to stay on this page and trust this brand?”

That mindset shift made SEO feel much bigger than search engines alone. It became a mix of psychology, user experience, branding, and technical strategy.

What is your proudest industry achievement?

One of my proudest achievements has been growing through the SEO industry while continuously adapting to how fast digital marketing changes.

I started by learning through experimentation, hands-on work, and problem-solving, and over time, I’ve had the opportunity to work with businesses across different industries, especially local businesses and competitive markets where visibility can directly impact growth.

Another thing I’m proud of is building confidence in sharing my thoughts publicly through personal branding and industry conversations. SEO is a field where learning never stops, and being able to contribute ideas, experiences, and insights to the community feels very fulfilling.

For me, success in SEO has never been only about rankings. It’s about creating meaningful growth for businesses and continuing to evolve alongside the industry.

What advice would you give those starting out in SEO?

Start with curiosity and patience.

SEO can feel overwhelming in the beginning because there are so many areas: technical SEO, content, links, analytics, local SEO, AI, UX, and more. You do not need to master everything at once.

My advice would be to focus on understanding how search engines work and, more importantly, how users search and behave online. Experiment as much as possible, even on small projects or personal websites, because practical learning teaches far more than theory alone.

Also, don’t chase shortcuts. Trends change constantly, but strong fundamentals always matter.

Finally, stay consistent. SEO is one of those industries where growth compounds over time, both for websites and for people working in it.

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

One person I really admire is Aleyda Solis.

What inspires me about her is the way she shares knowledge so openly while staying practical, approachable, and deeply respected in the industry. She has built a strong global presence through expertise and consistency, and I think she has helped make SEO learning far more accessible for many people entering the industry.

I also appreciate women in SEO communities in general because seeing more women openly sharing insights, experiences, and leadership in technical and strategic SEO creates a more encouraging environment for others to grow confidently.

What empowers you to be the brilliant person you are?

For me, it’s the mindset of continuous learning and staying positive even during challenges.

SEO constantly changes, so there is always something new to learn, test, or adapt to. Instead of seeing change as stressful, I try to see it as an opportunity to grow.

I’m also motivated by progress, even little progress. Whether it’s solving a technical issue, improving a website’s visibility, learning a new skill, or building confidence professionally, those small wins keep me moving forward.

And honestly, curiosity plays a huge role too. I genuinely enjoy understanding how things work, especially in digital marketing and search, and that curiosity keeps me even more excited about the industry.

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

Being part of the Women in Tech SEO community feels genuinely encouraging and empowering.

SEO and tech industries can sometimes feel intimidating, especially early in your career, so being part of a community where people openly share knowledge, experiences, opportunities, and support makes a huge difference.

What I appreciate most is that the community feels collaborative rather than competitive. It creates space for learning, networking, and growing professionally while also reminding people that they belong in the industry regardless of where they started.

It’s inspiring to see so many talented professionals helping each other succeed.

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Thanks, Sushma, for a truly insightful interview!

You can follow and/or connect with Sushma on LinkedIn.

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! 🙌🏽