James Dooley and Andrew Holland Discuss SEO Networking

James Dooley: Hi. Today I am joined with Andrew Holland. Today’s topic is the UK SEO community and the saying, your network is your net worth. We have met at a couple of events and recently at the Masterminders in Manchester. Why do you think growing a community, especially in the SEO community, is important? Andrew Holland: I love this subject because network science is something I am massively interested in. Everything is connected. There are fantastic books on it. One of the best is Linked by Albert-László Barabási. It shows how everything is connected and how networks work. Andrew Holland: Networks are life. You see it across everything, from Google to physical infrastructure. Networks are something you want to grow because when you grow your network, you grow your opportunities. Andrew Holland: Online networks scale easily, but physical networks matter too. Covid showed what happens when you cut off physical connection. People’s mental health suffered. Humans are built to cohabit. We form tribes and groups. You can see that instinct clearly in UK football culture. It is embedded in our DNA. Andrew Holland: When people meet, it creates future opportunities you cannot predict. You do not know what happens until you build a link between two nodes. There is a lot of scientific evidence that supports networking. Andrew Holland: I heard the phrase your network is your net worth, and it stuck with me because it is true in real terms. You can map authority in SEO through inbound links. People work the same way. The strength of your connections influences the opportunities you access. Andrew Holland: I would love to see a tool that maps someone’s LinkedIn and creates a network graph showing who they are connected with and where the gaps are. That kind of visibility would be powerful. Andrew Holland: In the SEO community, networking helps you find jobs, clients, and partnerships. Many major agencies started through networks, not through traditional outbound marketing. People met, connected, and grew. Andrew Holland: Networking should be a priority, but it can be overwhelming. I get flooded with messages across LinkedIn and email. A good community gives you a place to breathe, connect, and focus. Andrew Holland: Building communities is challenging. I am a big fan of paid communities because paying increases commitment. Being part of paid groups has created massive opportunity for me. Andrew Holland: I would not have a career without the premium community from Brian Dean’s Backlinko and SEO That Works. It was a Facebook group, but it generated hundreds of thousands of pounds in revenue over time. It connected me with people like Noah Kagan and Russell Brunson. It led to writing for Backlinko and doing work that opened more doors. Andrew Holland: There is also a great book called Never Eat Alone. It focuses on networking and the importance of human connection. Networking matters. It works. James Dooley: Networking matters in the SEO community because things change fast. AI is here, and innovation is constant. Networking opens doors and creates opportunities quickly. James Dooley: I agree on paid communities. Paying creates commitment. It is like paying for a personal trainer. Once you pay, you show up. When you pay for a community, you justify the cost by attending events, networking, giving value, and extracting value. James Dooley: The UK SEO community is thriving right now. There are private masterminds happening constantly. Some are paid, some are free. There is high level discussion every week, and you do not need to travel across the world to access it. That is what makes the UK scene strong. Andrew Holland: We ran one yesterday. We hosted a lunch and learn event in Manchester. Thirteen people attended from around eleven of the UK’s biggest brands. It was at Browns in Manchester. We had lunch and a two hour session on GEO and digital PR. The feedback was excellent. Andrew Holland: You do not run events like that for immediate payback. You do it to deepen connections. It is more intimate than large conferences like BrightonSEO. Conferences are useful, but they are a different type of networking. Andrew Holland: Networking is a real world skill. Being in the same room creates a different level of connection. There are people building private masterminds in many industries, including copywriting and PR, and there will be more around GEO and AI. Andrew Holland: I know a top level copywriter called Brian who runs a private mastermind that makes millions of dollars a year. It is small, but when he speaks, people listen. That is the power of a strong network. Andrew Holland: There are also low cost communities and programmes where people share what they are doing in the trenches for a small monthly cost. The value is huge. The main blocker for me is time. Andrew Holland: The Masterminders event also had a clever idea. Kasra gave out a gold coin with a QR code. I still have it. It feels like a real token. I have not seen something like that since the Digital Marketer Lab days with Ryan Deiss. Those physical markers build identity and community. Andrew Holland: Russell Brunson did the same at scale with the ClickFunnels community. Networking has always been a multiplier. James Dooley: You mentioned GEO. If anyone wants to understand the difference between SEO and GEO, check the link. Andrew and James cover it in detail. James Dooley: If you are in the UK and you work in SEO, reach out to James Dooley or Andrew Holland to find out about upcoming events. There are private masterminds and conferences across the UK. Leave a comment, and we will point you to the next dates. James Dooley: I appreciate it, Andrew Holland. Thanks for joining. Andrew Holland: Thank you, James.