My Journey from Data Entry to SEO Specialist - Aizaz Ahsan

Introduction

Hello! My name is Aizaz Ahsan, and I’m an SEO Specialist. Eight years ago, I was working a simple data entry job, but deep down, I always knew that this wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to be in an industry that connects me with the world, and yes, I mean literally connects with the world!

Why do I say that? Because SEO is all about optimizing websites for search engines, and search engines are part of the internet, a true digital world. In SEO, you work across different industries, learn about new businesses, and understand how things work behind every niche.

In this article, I want to share my full journey, how I started, what I learned, where I am today, and where I see myself in the future. My hope is that you can learn something from my experiences, my mistakes, and maybe even find a little inspiration for your own path.

Back in 2017

It all started in August 2017, when I was working at a company called Media Track. My office colleague, Yousaf, was studying Software Engineering at Aptech, and one day he brought his laptop to the office. He showed me a website he had built for his semester project, a simple dynamic contact form made with PHP.

To me, it looked amazing. It reminded me of the kind of tech behind websites like Facebook. That moment changed everything for me. I told Yousaf right there that I also wanted to study at Aptech and learn how to build websites.

That was the day I took my first step into the tech world.

Now, you might be thinking, “Aizaz, you’re an SEO expert today, so what happened with Software Engineering? How did you move into SEO? Did you complete your software engineering journey?”

Don’t worry, the answers to all these questions will come; just keep reading.

My Software Engineering Days

I started my Software Engineering journey in January 2018 at Aptech. I didn’t want to waste any time, so I went to Aptech and enrolled myself in the new batch starting in January 2018, inspired by Yousaf’s path. I was very excited to learn and grow. During my first semester, I teamed up with my classmates Irfan, Amin, Muzammil, and myself to build a website project. We worked really hard, even spending a whole week at Muzammil and Amin’s homes to complete it.

Our hard work paid off, and our project was selected as Project of the Month! Our photos were displayed at Aptech, giving us a huge boost of energy and confidence. We were very happy, and the experience taught us a lot about teamwork. We got to know each other better, discovered our strengths and weaknesses, and learned how a team really works.

In the second semester, we didn’t win, but in the third semester, we made a comeback and once again earned the Project of the Month title. This time, Amin contributed a lot because he was stronger in PHP and Java than the rest of us, no doubt.

By the fourth semester, I decided it was time to gain some real-world experience along with my studies. I started applying for internships, not knowing that this search would lead me to an important decision that would shape my future.

When I Was Looking for an Internship

By the time I reached my fourth semester, I had completed 1 year and 8 months at Aptech. Our semesters were six months long, and this was the time to start looking for an internship. I applied to many web development companies, but sometimes I got interview calls, and sometimes I didn’t. It was frustrating because I wanted a paid internship; I needed it to help cover my study fees. If I could earn from an internship, I could leave my Media Track job, where I was working with Yousaf. But I couldn’t afford an unpaid internship, as I had to pay for my studies.

One day, while going to Aptech, I remembered a small office near my home. They sold leather jackets online in the UK under the brand JRZ & Co. Someone told me they were looking for a junior developer in their website department. I was very excited to hear this because it was close to home and exactly the type of position I was looking for. I quickly submitted my CV, and the company called me for an urgent interview because they needed to fill the position quickly.

During the interview, they offered me something completely new: an SEO internship. At that time, I had no idea about SEO; I didn’t even know what it stood for. I asked the interviewer honestly:

Sir, I don’t know anything about SEO. I came here for a junior web developer position. I was told you needed someone to work on your website.

The interviewer replied:

Yes, you will still work on the website. But we need a technical person to handle the SEO of our website. If you agree, we can discuss the details further.

I asked:

Okay, sir, I agree to work with you, but I don’t know SEO. Will I get guidance?

He said:

Of course. We will give you 1 week of training, and your seniors will guide you along the way.

And that’s how I got my first SEO internship at JRZ & Co. I discovered a completely new field, and that’s how my journey into SEO began, which I continue even today.

My Career as an SEO Now

Time passed, and I kept moving forward, working with different companies. In 2021, I left JRZ & Co. because the company became completely UK-based and shifted its business operations to the UK. After that, I worked with several other companies, including Quran Easy, Digiliner, Bizelev Marketing, Appicoders Inc., and currently, I work as a Senior SEO Specialist at InfloWay Technologies.

During this time, I also worked with many local clients who were my personal clients, such as Blue One Properties, Voucher Cabin, Khatri Packages & Carton Boxes, and Snack Shack.

At InfloWay Technologies, I got the chance to work across many different niches, including Dentistry, E-Commerce, Real Estate, Fitness & Health (Gym), Mental Therapy, and Travel, which gave me a lot of learning opportunities.

In my 6-year journey, I have learned a lot and witnessed how Google’s algorithms change and update over time. From 2019 to 2025, I have seen how SEO itself has evolved and adapted to these changes.

One thing I want to share is that from 2019 to 2023, I didn’t really have a mentor, someone I could look up to and learn from. I did have some friends who followed Neil Patel, but I personally didn’t follow him. Not because I didn’t like him, it’s just that I felt he promoted his own business more than teaching. In the end, he’s a marketer, and promoting his agency is natural, but I personally wanted more learning than promotion.

How Do I Find My Mentors?

When you don’t have a mentor, it’s hard to stay motivated or learn properly because there is no one to inspire you or guide you to do better work.

In 2023, I discovered Amit Tiwari on YouTube. He is a Technical SEO Expert who provides SEO courses, shares tips and tricks, and keeps SEOs like us updated with Google’s changes. Amit Sir is a very good person and a great SEO expert. Even till today, he describes himself on LinkedIn as “Amit Tiwari Digital Marketing Student,” which shows that he believes in learning continuously and is a lifelong learner.

Watching Amit Tiwari’s videos about Google updates made me curious. I wanted to know how he learns about these updates, how he finds out when Google releases a new update, and where the news comes from. That inspired me to start exploring on my own and stay updated with Google’s changes. After that, I discovered many important SEO websites, such as Search Engine Roundtable, run by Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Journal, run by different marketers, and Search Engine Land, which was acquired by Semrush in October 2024.

Through these platforms, I found and started following several SEO experts on X (Twitter) like Brodie Clark, Roger Montti, Gagan Ghotra, Glenn Gabe, Aleyda Solis, and Lily Ray. They are very active in the SEO community and are highly respected names. I follow them closely and stay updated with Google, Bing, and OpenAI updates. I even created my own LinkedIn newsletter, where I share the latest updates from Google, Bing, and OpenAI with my followers.

One important thing I want to add is that in SEO, staying updated is extremely important. This field is constantly changing search engine algorithms update, new technologies like AI emerging, and user search behavior keeps evolving. If you don’t adapt to these changes, your website’s visibility and traffic can decrease, and competitors can easily overtake you.

My First Client

I got my first client in 2022, and it was Snack Shack, a fast-food restaurant in Bahadurabad, Karachi. I connected with them through PR, and they needed help managing their social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, including running ads.

This was my very first client, and I wanted to give them my 100% effort. To be honest, we didn’t run any paid ads because of their budget limitations, but we were able to attract customers organically. I advised them to focus on visuals, captions, and deals, and luckily, this approach worked for some time. The only challenge was that Snack Shack didn’t have a proper website. I recommended creating one, but due to their budget issues, it wasn’t possible. Still, the client was happy with the work I delivered.

After this, I slowly started building my portfolio, and over time, more and more companies came to me. Many of these clients are still included in my portfolio today.

If you want to read reviews from my clients and learn more about my work, you can check my Google Business Profile.

In The End

Today, in October 2025, I am still learning in my field, and I will continue to learn. I want to tell you the same: never stop learning. If you want personal growth in life or success in your career, you must keep learning every day.

In the beginning, I didn’t have a mentor or proper guidance, and I felt a bit lost. But now, I have mentors who have shown me a clear path, and I am learning a lot from them. That’s why I want to tell you: find mentors, no matter which field you are in. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in; having a mentor can guide you, inspire you, and help you achieve your goals faster.