Sean Garland is SEO Lead at Sierra Six Media, an Essex-based SEO consultancy and PPC agency serving the UK and international markets. He leads on strategy across technical SEO and content, with a focus on providing clear roadmaps, precise execution and reporting that ties every activity to ROI for clients.
The Sierra Six Media team prides itself on transparent attribution, giving clients confidence about what works and where to invest next. Away from the desk, Sean brings a calm, practical mindset shaped by his love of rock climbing and growing his own food. Which he does with the same methodical approach he applies to building sustainable growth for brands.
Leading The SEO Department At Sierra Six Media; What’s Your Vision For The Team And How Are You Shaping It?
My long-term goal is to form a team that is well-rounded, curious and highly adaptable. SEO is changing faster than ever and I want a team that can pivot quickly to keep up with best practices to bring in positive results for our clients.
Day to day, I try to encourage individual thinking and curiosity in the team while maintaining full transparency around strategy, performance and goals. I want to make sure that every team member understands not just the “what” but the “why” behind our wider decision-making. I’m not a fan of keeping information in silos; I think it hinders personal development and creative thinking.
What Do You Think Makes An SEO Team Truly Effective And How Do You Bring That To Life At Sierra Six Media?
An effective SEO team should balance autonomy with collaboration. Everyone should feel confident in their ideas and areas of expertise, but also be willing to lean on each other’s strengths. I love hearing the team debate and challenge each other to decide on the best possible course of action on a task, no matter how small.
It’s how we get our best results and shows that we’re all passionate about getting the best outcomes we can for our clients.
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How Important Is Team Culture To Delivering Strong SEO Results And What Have You Done To Foster That Culture At Sierra Six Media?
Team culture is everything. I think that the best results come when people feel trusted, supported and respected for who they are, not just the output they deliver. At Sierra Six Media, I’ve made it a priority to build a culture of openness and shared responsibility.
That includes everything from open idea-sharing to honest conversations around performance. We embrace individuality and that’s reflected in the way we celebrate wins, address challenges and push boundaries.
What Does a ‘Balanced SEO Team’ Mean To You And How Do You Go About Building One?
To me, a balanced SEO team isn’t about having uniform skills; it’s about having complementary perspectives. We need strategists, analysts, creatives and technical thinkers all in the same room. I hire for mindset as much as skillset: curiosity, ownership and adaptability go a long way.
From there, I focus on upskilling based on both business needs and personal growth paths. People work best when their development is aligned with their own career goals, not just the agency’s.
How Has Working Collaboratively In The Office Accelerated Growth For Both The Team And Your Clients’ Campaigns?
Being in the office together has cultivated more creativity and problem-solving. You can brainstorm a solution on the spot and call in perspectives from other teams to get a new view on a problem or creative endeavour.
For clients, that means more dynamic thinking and faster turnarounds. Internally, it’s helped newer team members grow in confidence faster and encouraged knowledge sharing in a way that’s hard to replicate remotely. You can’t give a decent high five on a Teams call; you just end up with a broken screen.
In An Industry That’s Constantly Evolving How Do You Stay Ahead And Keep Your Team Upskilled And Motivated?
Adaptability is a core value for me inside and outside of the office. I stay ahead by staying curious, consuming industry content daily, testing new approaches regularly and encouraging my team to challenge what they think they know. I also involve them in strategic decisions, which not only motivates them but also upskills everyone in real time.
There’s no ‘top-down’ learning here. It’s collaborative, continuous and based on real-world results. We all learn together all the time.
What Advice Would You Give To Someone Stepping Into Their First SEO Leadership Role?
Start with listening. Understand what drives your team individually and then build processes that empower them, not control them. Most SEOs are highly curious and unique thinkers by character.
If you lean into and encourage each person’s strengths, they can end up becoming a unique superpower. If you get enough highly confident, super curious specialists on your team, no problem can stop you.
