Casey Rogers

Major: Journalism (emphasis in Strategic Communication)

Certificate: Digital Studies

Graduation Date: December 2017

How did you end up working at InVue Digital?

Coming into college, I wasn’t 100% sure what kind of work I wanted to do, but I did know that I wanted it to heavily involve writing. After several internships while in college, I was able to gain experience and skills that helped me secure a full-time position after graduation. I really wanted to work at a digital agency post-grad, so I found my way to a Madison-based full-service digital agency called Sortis where I spent the first year in a generalist role. In that position, I learned about everything digital marketing and started narrowing in on SEO and data analysis. That focus helped me land my current role with InVue Digital, which is owned by Hearst as their sole premium digital marketing agency for enterprise level clients across the United States.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

In my current role as an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) account manager, I am responsible for all aspects of my enterprise clients’ SEO campaigns. This includes everything from strategy, keyword research, on-site optimization, organic traffic growth, content development, backlink building, etc. I wear both creative and analytical hats at any given moment to help achieve client goals and improve organic visibility and performance. I also get to learn about different businesses’ practices because we work with clients in a wide variety of industries, such as hair salons, schools and colleges, dental and health services, and more niche professions, like a custom audio furniture store.

How has Digital Studies influenced your career path?

Digital Studies was primarily responsible for helping me even think about marketing as a potential career field in my freshman year. Taking the Internet & Society FIG my first semester of college further solidified my interest in writing and also got me thinking critically about the digital media ecosystem and how the internet has changed society. They inspired me to apply for the J-School, where I was able to find a way to connect my love of writing with a successful career path. Writing is essential in my role in SEO because website content (including blogging) is often a necessary piece to improve organic performance. Quality content can push a website to get ranked higher on search engines so people can find them easier (leading to more traffic and often more conversions).

Did you have a favorite Digital Studies class?

I would have to say Com Arts 346: Critical Internet Studies. This class gave a really good history of the internet and how it changed our society and ways of communicating. I think understanding this is important for marketing especially, where we are ideally positioning our clients to help consumers find the right products or services for their needs.

Do you have any advice for current students?

Learn as much as you can about as many things as you can. College is the time to get breadth, not depth. You will have plenty of time to specialize later on. Starting out with solid foundational knowledge of any topics or fields that interest you will be much more valuable in the future.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career thus far?

One of the best parts of working at an agency, especially in a leadership role, is the direct results you get to see from the work you and your team completes. There are a ton of “wins” every day, such as getting a website ranked on page one for a high-value search query to bigger wins like doubling organic site traffic in a year and seeing the client bring in double or even triple the revenue from a previous period.