Digital Marketing Strategist & AI Automation Architect

Gareth Wilson

21+ years driving revenue growth through technical SEO, AI automation, and digital transformation across logistics, SaaS, media, and enterprise sectors.

📍 Edinburgh, Scotland 🎓 UCT Certified 🏆 3x Award Winner 💼 21+ Years Experience
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Professional Summary

About

Digital Marketing Strategist and Growth Development Manager with over 21 years of hands-on experience driving revenue growth and market visibility. My background spans technical SEO, semantic search optimization, AI automation, and full-stack development.

I specialize in creating complete growth ecosystems – from search strategy and content to AI-powered voice systems and lead conversion. I’ve built and deployed digital receptionist platforms, automated customer communication systems, and lead generation engines that consistently deliver qualified enquiries.

Before moving into digital strategy, I spent years as an award-winning journalist, which gave me a deep understanding of storytelling, crisis management, and building authority – skills that translate directly into content that ranks and converts.

Professional Journey

Career Experience

Digital Marketing Manager & Growth Development Manager

Jan 2021 – Present

Pegasus Couriers | Edinburgh, Scotland

Leading growth strategy and digital transformation for a nationwide UK logistics company.

  • Increased qualified leads by 85% within six months using technical SEO and semantic content strategy
  • Built custom recruitment platform reducing hiring costs by 35%
  • Deployed AI voice systems cutting response times by 60% with CRM integration
  • Created AI agent systems for customer communications and lead qualification
  • Designed and built Pegasus Couriers and QCouriers platforms from scratch
  • Connected 200+ employees through internal compliance systems
  • Developed Q Couriers CRM for transport regulation compliance
  • Execute SEO and PR strategy, saving hundreds of thousands in ad spend
  • Managing two SaaS builds: Digital Receptionist and Courier Fleet Pro

Director

Feb 2017 – Feb 2021

Digital Marketing First

Founded digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, PPC, content, automation, and web development.

  • Managed end-to-end campaigns across multiple industries
  • Built websites and e-commerce platforms optimized for conversion
  • Successfully sold client portfolio following sustained growth
  • Website: digitalmarketingfirst.co.uk

Senior Journalist

Feb 2010 – Feb 2021

Arena Holdings (formerly Times Media Group) | South Africa

Multi-beat journalist covering business, finance, tourism, justice, and health.

  • Won three Journalism Excellence Awards (2015-2018)
  • Contributed to 200% growth in online engagement
  • Pioneered SEO and analytics integration in newsroom
  • Covered breaking news and investigative pieces during digital transformation

Communications and Marketing Manager

Feb 2009 – Feb 2010

Atlas | South Africa

Led internal and external communications during expansion.

  • Developed and executed marketing campaigns for brand awareness
  • Managed cross-functional communications with performance tracking
Education & Certifications

Professional Qualifications

🎓 Digital Marketing Studies

University of Cape Town (UCT)
Cape Town, South Africa
Advanced certification in digital marketing strategy and analytics

📜 Journalism Training

Times Media Group
South Africa
Professional journalism training and editorial standards

🎯 Google Digital Marketing

Google
Current Certification
Comprehensive digital marketing strategy

📊 Google Ads

Google
Current Certification
Campaign management and optimization

📚 University Studies

UNISA
South Africa

Recognition

Awards & Memberships

🏆 Journalism Excellence Awards

Arena Holdings / Times Media Group
Three awards for investigative and digital journalism (2015-2018)

📰 British Association of Journalists

Professional Membership
Active member maintaining journalism standards

🔍 Google Search Central

Google Webmasters
Member of search professional community

Technical Capabilities

Core Skills & Expertise

Search & Growth

Technical SEO • Semantic Search • Entity-based SEO • Lead Gen • Conversion Optimization • Google Search Console • PPC (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, X)

Web & Systems

Full-Stack Development • CMS Platforms • E-commerce • Intranets • CRM Systems • Python Automation

AI & Automation

Digital Receptionists • AI Voice Systems • AI Agents • Workflow Automation • Conversational AI

Content & PR

Journalism • Investigative Reporting • Press Releases • Crisis Comms • Media Relations

Leadership

Growth Strategy • Digital Transformation • SaaS Development • Team Leadership

Live Projects

Selected Platforms

Production-ready platforms handling real business operations.

Pegasus Couriers

Corporate website and lead generation platform with booking system.

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Team Pegasus

Compliance intranet serving 500+ users nationwide.

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Digital Receptionist

AI-driven SaaS with voice automation.

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Courier Fleet Pro

Fleet management SaaS platform.

Visit →

Q Couriers

UPS contractor platform for England and Scotland.

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Q Couriers Team

Internal compliance platform.

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Get In Touch

Contact Information

📍

Location

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

📧

Email

gareth@digitalmarketingfirst.co.uk
📱

Phone

+44 7719 444845
💼

LinkedIn

Connect
📰

Portfolio

View Work
🌐

Website

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