Just under four years after starting his SEO business in Liverpool, Liam Quirk already employs 13 people and is projecting his first £1m-plus for 2024. Tony McDonough reports

Liam Quirk was just 23 when he launched Quirky Digital from the box room in his parents’ home in May 2020.

Almost four years on Liverpool city centre-based Quirky now employs 13 people and is on track to achieve a £1m-plus figure for the first time in 2024.

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the practice of orienting a website to maximise its potential traffic and ensuring it ranks higher on search engines such as Google.

Based in Oriel Chambers, Quirky has secured more than 50 clients in e-commerce, property, healthcare and professional services. The firm supports its clients with digital PR, content creation and technical SEO.

Having left school with just three GCSEs, Liam realised he wasn’t best suited to a classroom setting. He had a passion for business and was introduced to the world of SEO by his uncle while he was still in senior school.

“Once I realised that I could break things and make them better than when I found them, I started building my own websites and completely committed my life to understanding algorithms and pushing the boundaries online,” said Liam.

He built his knowledge of SEO and in May 2020, he took the plunge to launch Quirky. He added: “I realised there was a real gap in the market for performance-based SEO across the UK as most other agencies were providing packaged style services.

“The day before Boris Johnson announced the first national lockdown, I handed in my notice, used all of the savings I had and worked from the spare room in my parents’ house to get the business off the ground.”

Alongside working with clients, the firm also has its own portfolio of websites that the team use to test new strategies.

Quirky Digital is now projected to turn over 1.2m in 2024 and continues to grow through its own SEO strategy, utilising Liam’s prominent personal LinkedIn presence as well as recruiting experienced Liverpool-based non-executive directors.

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Liam explained: “I want Quirky Digital to be ahead of the curve. These websites allow us to test new strategies before most agencies even know what they are.

“We also network with fellow industry professionals across the globe meaning that we’re uncovering new and exciting ways of working.”

To support its ongoing growth Quirky has recruited Rachel Walton as its new head of SEO. Her previous roles included head of SEO at Castle International and senior organic performance manager at Manchester’s Wavemaker.

She offers experience working with local, national and international clients and her role will include key responsibilities such as leading organic SEO projects from conception to completion.