How Ben Rojas Rose From a Developer to the President of AIOSEO
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Ben Rojas is the President of All in One search engine optimization (AIOSEO) and a self-taught WordPress and PHP developer with over 25+ years of enjoy. Despite the fact that he began as a developer at Superior Purpose, he briefly rose throughout the ranks to guide all the AIOSEO corporate.
On this interview, Ben Rojas explains how his background in WordPress building cleared the path for changing into the president of AIOSEO. He additionally stocks his ideas on how he would get started his occupation if he have been to begin lately.
“My primary piece of recommendation is be teachable, be adaptable … so as to all the time continue to learn, after which you are going to develop higher thru that.”
Ben Rojas – President of All in One search engine optimization
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Video Interview with Ben Rojas
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Meet Ben Rojas, President of All in One search engine optimization
Ahead of changing into the President of All in One search engine optimization, Ben were given his get started in IT and visitor improve. However lengthy earlier than that, he started his adventure as a developer. In truth, he wrote his first strains of HTML code on the age of 13 after finding out from library books.
When speaking to James Agar from the WPBeginner group, he fondly remembered his circle of relatives proscribing his laptop time (youngsters wish to pass out of doors and play) and dealing round this impediment through writing code through hand on covered paper. He’s even saved data of those early efforts!
Since then, Ben has maintained an id as a lifelong learner, which has helped him change into a pacesetter within the WordPress neighborhood lately. Subsequent, let’s speak about how he found out WordPress.
A WordPress Adventure: From Reinforce to Internet Construction to President of All in One search engine optimization
After laying the principles for a long run in internet building at an early age, Ben were given a task in IT at a nonprofit group in 2008. This used to be when he began tinkering with WordPress for the primary time.
Quickly after, he transitioned to a visitor improve position for a WordPress eCommerce product, which used to be referred to as Cart66 (now a part of WP EasyCart). His plan used to be to get extra aware of WordPress code.
Ben briefly began to paintings on his building abilities and sooner or later changed into a developer at the Cart66 group. All over this time, he additionally began his personal aspect industry of writing PayPal plugins for Simple Virtual Downloads (EDD), which is now an Superior Purpose product.
Then, after a temporary occupation shift and a departure from WordPress building, Ben returned to his roots. He reconnected with the EDD neighborhood and joined the Superior Purpose group in 2016.
He began as a tool developer for Envira Gallery however briefly transitioned to OptinMonster to leverage his strengths in PHP building.
At that time, he made up our minds to begin leveling up. Consistent with Ben, all over this section of his occupation, he used to be repeatedly development, iterating, and fascinated about tips on how to give again to his group.
“That used to be my mentality. That used to be the trouble that I installed every and on a daily basis looking to display up, do my easiest with the intention to … get off paintings after I did, and return to my circle of relatives and say, I did the most efficient I may just lately, and I’m going to return again at it the following day.”
Ben Rojas
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All over this enhanced section of productiveness, Ben used to be proactive as a contributor and helped his group transition to a brand new JavaScript framework to spice up potency.
After proving himself in his position and functions at OptinMonster, Ben used to be requested to run All in One search engine optimization (AIOSEO). “Mainly, I went from simply being a developer at OptinMonster instantly into this position of being President at All in One search engine optimization.”
Even supposing he had no control enjoy, Ben rose to the instance. When discussing his early days as President of AIOSEO, he jokingly mentioned, “It wasn’t with out its demanding situations … it used to be similar to consuming from a hearth hydrant for the primary couple of years.”
Along with finding out tips on how to run a industry, Ben mentioned how his largest problem as president used to be inheriting an excessively out of date codebase.
The AIOSEO group needed to come to a decision whether or not to construct on most sensible of dangerous code or get started over. With Ben main the way in which, they selected to rebuild the code from 0, which used to be more difficult however in the end extra sustainable.
His group used to be ready to rewrite AIOSEO from the bottom up inside of 11 months. This fashion, they might be offering customers the most efficient product transferring ahead.
Inside of All in One search engine optimization
Now, let’s communicate extra about what Ben is operating on at AIOSEO lately. However first, right here’s just a little background at the product and its evolution.
With over 3 million customers, All in One search engine optimization (AIOSEO) is without doubt one of the most well liked search engine optimization gear for WordPress. When speaking to WPBeginner, Ben additionally reminded us that “It used to be the primary and unique search engine optimization plugin for WordPress.”
At WPBeginner, we adore AIOSEO and apply it to all of our web pages. You’ll be able to take a look at our whole AIOSEO evaluate for more info in this robust search engine optimization plugin.
Because the starting, AIOSEO has helped WordPress customers beef up their on-page search engine optimization with meta tags, sitemaps, and a lot more.
The unique plugin had a robust basis, however Ben’s group has repeatedly been creating the device and its options over the previous couple of years. They have got constructed out new function units to lend a hand customers with redirects, inside hyperlinks, native search engine optimization, and a lot more.
Maximum just lately, the AIOSEO group introduced Seek Statistics to lend a hand other people see how their search engine optimization is operating for them. This new local AIOSEO device integrates WordPress with Google Seek Console.
Right here are some things that Seek Statistics can do:
Necessarily, Seek Statistics offers other people actionable insights into tips on how to beef up their content material.
Ben and his group have won a large number of sure comments about Seek Statistics. “We’ve had a large number of individuals who mentioned that is what they want. They love the power to look all of that proper of their WordPress dashboard.”
In relation to Seek Statistics, we utterly agree. Right here at WPBeginner, our editorial group makes use of the device on a daily basis to lend a hand beef up our content material and spice up scores.
In a similar fashion, the brand new Key phrase Rank Tracker is helping you recognize key phrase scores on a deeper degree, permitting you to research the SERPs extra successfully.
That mentioned, the latest and most enjoyable function on Ben’s thoughts is AIOSEO’s Writing Assistant. It integrates seamlessly with SEOBoost to present in-depth insights into your content material, together with ratings for clarity and key phrase utilization.
It even displays you as much as 30 examples of competitor web pages rating neatly for a selected key phrase that you simply’re concentrated on. This may come up with tremendous treasured insights and can help you crack the highest 10 scores together with your content material.
Recommendation for Aspiring WordPress Builders: Ben on Adaptability and Doing Your Perfect
For Ben, visitor improve for a technical product used to be an ideal access level into WordPress building. But if requested, he mentioned one key piece of recommendation to aspiring builders is: “Get began and not prevent finding out.” He wired the significance of training and the usage of unfastened on-line sources.
For newcomers who wish to change into WordPress builders, he recommends beginning through finding out PHP and JavaScript to get a robust figuring out of the applied sciences that the platform is constructed on.
Ben additionally wouldn’t counsel neglecting JavaScript since WordPress continues to depend on it extra closely, particularly because it strikes towards a block enhancing manner.
Consistent with Ben, if you recognize each PHP and JavaScript, then finding out all of the different important programming languages and frameworks might be a lot more uncomplicated. As an example, a robust grab of JavaScript will make finding out jQuery a breeze.
Ben additionally encourages aspiring builders to proactively hunt down alternatives in building, even though it’s on an excessively small scale to begin. As an example, he mentioned it’s good to be offering to lend a hand family and friends who might need help with their web site or believe the freelance direction to get began.
In his opinion, this type of enjoy could make you extra aggressive when making use of for junior developer roles.
When chatting typically about recommendation for builders, Ben additionally mentioned, “The most important factor is adaptability.”
In sensible phrases, as an example, when you are running on a product with a codebase that doesn’t align together with your personal tastes, adapting and writing your code to that ordinary will nonetheless can help you be told one thing new.
In fact, he doesn’t assume you will have to be afraid to invite why issues are carried out the way in which they’re. As a substitute, he mentioned, “My primary piece of recommendation is: be teachable, be adaptable … after which you are going to develop higher thru that.”
“Get began and not prevent finding out.”
Ben Rojas
After we talked with Ben additional about his time at OptinMonster and mentioned the significance of angle and mindset, he cited his circle of relatives as a significant motivator at the back of his paintings.
“I attempt to instill that during my youngsters. On the finish of the day, that is going to make our global higher if that is the mentality and angle that everyone has within the jobs that they’re doing.
Going to paintings on a daily basis with that angle, you are going to alternate the office that you simply’re in. I realize it. I’ve noticed that, I’ve felt it, and that may be some other piece of recommendation actually for any individual beginning out … being adaptable additionally has to do with this … it’s no longer simply the code.”
Having a look Forward: The Long term of WordPress and All in One search engine optimization
So what’s subsequent for Ben Rojas and AIOSEO? Right here’s what he needed to say:
“We’re going to proceed to paintings on issues round our AI writing assistant, to enlarge that, to make that higher. We’re going so as to add new options and enhancements.
After which our key phrase rank monitoring device that we simply introduced. We’re going to proceed to beef up that, make adjustments there as neatly to proceed to cater to our consumers.
But even so that, we do have another superb issues within the works that I will be able to’t actually say at this time, however we’re very, very fascinated about the ones.”
“As a developer at center, I’m actually loving what I’m seeing, the paintings going into safety and function enhancements. I believe that are supposed to have began so much faster, and I’m actually satisfied that it’s going down at this time.
After which the block editor—it has a large number of room for development, however it’s being progressed.“
Ultimate Ideas
Early on within the interview when discussing his WordPress adventure, Ben jokingly mentioned, “I’m no longer actually the type of individual that has a 5-year plan.”
However later, when requested about what’s subsequent in his skilled lifestyles, Ben mentioned, “I’m loving what I’m doing. I’m excited to stick right here. I’m gonna be right here for the lengthy haul.”
He additionally took this as a chance to speak once more about his earlier message of expansion. “On the similar time, to roughly tie again into the place we began, I’m gonna be proceeding to be informed alongside the way in which. And I push my group to do the similar factor.
On the finish of the day, that’s what’s going to lend a hand us to keep growing and to stick forward. And that’s what I’m fascinated about … this is my 5-year plan.”
At WPBeginner, we’re taking a look ahead to staring at carefully as Ben Rojas continues to guide the AIOSEO group with a good, forward-thinking, and customer-centered mindset. We really admire him taking the time to talk with us and for bringing us a product that is helping us on a daily basis.
Bonus: Professional Guides for WordPress search engine optimization
We are hoping you realized some treasured insights from Ben Rojas, the President of All in One search engine optimization. You may additionally be serious about a few of our guides on WordPress search engine optimization:
A couple of of those WPBeginner articles have been even written through Ben himself.
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