Michael Costin

About Michael

Michael Costin is an Australian digital marketer and entrepreneur who has worked across SEO, Google Ads, conversion rate optimisation and lead generation since 2009. In 2015 he co-founded Local Digital with Dominic Sergi, growing it from a two-person operation into a full-service growth marketing agency with offices in Parramatta, NSW and Burleigh Heads, QLD. He also founded Postclick, Local Digital's sister brand, which builds done-for-you lead generation funnels, landing pages and websites for home service businesses.

He got his start in June 2009 at Acorn Rentals, a Sydney car rental company, moving from marketing assistant to online marketing and business development manager. There he ran all of the company's digital marketing nationally, including a website redesign and relaunch, SEO, link building, PPC and email, and ranked the rebuilt site first for target keywords like “courtesy car”. Watching Google respond to the work was addictive, so in September 2012 he moved agency side to APD, one of Australia's leading digital marketing agencies at the time.

At APD he worked as an SEO executive and then SEO/CRO consultant on search and conversion projects for blue-chip brands, charities and large ecommerce sites, including eBay, Harvey Norman, iiNet, Suncorp Group, Unicef, The North Face, Rebel Sport and Chemmart. He also drove the agency's conversion rate optimisation offering: strategy, tooling, CRO and UX training, audits and testing across multiple clients. Along the way he built a network of affiliate websites that used SEO to attract more than a million visitors a month.

Since July 2021 he has co-hosted The SEO Show with Arthur Fabik: a weekly Australian SEO podcast that has passed 130 episodes, ranks among Australia's top 10 marketing podcasts, is heard in more than 100 countries and was nominated for an Australian Podcast Award. His work has been featured on Backlinko and Apple News, and Local Digital was named Best Large Integrated Agency at the 2022 APAC Search Awards.

Michael is based on the Gold Coast and splits his time between there and the agency's Sydney office.

Experience

1. 2015 – Present
   Co-founder & Director Local Digital · Parramatta NSW & Burleigh Heads QLD

   Co-founded the agency with Dominic Sergi in 2015. Grew it from a two-person freelance operation into a full-service growth agency that reached a team of 24 by 2023, delivering SEO, Google Ads, local SEO, conversion rate optimisation and lead generation campaigns for Australian service businesses.

2. Present
   Founder Postclick

   Done-for-you lead generation funnels, landing pages and websites for home service businesses. Sister brand to Local Digital.

3. Jul 2021 – Present
   Co-host The SEO Show

   Weekly SEO podcast co-hosted with Arthur Fabik. 130+ episodes, listeners in 100+ countries, Australian Podcast Awards nominee.

4. Ongoing
   Founder Affiliate website network

   Built and ranked a network of SEO-driven affiliate websites promoting a VPN offer, attracting more than a million visitors a month.

5. Jul 2014 – Feb 2015
   SEO / CRO Consultant APD · Sydney

   Drove the agency's CRO offering: strategy and development of the product, trialling new tools and systems, CRO and UX training, and CRO audits and tests for multiple clients.

6. Sep 2012 – Jul 2014
   SEO Executive APD · Sydney

   Search engine optimisation and conversion rate optimisation projects for multiple clients at a time, from blue-chip brands and well-known charities to large ecommerce sites, including eBay, Harvey Norman, iiNet, Suncorp Group, Unicef, The North Face, Rebel Sport and Chemmart.

7. Jul 2010 – Sep 2012
   Online Marketing & Business Development Manager Acorn Rentals · Sydney

   Managed all digital marketing for the business nationally, including the website redesign and launch, SEO, link building, PPC and email marketing. Rebuilt the site and ranked it first for target keywords such as “courtesy car”.

8. Jun 2009 – Jul 2010
   Marketing Assistant Acorn Rentals · Sydney

   First marketing role: business development and door-to-door sales for a car rental company, before moving into digital.

Certifications

• Google Search AdvertisingGoogle · Nov 2015
• Google AdWords Advertising FundamentalsGoogle · Mar 2015
• Conversion Optimisation CourseConversionXL · Jan 2014
• Google Analytics Individual QualificationGoogle · Dec 2013
• Web Fundamentals: HTML & CSSCodecademy · Dec 2013

Awards & recognition

• Best Large Integrated AgencyAPAC Search Awards 2022 · Local Digital
• Australian Podcast Awards nomineeAustralian Podcast Awards · The SEO Show
• Finalist in three categoriesSemrush Search Awards 2020 · Local Digital