Jitendra Vaswani is the founder of Digiexe Complete Digital Marketing Services, internet-marketing blog Bloggersideas.com, and tech blog TechNoven.com. Like most tech founders, he is a self-taught SEO and blogging expert, and made his way up the hard way. Currently, Jiten consults with startups to increase their social media and organic presence in terms of SEO & content marketing.

1. Hi, Jitendra. Could you please introduce yourself to Simplilearn Users?

Hi! First off, thanks for setting up the interview, Ram. I am a professional blogger and hustler in digital marketing. I run the internet marketing blog BloggersIdeas.com, and currently in the process of launching a WordPress plugin for schema ratings SchemaNinja.com. This plugin can be integrated into blogs to help people make money online. Both novices and experienced digital marketers will find the product useful. I am trying to keep the design as neat and clean as I possibly can.

2. You are an expert in SEO and Blogging. How did you get into this field?

When I was in the final year of engineering, I heard about this up and coming field called Search Engine Optimization from my friend. He said SEO might be the right field for me as I was good at marketing and also had a good grasp of the English language. So I started off by signing up for a few freelance projects, and we would both share the profits from these tasks. However, I did not gain a comprehensive understanding of SEO until I commenced my first, full-time SEO job at a salary of 100$! But this gig taught me a lot about SEO. I became so interested in digital marketing that I eventually decided to build a career in the field.

I also learned a thing or two about blogging when working on SEO projects for my clients. My friend told me that I was knowledgeable enough to set up an SEO blog and help people learn. So I did, and BloggersIdeas.com was born! Getting into blogging changed my life in ways I had not imagined.

3. How has your journey been, so far?

It’s been good! I enjoy the freedom that blogging affords me. Fulltime blogging has also given me so much that my family has now started believing in my dream, though when I first started blogging, nobody supported me! People used to demotivate me and mock my lonely life because I would work all the time.

4. What were the major challenges you faced while mastering these skills?

I faced lot of challenges while running my blog. I didn’t know much about the Wordpress platform, at the time, and the learning curve was fairly steep. I had, however, made some good friends in the industry, so I was able to learn from them over Skype sessions.

These days I get a lot of mail from newbies asking me for the secret to making it big. My answer has always remained the same: there is no shortcut to success in life, don’t make excuses in your life. You need to work hard to give anything your best shot.

5. At Simplilearn, we offer an SEO Specialist Masters Program designed to help beginners to SEO flatten their learning curve. What do you think about this course?

I found the course to be very useful for professionals who want to grow in the digital marketing space. The training has some detailed information about advanced SEO techniques. These days, there are very few institutes in the country who are able to provide real value. Simplilearn is doing wonderful job by giving people immense value-add with their digital marketing offerings. Keep doing this and inspire people around the world. And it would be my pleasure to train a class of Simplilearn graduates in SEO.

6. Why do you think it’s important for entrepreneurs and traditional marketers to learn digital marketing, today? Do you have any suggestions for them?

There are roughly over 3 billion internet-users in the world, and a significant proportion of them are mobile users. So there is a huge business opportunity for marketers to tap into. I was myself a frustrated engineer, and getting into digital marketing has changed my life. The digital world has brought so many positive changes in my life, and yes - I love my ‘laptop lifestyle’! My entire business is runs over the internet, so the web gives me the power to make money.

7. You are an expert in SEO and brand-building through blogging\networking. Do you have any tips for our readers who may be budding SEO bloggers?

I have recently prepared a video on networking with big people in this industry. I was annoyed when people recently approached me over social media and mails, literally begging me to help them and teach them how to make money online. Instead of using Google, simply asking me how to make money online will not get you an answer from me. You need to learn how to use search engines to do your research! I’m a self-taught SEO specialist, and I used Google to find all my information! I established good connections in my industry by networking with them at events and developing trust by having professional conversations. I never begged them to teach me.

8. You have recently started your own digital agency “Digiexe”. What’s your vision for this venture?

Yes - DigiExe is my digital agency. I provide digital services to my private clients and don’t entertain every one. Only clients who have high budgets to play with and are willing to agree to my way of doing things. Digiexe will always remain my backup plan. Currently, I working toward launching my product SchemaNinja.com. I’m planning on making this product evergreen, and want to give the WordPress community one of the best schema ratings plugin ever. So I am looking forward to work with Simplilearn - and I am expecting a good response from you guys too for the launch of SchemaNinja!

9. What are the top 3 link-building mistakes committed by organizations, and how can one overcome these mistakes?

There are many link-building mistakes brands make. For starters, many brands still don’t take the time to understand what SEO really is and how it works. They just want to rank high in a short time and want to beat their competitors. They don’t focus on long-term business strategies. Brands need to look for something that works for them both long-term and short-term.

My advice would be this - whenever you’re hiring an agency for SEO, deep-dive into their case studies, and help them understand your style of working. Having clear expectations and goals will help in better results always.

10. Any additional, final tips for aspiring digital marketers?

To become a sharp digital marketer, you need to adapt yourself to become conversant with the digital space. Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest trends in digital marketing. Keep an open mind and learn from every one. Build relationships, attend events to network with the right people, and grow your business 10X. Remember - your network is your net worth.