Building successful digital teams is not about hiring based on experience, but rather on how they think, ability to work as a team and encouraging people to disagree. This is my story of building such a team and what I believe is the key.

2. 16 Awards in last 2 years
Best SEO Agency 3 years running

3. In September 2017 we sold to Omnicom Media Group

4. We were “testing” gravity

5. Off Page
70%
On Page
20%
Tech SEO
10%

6. Off Page
70%

9. We changed our strategy

10. and closed down the “content team”

11. 74
websites
everything
else

13. Target the biggest sites in order to snowball

14. https://www.vervesearch.com/linkscore/

15. Create campaigns that deserve more than
just links!

16. Our Work Regularly Receives Print Coverage
New York Post Washington Post The Mirror The Metro

17. Radio Coverage

18. TV3 (Sweden) NBC ITV
AND even TV Coverage

19. Greenpeace
Our work is regularly shared by high-profile organizations
WWF
NASA

20. and high profile figures

21. More sustainable strategy

27. In print On TVOn Radio
New York Post (250k)
Yahoo Finance (131k)
Today Show (NBC) (2.5
million)
Virgin Radio Canada (7.8k)
ESPN Radio (59k)
WKRC Radio (79k)
E!News (3 million)

28. 165 links
6 million views

32. GIF For TwitterBehind the Scenes Video for Youtube

34. 111 Links
350k views

37. 398 Links
2 million views

38. Yeah sure, cool campaigns.
But does it increase rankings??

39. After 12 months - 5 campaigns + outreach
Their target term, “Contact Lenses”, searched 74k times a month, moved
from position 12 at start to position 2
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
01/04/2017 31/05/2017 30/07/2017 28/09/2017 27/11/2017

40. After 4 months:
Keyword Search Volume Before After Change
CASINO 74,000 33 10 +23
blackjack 27,000 >100 20 ++
roulette 18,000 29 20 +9

41. Site-Wide Visibility
110,000
115,000
120,000
125,000
130,000
135,000
140,000
145,000
150,000
03/11/2016 03/01/2017 03/03/2017 03/05/2017 03/07/2017 03/09/2017
10% increase in visibility YoY

42. P E P L E

43. uper chickens
Source: Margaret Heffernan

44. Finding the “right” people

45. Experience is kinda bullshit in digital

46. The right person might not think to apply
to your job ad

47. Different job ads
With different titles

48. CVs are often a shortcut to missing talent

49. GRIT
(passion + perseverance)

50. Andrew

51. He’s also a gamer

53. Find people with DIFFERENT
strengths.

55. Developing People

56. The importance of NOT being agreeable!

57. AGREEABLE
DISAGREEABLE
GIVER TAKER
Source: inspired by Adam Grant

58. Encourage people to ask questions

60. Help people to be MORE
of who they ARE

61. SHOW them the way!!

62. Developed a competency framework
(single and management track)

63. Pathway to promotion

64. Competency Framework

66. Accountability grows through empathy
and understanding of other people

67. Cheers4Peers

69. Love Week

72. Culture is when it grows organically

75. Take care of people and people will
take care of results!

77. Thank You!
Lisa.Myers@vervesearch.com
@LisaDMyers