Who are you and what is your business?
My name is Lesley Anderson and I run Search Party Digital Marketing, a search engine optimization consultancy in Rockport specializing in local and enterprise SEO strategies that blend the creative and the technical to help make site visitors and search engines happy! I’ve been providing SEO strategies to clients for a decade and officially registered Search Party in 2023. I provide the SEO services, and for clients interested in social media management, paid search, or web design, I have a tight-knit expert network that I collaborate with and refer to.
Please provide a brief description of your company
Search Party is a tongue-in-cheek name that I chose to reflect the business I’m in (search engine optimization), and also the idea that I want to bring a sense of fun and authenticity to something that can often feel clinical or overwhelming for people. I’m a real person and my ideal clients are also real folks who value warmth and a god sense of humor (as well as expertise and results, of course!).
I provide full-spectrum SEO services, including:
- Technical audits
- Keyword research
- Competitor analysis
- Content strategy
- Backlink analysis
- Local SEO setup and strategy
- Reporting and analysis
For those new to SEO, I basically do a ton of research using industry tools and my creative brain to figure out where people’s ideal customers are interacting online and what they’re looking for, and take all of that information to develop strategies to help clients’ websites get in front of the right people at the right time. This involves things like making technical adjustments, crafting a content strategy, and setting up tools like Google Business Profile to capitalize on local search traffic. I take it a step further than many SEO consultants by also providing the option for writing content if a client doesn’t have a writing team (thanks, technical writing degree!). If clients do have writers or want to write content themselves, I’m happy to provide SEO training to help empower them to approach their writing from a search engine-friendly angle.
What inspired you to start your business and what keeps you going? (stories, inspirations, skills, etc.)
After a decade working in agency environments, I decided to branch out on my own in early 2023, or perhaps I should say, my body and brain decided for me. I was experiencing severe burnout. At any given time, I was working with businesses in every industry from local movers to Fortune 500 cybersecurity companies, senior living providers, global research institutes, online education providers, luxury baby products, even an organic cookie dough company. This helped me to quickly gain a ton of real-world experience, but left me longing for the ability to be more in charge of my workload and who I dedicate my attention to. There were a few favorite clients where I felt myself really looking forward to our meetings, and I wanted more of that feeling. In an agency environment, you unfortunately don’t get to have a say in the clients you work with and attention is split between over a dozen accounts. By starting Search Party, I’m able to really make sure the folks I work with are people I’m excited to collaborate with and running businesses I can put my heart behind, and that everyone gets dedicated, one-on-one attention.
What keeps me going? The desire to have a life that feels more balanced, and to help my clients do the same. SEO is something most business owners sorta-kinda know about and know they ‘should’ pay attention to, but it quickly becomes another source of stress. Being able to get tangible results for people while taking that stress off and allowing them to focus on the things they’re best at is very rewarding.
What aspect of your business are you most passionate about? (history, conversation pieces, etc.)
I’m most passionate about the entrepreneurial aspect of my business, and that I can put my strategic brain to use in helping other people build their businesses. I’m not necessarily a ‘business coach’, but that’s part of my role as well. By looking at clients’ websites and their approach to how they present themselves online, I inevitably bring some business strategy to our engagement while I’m researching their competitors and the search traffic in their industry. Being able to bring together my nerdy data-loving side with a more creative strategy side helps ensure that every project is a little different.
Is there something unique about your business that you’d like to share that most people wouldn’t know about?
Yes! A lot of folks think SEO means Google Ads. That’s known as PPC (pay per click) advertising, and it’s a separate service. I have some experience with that as well but am happy to refer people to an excellent colleague if that’s what they’re most interested in. SEO refers to the organic or ‘unpaid’ acquisition of traffic – focusing on getting your site to naturally show up on search engines for the right terms when your target audience is searching for what you have to offer. The (ethical!) techniques I use generate results that are more gradual and cumulative.
What sets your business apart from other similar businesses? (defining qualities, practices or approaches)
There is no shortage of SEO consultancies out there, many making big claims about keyword ranking guarantees for suspiciously cheap prices. I will never guarantee you a #1 position on Google for specific keywords, and if anyone ever does, run!! Many SEO businesses use “black hat” tactics (unethical tactics that try to ‘game the system’ with Google that, at best, stop working, and at worst, often end up getting your site penalized or flat-out blacklisted). I take an extremely ethical, above-board approach to SEO and promise that to my clients. My conscience will have it no other way. I’m running a woman-owned business, enthusiastically welcoming of clients of all gender identities, I identify as a Highly Sensitive Person (shout out to fellow empathic HSPs!) and I believe in the people behind businesses. Bonus: I will not trap you in endless unnecessary Zoom meetings!
Do you have a goal you want your business to achieve in the next one, 5 or 10 years?
In the next year, I would love to have a roster of friendly clients who are creating products and services I’m really rooting for, on Cape Ann and beyond! In the longer term, I’d like to be able to introduce other brilliant contractors to clients and build a small agency that really embodies the ‘anti-agency’ mindset – giving everyone a manageable workload of clients they’re excited to work with, fostering an environment of trust, flexibility, and autonomy, paying consultants well for their excellent work and allowing work to serve their life, not the other way around – all while getting amazing results for our clients.
Why do you love the Greater Cape Ann region and doing business locally?
I grew up in Rockport and, after several years in greater Boston suburbs and a stint in Portland, ME, returned to Rockport in 2016. I’m so happy to be back! I would really love to be able to help the community that has been there for me for so much of my life. It was a really incredible experience as a younger person seeing familiar faces at the grocery store or out and about and feeling that sense of community support growing up. As an adult, I’m in a position to be able to make a tangibly positive impact on the economy and individual lives of community members on Cape Ann, and I’m excited about that. I’m also really looking forward to continuing to network with other business owners and feeling like I’m more ‘a part of things’ after having been away for several years.
As someone doing business in this area, how has or how can the Chamber help your business?
The Chamber has been a great resource to me so far! I’ve attended some networking events both virtually and in person, and honestly, even beyond the business aspect of things, it’s really helped my overall wellbeing. With working from home and navigating the pandemic, life can feel so isolating and disconnected at times. Getting to feel like I’m a part of a community and having been so supported so far by people I’ve met has been a bolster to my self-confidence when taking the leap toward owning my own business. Thank you, Greater Cape Ann Chamber! I’m excited to see what’s to come for me as a business owner and a resident of Cape Ann. J
For more information, my website is https://searchparty.digital where you can book a free 50 minute SEO consultation, and my email is lesley@searchparty.digital