Find out more about our company, our history, the services that we offer and theEword team
We're a digital marketing agency in Manchester that specialises in paid and natural search engine marketing and commercial web design.
Our dedicated team of 20 marketing experts, designers, journalists and developers work hard for our clients, which is why we've seen so much success.
We use industry standard tools and channels, such as Google AdWords, Microsoft AdCenter and Yahoo Search Marketing as well as our own custom technologies and tools.
Our business and staff are accredited, transparent and experienced. We're experts in helping companies to improve their online marketing strategies and general online presence.
Find out more about our team below, or view more images of our team and offices.
theEword is a member of Microsoft AdExcellence, Manchester Digital and is also Google AdWords-certified.
theEword was formed in 2006 by design director Tom Glass and CEO Al Mackin, as the demand for professional marketing agencies grew. Both had been on the client side before - Al when he was head of e-commerce for Celltalk PLC and Tom when he worked with internet retail specialists ShopDirect - and they saw that there were no specialist marketing agencies who could provide a full service, from the formulation and execution of a marketing campaign to the analysis and optimisation of the website that the user visits.
Since its formation, theEword has grown from a team comprising just two to employing 20 members of staff (and it's still growing). The company has also received several awards from industry bodies: Al Mackin was named as one of Crain's Manchester Business magazine's 40 Under 40 - a list of the most successful people in the region under that age, while in September 2009, theEword itself made its debut in the TopSEOs list of the ten best SEO agencies in the UK, an accolade it still holds.
Meanwhile, the company has taken on board more than a dozen new clients in fields as varied as online gaming, energy efficiency and consumer technology.
Read more on theEword: Our Team | What makes us different | Client Testimonials | Press Releases
Chris Sheffield, one of the UK's most successful and respected technology entrepreneurs and an expert in turning start-up ventures such as E-unite and Million-2-1 into big success stories, was appointed chairman of theEword in March 2010. His role, as an active and vocal member of our board, has been to help shape strategy and act as an ambassador for the company.
Further details on Chris Sheffield
Al has been search engine optimising commercially since 1998, and has previously worked at Manchester.com; conceptualising, managing and marketing the online guide ManchesterAD.com. Subsequently he worked for Celltalk PLC as head of e-commerce, driving (at peak) a net margin of £40,000 per month; he also managed the SEO projects and a PPC spend that peaked at circa £100k/month.
Further details on Al Mackin
Tom has previously worked with Shopdirect, Abound, Additions and Innovations, as well as designing for charities. He headed up the online design team at Celltalk PLC, overseeing the creation of additional brands and online properties, and optimising the user interface, driving sales by maximising the conversion rate.
Further details on Tom Glass
Daniel started out as a content writer at theEword and has worked his way up to become Managing Director of the company. Today, he is responsible for ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of teams within the business, as well as heading up client liaison and quality control. His background is in content production, so he maintains close ties with our team of journalists.
Further details on Daniel Nolan
Mark is an IDM-certified digital marketer with 4 years experience in online marketing and e-commerce. He joined theEword team in September 2008, taking over the management of our PPC and SEO projects. Mark has worked for several large retail brands including Additions Direct, Great Universal and Kays.
Further details on Mark Baker
Adrian joined theEword having previously worked for one of Manchester's biggest SEO companies. He has nine years' experience in web development and his freelance portfolio includes contract work for the National Health Service and numerous bespoke projects. He is now responsible for the coding and development of theEword's internal and external projects.
Further details on Adrian Mursec
Kleon joined theEword team in order to help build relationships with prospective clients, and has been instrumental in our series of free SEO training sessions. Using skills honed working during his time at Apple, Kleon makes it his number one priority to generate and nurture business opportunities which benefit our clients as much as possible.
Further details on Kleon West
Richard joined theEword as a content writer and is now managing editor of the company. With a background predominantly in journalism, he co-ordinates the content output across all clients. Richard also manages SEO planning, PR activity, and some key social media accounts, including theEword Twitter feed.
Further details on Richard Frost
Percy Herbert has worked for theEword since 2008, and is now the editor of all our website content. He brings over ten years of experience in writing and editing to online output, including managing a leading entertainment website and studying an MA in creative writing.
Further details on Percy Herbert
Rachel Hand is a Content Writer at theEword, responsible for optimising web pages for our clients. She has a background in both print and online journalism as well as editorial experience, and now writes news, blogs, fixed content and promotional articles as part of our SEO strategy.
Further details on Rachel Hand
Lauren Knowles is a content writer at theEword, helping to produce optimised text for clients. Her previous experience working as a freelance copywriter has helped her greatly within the role, having given her the skills to write high-quality content to tight deadlines.
Further details on Lauren Knowles
Liane Baddeley works as a content writer at theEword on a freelance basis, helping to produce creative and optimised website content, news, blogs and promotional material. Liane has extensive experience in a variety of media and marketing contexts, including journalism, copywriting and website editing.
Further details on Liane Baddeley
Matthew joined theEword as a PHP developer, having previously worked for Excel Publishing as a web developer and technical project manager. He also has extensive experience in programming, database design, front-end development and online security, expertise which proves useful in building and maintaining client websites.
Further details on Matthew Pettitt
Natalie Booth joined theEword after gaining three years' marketing experience in Manchester. Her previous roles, which included working in-house for some of the region's largest brands, saw Natalie amass an impressive knowledge of the digital market. Her enthusiasm and passion for the industry was immediately apparent.
Further details on Natalie Booth
Bilal Alam is an online marketing assistant at theEword, responsible for client communication, link building and reporting. His previous experience is in enterprise projects, social media marketing, recruitment and television, while his education includes a BA in Business.
Further details on Bilal Alam
Matthew Lawson is an online marketing assistant at theEword, responsible for link building, reporting, and monitoring PPC account budgets. He has a degree in Business and Management and training with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, as well as extensive experience in digital marketing.
Further details on Matthew Lawson
Jennifer joined theEword after co-ordinating online marketing and social media for an events services agency. She has also completed a marketing internship at one of Manchester's top cultural attractions. As online marketing assistant at theEword, she is responsible for link building campaigns and reporting on progress to our clients.
Further details on Jennifer Leonard
Rik Cookson joined theEword after gaining extensive experience working for a number of search engine marketing agencies, where he worked with several large clients. At theEword he is responsible for optimising client PPC campaigns, reducing costs and increasing conversation rates.
Further details on Rik Cookson
Daniel joined theEword in November 2010 as our office apprentice, undergoing training in a number of disciplines from departments across the company. After showing great initiative, he now helps the marketing and content teams with tasks on a weekly basis. It is also Daniel's responsibility to deal with telephone enquiries and make sure that all visitors to the office are properly greeted and looked after.
Further details on Daniel Collins
Jade Smith is likely to be the first person clients meet when they come to the office, handling phone calls and greeting visitors with hot drinks and a smile. Jade is learning about the value of customer service while single-handedly running theEword reception.
Further details on Jade Smith
William Mainwaring is on a Business Administration Apprenticeship at theEword, working with the Business Development Manager to explore new opportunities for the company. He is also currently studying for a qualification in accounting and business finance.
Further details on William Mainwaring
Nicola joined theEword on a three-month placement as part of the Manchester Masters degree scheme. She works within the content team and regularly writes theEword news. In addition, she is working alongside theEword to compile a project and dissertation as part of her MSc in Business Practice.
Further details on Nicola Hughes
Carli began her placement as a copywriting intern at theEword after impressing with examples of her previous work and her enthusiasm to gain experience in SEO and commercial writing. She combines her role at the company with studying for finals at The University Of Manchester, where she has been reading Film Studies and Philosophy.
Further details on Carli Harris