Dana Todd

People of Search Marketing and SEO

Dana Todd: Asking the Tough Questions

Dana Todd was a news editor and journalist long before she became a search marketer. Anyone who knows her reputation in the search marketing industry wouldn’t be surprised by this—she never shies away from asking tough questions. From Google’s contextual advertising limits and rules to Yahoo!’s paid inclusion strategy, Dana speaks her mind on changes she views as detrimental without hesitation. It’s earned her a great deal of admiration as well as censure in the industry.


For example, it’s trendy for search marketers to talk about personalized search as the wave of the future. Dana isn’t so sure. She’s spoken frankly about the issue, saying she believes that while personalized search sounds great on paper—search engines deliver results that are tailor-made to the consumer, based on their search history—she believes it will fall flat in delivery. The algorithm assumes that people are always a certain way—always looking for the same things—and she believes there’s no way to automate the workings of a human mind.

In the early 90’s, Dana made the switch from journalism to advertising. She spent four years as an account manager and consultant, working primarily with clients in technology and biotechnology. She worked with various ad agencies before finding a home with Bien Logic in 1996. It was an agency getting involved in search engine optimization at just the right time—and Dana thrived in the fast-paced, 24/7 environment of search marketing. A year later, she helped create SiteLab as a subsidiary—an agency specializing in search and Internet marketing.

Many search marketers start their own consulting business after finding some success with online marketing. But Dana has stayed at SiteLab, leading the marketing team there to greater success. Today, the agency specializes in pay-per-click and keyword-based ad placement, mainly due to Dana’s expertise in those areas. Industry analysts, SEO strategists, and the press seek her out for her knowledge on paid SEO strategy, especially paid placement and inclusion.

Dana remains the driving force behind SiteLab’s success. She believes in putting her clients in dominant positions in search engine rankings while retaining central branding strategy, and works hard to incorporate solid SEO technique into conversion-friendly and brand-consistent design to establish a truly effective online presence for her clients. In her role at SiteLab, she’s worked with many high-profile clients, including TurboTax, Gateway, and WD-40.

Dana is also sought after as a speaker, and has been a major draw at Search Engine Strategies, ad:Tech, and the Direct Marketing Association’s series of conferences. There, she’s known for her take-no-prisoners style and candid discussion about the pros and cons of search marketing strategy.

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