427 celebrates 8 years

I was asked recently on a podcast about what drove me to start 427. The answer was essentially that it’s something I have always wanted to do. I have never really enjoyed working under the traditional rules of 22 days holiday and having to be in the office all day etc. I have also always wanted the autonomy to build something that was mine and a place I would love to work. 8 years on and I am incredibly proud of what we have built so far. We have a team of nine happy people who can take as much holiday as they want, can work when they like during the week, and feel they have a voice and a safe space in which to thrive.

However, our team and workplace are only one part of what we do. We also offer a service, and that is at the core of 427. Has it changed over the years? Oh yes…in many ways. Not only has what we do continued to get better every year as the team and skillsets grow, but SEO has also changed too. Now more than ever it is our job to continue to deliver on the core service, and to keep that service evolving to meet the changes in search; these include AI and the growth of other search platforms like social media.

It isn’t easy, and anyone that says that it is is lying, but it is fun and I am so proud to have a team that have a positive outlook in this ever changing world of search.

When I think about the early days of 427 with me in my little home office working with some lovely clients, many of whom were friends who needed some marketing help, 8 years does feel like a very long time. However, as I mentioned above, it really is just the beginning. Not only is search changing faster than ever, and we have so much going on around that, but the overall business identity and momentum is really starting to evolve.

The future of search is complex, and no one really knows how everything will pan out. But I am hugely confident in the 427 team in the sense that we are embracing a creative approach. Everyone is learning new things as well as testing new platforms and ideas. We are bringing in SEO as a tool to be better, not to cut corners. We are also joyfully testing optimising other channels like social media while also working on traditional search engines. Change can either be positive or negative and I feel it’s a subjective thing. We have collectively chosen to enjoy the changes and embrace them as a chance to do more exciting things rather than avoid them or be negative about them and that is one of the many reasons I am so proud of the 427 team and the business as a whole.

The future of 427 is gloriously as open and undefined as the future of search. We will certainly be growing but that’s a by-product of several things. We will adapt and create so we can deliver more commercial value to our clients across all search platforms, and as a result we will continue to build.

I will also continue to enjoy podcasts and public speaking which is something I would never have done 8 years ago. As a business we will continue to provide a safe, happy and positive work environment where people are proud to be involved. All these things will come together and create the 427 I will be just as excited about in 8 years from now as I am now.

With just nine people, 427 can feel big to me and tiny to others, so to that end lets keep this thing growing!

Happy Birthday 427 and thank you to everyone involved; you are all valued and you are all part of this thing we call our agency.