The SEO Works, a leading digital growth agency based in Sheffield, has announced its official transition to employee ownership, marking a significant milestone in the agency’s journey.
The move sees ownership pass from founders Neil Palmer and Simon Margetts to the company’s staff via an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). This step reflects a strategic focus on long-term sustainability, brand development, and rewarding those at the heart of the business.
Established in 2009, The SEO Works has grown steadily over 16 years into a team of over 80 professionals, offering a comprehensive range of services including SEO, PPC, Digital PR, Web development, and Social Media.
The agency, widely recognised for its responsible approach to growth and people-first values, has maintained its headquarters in Sheffield throughout its expansion. With a strong emphasis on culture and local talent, the move to employee ownership is a natural evolution of its core mission.
“I’m incredibly excited by this development. Our transition to being employee-owned is the perfect evolution, reflecting who we’ve always been – a business driven by its people.
Across the last 16 years, we’ve grown from an exciting local start-up to one of the leading digital growth agencies in the North – all thanks to our team of experts. Our future as an agency has always been in their hands, but now it’s official,” said CEO Ben Foster.
The agency recently earned the title of Global Integrated Search Agency of the Year, and will continue operating under its current management model. With three active directors, a skilled senior leadership team, and team-specific ‘pod leaders’, the company assures clients and partners it remains business as usual—albeit with greater transparency and internal collaboration.
“For us, an Employee Ownership Trust was the obvious choice,” said Managing Director James Corry. “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built here as a team, and of the brilliant service we deliver to our clients. This transition allows us to retain that, whilst bolstering the very thing that makes us so great – our culture.
This is a very exciting step and gives a genuine stake in the business to all of our brilliant team members!”
The change has been made possible with the support of Shawbrook Bank and Brabners LLP, who played key roles in bringing the transition to life.
Anthony Dean, Senior Director at Shawbrook Corporate Leverage, added: “We are delighted to support The SEO Works Ltd in their transition to an Employee Ownership Trust. The business has a strong management team with a clear vision for the future, and we admire their ambition to give employees a greater share in the strategic direction of the company. The SEO Works Ltd is a well-established leader in its market, and we are excited to see how they continue to evolve under this new structure.”
