It’s been a big year for us at Upward Engine! Now in our second decade of serving clients around Utah with all their SEO company needs, we underwent a major rebranding from our prior company title of SEO Werkz – and while most of our focus is on the future and helping our clients continue to grow their thriving businesses, we also want to take some time to look back at the path that got us here.
From our beloved CEO Paul Staten to several other longtime employees who have been with us through many of our biggest evolutions, many of our team members showcase our growth and success. Here’s a look back at what got us here – some major milestones throughout the years, plus perspective from Paul and some of our other long-tenured staffers.
Major Upward Engine Milestones
In 2013, what was then known as SEO Werkz launched as a company. We were a very small group at the time, with under a dozen full-time employees, and primarily handled simple SEO and basic web development services. In 2014, we expanded to offering Pay-Per-Click (PPC) services as well.
From there, though, we’ve seen a number of major events that helped propel us to where we are today:
- Core staff: During the years following launch, many of our foundational team members joined on. Chris Siebeneck, our longest-tenured salesperson, came aboard in 2014 and has recently crossed a decade with us. Mark Singleton, our technology guru, joined up in 2016. In 2017, we brought aboard our first account manager in Daphne DeJesus, along with administrator Angie Tolman who greatly expanded Paul’s bandwidth and ability to grow the business.
- Acquisitions: SEO Werkz made two major acquisitions in 2018 and 2020. The first of these was Be Locally, a team focused on small programs with setters and closers. This acquisition brought us Destiny Pidgeon, who has become a key team member overseeing SEO and our processes. “I came to Upward Engine through our very first acquisition and it was terrifying at first,” Destiny says. “However, I could not be happier with how everything turned out. I have had the privilege of growing alongside my friends and the company. It truly has been a journey that I could not have predicted.”
The second was the acquisition of Back 2 Black, a B2B marketing company. We also made smaller acquisitions of Atria and Online Optimized Marketing in 2021, then with Climb Marketing in 2022. Finally, in 2023, we acquired Firetoss to bring amazing talent across multiple team members. - Rebranding: This year, we’ve rebranded to Upward Engine with the following purpose statement: “Upward Engine provides leading edge, results-driven digital marketing accessible for businesses of all kinds. We strive to earn the trust of our clients as we communicate honestly, proactively innovate, and hold ourselves accountable to bring positive worth. Our enthusiasm is fueled by helping our clients achieve and exceed their goals. We value our work family and seek professional development as we cultivate our passion for marketing. Lasting partnerships that provide a positive impact is our ultimate goal.”
“Throughout the history of the company there were moments where we would bid on a project and I wasn’t fully confident that we could handle some of the complex projects that we ran into,” Staten says. “Today, I am fully confident in our capabilities to take on complex campaigns. Whether that be SEO, in the enterprise space, or the small business that needs an affordable partner. Advertising campaigns that are beyond lead gen, being able to handle e-commerce and complex lead gen or top of funnel strategies. Web development and design that require a creative eye and complex development. Today we are equipped to handle all of it!”
Perspectives from Longtime Staffers
Several of our longtime team members have been huge parts of our growth and success. It wasn’t always easy, either.
“In the 7 years I’ve been here, we’ve gone through the trenches together, facing some really tough moments that could make anyone throw in the towel,” says Angie Tolman. “But we don’t quit! These experiences have given us the grit and stamina to overcome anything; and grow stronger together as a team.”
Much of our ability to make it through these tough times comes back to our adaptability. We’re a versatile, flexible company that recognizes the value of constant evolution in the SEO and digital marketing world.
“Something that I think is truly amazing about Upward Engine is how much we lean into change,” Destiny says. “We are quick to respond to any opportunity to improve our processes, services, expertise, etc. We regularly try new things and each time we come out better for it.”
All of these qualities have led us to fantastic growth, becoming one of Utah’s top SEO companies. We offer everything from local SEO services to white label SEO, PPC solutions, social media marketing and more.
So if you’re a business in need of some SEO help, contact Upward Engine today to learn more about our services and how we can take your company’s online presence to the next level. And thank you for being part of our journey so far – here’s to many more years of success and growth!