Two industry veterans have teamed up to launch a new digital marketing agency which promises to to “put exploration at the heart of their approach to strategy.”
Search Theory, founded by recently departed Candidsky CEO David Vernon and his former colleague and Candidsky director of SEO Sara Kavanagh, is a new digital marketing agency that aims to meet growing demand from brands seeking deeper strategic partnerships and measurable performance across a wide range of digital channels.
Concerned with the rise of business models that offer pre-packaged and AI-stuffed approaches to search, the duo has set out to create an agency to “take search back to its roots of rigorous curiosity and exploration” to understand how search truly works, without losing the collaborative edge that brands really want and need to achieve results in their industry.
The agency will be offering a full range of services, including SEO, paid media, digital PR and digital marketing, with the aim to add additional channels as the company scales.
Vernon said: “I’m incredibly proud to be launching Search Theory alongside Sara. Collectively we’ve spent years deep in search, working with teams to test what works, breaking what doesn’t, and figuring out where real growth actually comes from.
“The rise of AI technology and new platforms in search has been incredible, but it’s also made it too easy to accept surface-level answers and stop asking the right questions. Search always used to be about exploring what works, reading between the lines in data and testing the boundaries of what we know. That curiosity is where real innovation comes from, and where we really believe we can secure real, tangible results for the brands we work with.
He added: “We want to build an agency where clients give us a mission, and we go out and explore it properly. No templates, no guesswork, no AI fluff, just solid strategy informed by real data and backed by real people. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve done so far and what we will be able to achieve.”
Co-founder Kavanagh added: “We’ve both seen what real success in search looks like, and we’ve also seen where things can be better, so this is our chance to build something that genuinely reflects that. What matters most to me is that we’re building something grounded. We want to push further, challenge how search is done, and create strategies that get our clients to where they want to be and beyond.
“If we can help brands grow and enjoy the process too, then we’re onto something really special. I’m looking forward to growing a team that’s as passionate about a scientific approach to marketing as we are. David and I have always believed that the people are the brand and we want to build a team that has strong values and is full of curiosity.”
The team will be attending BrightonSEO this year to introduce Search Theory to the wider industry, and in the weeks that follow the launch will be advertising for a range of positions to grow the team.
Vernon added: “It’s amazing being able to launch Search Theory on the eve of one of the biggest events in our industry. I’ve spent years attending, learning, meeting people there, so to be going back as part of a really exciting new venture is a bit of a moment if I’m honest. I’m genuinely excited to bring what we’ve built to the event, get it in front of people, have some real conversations, and show what we’re all about.”
Search Theory launches with immediate effect and is now accepting new clients across multiple industries and sectors.
