Interim Agency Leadership
Keep clients and your SEO team steady while you hire
When your SEO director leaves, we step in as interim SEO director to lead the team, protect client relationships and keep delivery on track.
- Clients reassured from week one
- A team with clear priorities
- A smooth handoff to your next director
- Agencies served
- 5+Agencies served
- Average client tenure
- 3+ yearsAverage client tenure
- Brands served
- 20+Brands served
- Of SEO experience
- 13 yearsOf SEO experience
Why it matters
Losing an SEO director puts accounts at risk
In an agency, the SEO director holds the client relationships, the quality bar and the team together. When they leave, clients notice quickly, and the team loses its reference point.
Interim Agency Leadership fills the role for an agreed period. We lead your SEO team, review client deliverables, join key client calls and keep work moving. Then we help you hire and onboard the permanent director.
Best when
When agencies call us
- Your SEO director resigned. The search is on, and accounts can't wait for it to finish.
- Key accounts are at risk. A major client needs a steady hand right now.
- Your team needs a leader. Strong practitioners, but nobody setting the standard.
- You're between growth stages. You've outgrown the old structure, and the new one isn't hired yet.
What you get
What interim leadership covers
- Team leadershipWeekly priorities, one-on-ones on the work and help where people are stuck.
- Client relationship supportA steady leader on key accounts, on calls and in reviews.
- Quality reviewDeliverables checked before they reach clients.
- ResourcingWorkloads balanced so the most important accounts get the right people.
- Hiring supportRole definition, candidate review and interviews for the permanent director.
- HandoffA written summary of every account and the team, ready for your new director.
How it works
How it works
- Week 1Handover
We meet the team, review accounts and flag anything at risk.
- Weeks 2–4Stabilize
Priorities set, at-risk clients contacted and quality checks in place.
- OngoingLead
Day-to-day leadership of the team and its client work.
- Final weeksHand off
We onboard your new director and transfer every account cleanly.
At a glance
What working together looks like
- Length
- Three to six months
- Time
- Scoped to the role you need covered
- Cadence
- Weekly team meetings and agency leadership updates
- Who you work with
- Max Cowan
- Investment
- Monthly retainer, starting at $5,000
Proof
Trusted inside 5+ agencies
During a six-month interim engagement, we led the search side of a fast-growing agency's pitches and RFPs. The agency closed multiple enterprise clients while its own specialists stayed focused on existing accounts.
- Agencies served
- 5+Agencies served
- Average client tenure
- 3+ yearsAverage client tenure
- Brands served
- 20+Brands served
- Of SEO experience
- 13 yearsOf SEO experience
FAQ
Questions about Interim Agency Leadership
How fast can you start?
Usually within two weeks of signing, starting with a structured handover.
Will clients know you're interim?
That's your call. We can be introduced as your interim SEO director or simply as a member of your team.
Will you manage our SEO team?
Yes. We set priorities, review work and support your team day to day, while HR and line management stay with your agency.
Can you help us hire the permanent director?
Yes. We help define the role, review candidates, join interviews and onboard your new director.
What if a client is unhappy?
We meet with the client, often alongside your account lead, find the root of the issue and agree on a recovery plan. Steadying accounts is a core part of the role.
Next step
Keep accounts steady through the gap
Tell us what's changed and which accounts need attention first.
- Tell us what's going onIt takes about two minutes.
- Talk with MaxA 30-minute call with Max to dig into the details.
- Get a clear next stepA short written recommendation, whether or not we work together.