Family-Run • 17 Years
Built by Family. Backed by 13,277+ SEO Campaigns.
This isn't a faceless agency with a revolving door of account managers. Matt LaClear is a family-run growth team — three people who've worked side by side for years, building real results for real businesses. We've executed 13,277+ SEO campaigns over 17 years, and the same people who built that track record are the ones you'll actually work with.
Quick answer
This page exists to answer a high-stakes buyer question fast: “Who is actually behind the work?” The answer is that the same senior, family-run team presented here is the team shaping strategy, technical execution, authority work, and communication. If you want to verify the system around them, review the media page, founder profile, and case studies next.
13,277+
SEO Campaigns
17 Years
In the Game
100% U.S.-Based
Headquartered in Lansing, MI
1,900+
Page-1 Rankings
3 Strategists
Zero Outsourcing
Leadership
The Team Behind the Campaigns
Operating model
Senior strategy stays inside the same room from planning through execution
The premium difference is not just experience. It is continuity. Matt sets direction, Danielle pressure-tests technical quality, Marc strengthens authority pathways, and Cathy keeps the communication layer clear and human.
That means buyers do not have to translate strategy across departments or wonder whether the people they met in the sales process are still close to the work once the engagement begins.
Matt LaClear
Founder & Chief Strategist
SEO Strategy
Web Development
Sales & Growth
Campaign Architecture
GEO
Matt has been in the trenches of digital marketing for 17 years, building what started as a solo hustle into a growth agency that's executed over 13,277+ SEO campaigns — and he hasn't done it alone. He handles strategy, sales, and web development, and he's the kind of founder who's still personally involved in the work, not just the meetings. He literally wrote the book on it (Authority First) and hosts the Rankings and Retainers podcast for SEO pros who want real tactics, not fluff. Outside of work, Matt is rooted in Lansing, Michigan, where he lives and runs the business.
Danielle Peffers
Senior On-Page & Technical SEO Strategist
On-Page SEO
Technical SEO
Site Audits
Client Relations
Core Web Vitals
Schema & Structured Data
Danielle is the reason so many of the agency's 13,277+ SEO campaigns actually converted — because rankings don't mean much if the on-page foundation is broken. She's one of the sharpest on-page and technical SEO minds in the country, and she's been instrumental in building the systems the agency runs on today. A former partner in the business, Danielle made the choice to step back from the leadership side to spend more time with her family — but she never stepped back from the work. She still leads technical audits, on-page strategy, and client relationships with the same intensity she always has. She just does it on her own terms now.
Marc LaClear
Senior Link Acquisition Strategist
Link Building
Guest Post Outreach
Authority Strategy
Editorial Placements
Backlink Analysis
Marc has been building links for 17 years — which means he was doing this before most people even knew what a backlink was. He's been a driving force behind the agency's 13,277+ SEO campaigns, leading the link acquisition strategy that's helped clients in healthcare, finance, legal, home services, and just about everything in between earn real authority. Marc is the kind of link builder who thinks editorially, not transactionally — every placement has a purpose. When he's not hunting down high-quality backlink opportunities, he's probably spending time with family — the LaClear agency is a family operation at its core, and Marc is a big reason it's stayed that way.
Specialization Map
Who Owns What Inside the Operating Model
The team stays intentionally small, but each person owns a distinct layer of campaign performance. That separation is part of what keeps strategy, execution, and communication from getting diluted.
Matt LaClear
Owns positioning, growth strategy, campaign architecture, and commercial fit — including the book, podcast, and founder authority layer that supports the brand publicly.
Best fit: buyers who need direction, sequencing, and a senior view of what to prioritize first.
Danielle Peffers
Owns technical audits, on-page structure, Core Web Vitals, schema quality, and much of the clarity clients need when technical work has to become a real action plan.
Best fit: pages with structural drag, underperforming service content, and implementation details that need senior QA.
Marc LaClear
Owns outreach quality, editorial placement strategy, and authority-building decisions that help rankings hold up in competitive and trust-sensitive markets.
Best fit: brands that need stronger trust signals, cleaner link profiles, and authority growth without shortcuts.
Cathy LaClear
Owns the communication and coordination layer that keeps the agency responsive, organized, and human while the strategists stay focused on the work itself.
Best fit: every engagement that needs smooth onboarding, clear next steps, and fewer dropped details.
Behind the Scenes
The Glue That Holds It Together
Cathy LaClear
Client Relations Specialist
Client Communication
Admin & Operations
Scheduling
Account Support
Cathy keeps the agency running smoothly behind the scenes. She handles the day-to-day admin, makes sure nothing falls through the cracks, and is often the first friendly voice clients hear when they reach out. In a family-run operation, she's the one holding it all together.
Process
How We Work
You hire three strategists — not a department. Every campaign that leaves this agency is touched by the same team that's been building them for 17 years. Matt sets the strategy. Danielle makes sure the technical foundation is bulletproof. Marc builds the authority that makes rankings stick. There's no intake team, no junior handoff, no "your new account manager" email three months in. We stay small so we can stay good — and so every client gets the senior-level attention that most agencies reserve for their biggest accounts.
Authority Footprint
The Team Works Inside a Public, Verifiable System
This company does not ask buyers to trust invisible expertise. The founder framework, the podcast, the media appearances, and the team structure all create a visible authority trail around the work.
Founder Profile
See the strategic background behind the team
Matt’s profile explains the methodology, background, and commercial thinking behind how this team operates.
View founder profile → Media & PressReview the public authority footprint
Podcast appearances, published resources, and interview materials show the expertise is not trapped inside private client work.
See media page → ServicesSee how the team is mapped to delivery
Service pages show how strategy, technical cleanup, authority building, and communication are organized into real deliverables.
Review services →From the Founder
From the Founder
Matt wrote Authority First as a step-by-step playbook for becoming the obvious choice in your market — the same framework the agency runs on every day. He also hosts Rankings and Retainers, a podcast built for SEO professionals and agency owners who want real tactics from real campaign data, not recycled theory. For bios and interview resources, see our media & press page, or learn more about Matt.
Delivery Structure
How the team supports execution
Each senior lane exists to keep strategy, implementation, and client communication aligned.
Strategy
Planning, sequencing, and commercial prioritization
Technical SEO
Site health, crawlability, and implementation quality
Authority building
Trust assets, positioning, and supporting content systems
Client experience
Expectation-setting, communication, and accountable follow-through
Common follow-up questions
How should serious buyers use the team page?
Does this page show the real delivery team?
Yes. The point of this page is to make the operating model visible before the first call so buyers can see who owns strategy, technical quality, authority building, and communication.
What should I review after the team page?
Move next to the media page, founder profile, case studies, and guarantee terms if you are verifying trust from multiple angles.
When should I book a consultation?
Book once the team structure, public proof, and service model all look credible enough that you want help mapping the right next step for your business.
Let's Talk
Ready to Talk Strategy?
No pitch decks. No pressure. Just a straightforward conversation about where you are, where you want to be, and whether we're the right team to get you there. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you that too.