Sarah Spence

Search-First Strategist, Speaker and Educator

I help in-house marketers evolve from SEO-only thinking to Search-First Strategy so their brands become discoverable, retrievable and citable across Traditional, AI and Social search.

WHY MY SEARCh-FIRST APPROACH IS A HOT TOPIC

Search has changed. Traditional SEO still matters, but it is no longer the whole game. Human search behaviour is fragmenting across Google, AI platforms and social search. I help brands respond with a Search-First Strategy grounded in human search demand, ownable topic authority and content ecosystems.

I'm proud to have been featured in...

WHAT DO I DO?

I help in-house marketers and ambitious brands find clarity in the chaos of modern search.

My work sits at the intersection of Search-First Strategy, content ecosystems, AI search visibility and content-led growth. That means helping brands move beyond SEO-only thinking and build the authority they need to be discoverable, retrievable and citable across traditional search, AI search and the wider digital discovery landscape.

In practice, that can look like:

developing a Search-First Strategy grounded in human search demand
identifying the ownable topic spaces a brand can genuinely lead
mapping the content, channels and distribution needed to build authority
helping teams improve their visibility across Google, AI search experiences and other search-led surfaces
delivering workshops, training, advisory and strategic support for in-house teams, senior leaders and founders who want a clearer path forward

Whether I’m working with an eCommerce brand trying to respond to changing search behaviour, or a B2B team trying to build thought leadership that actually drives discovery, my goal is always the same:

to help the right audience find you, trust you and choose you.

WHAT MAKES MY PERSPECTIVE DIFFERENT?

Human-search-first, not channel-first

I don’t believe brands need a separate strategy for every new platform or acronym. The real shift is in how humans search for information, compare options and make decisions. That’s the change I help brands respond to.

Strategy before tactics

I’m not interested in random acts of content, trend-chasing or surface-level optimisation. The best results come from stepping back, understanding the audience, the demand and the opportunity, and then making smart strategic decisions about what to build.

Ownables, not scattered content

One of the biggest mistakes I see is brands producing content across too many disconnected topics. I help teams define the ownable spaces they can genuinely lead — then build content ecosystems that reinforce that authority across channels.

Experimentation, not static playbooks

Modern search is evolving too quickly for rigid, set-and-forget plans. I help brands create strategies with a clear direction, but enough flexibility to test, learn and adapt as search behaviour, platforms and buyer expectations continue to shift.

It’s not your capacity holding you back, it’s your confidence to ride this rollercoaster.

australia's best marketer
the australian marketing institute has spoken

I had the great honour of being named Certifie d Practising Marketer of the Year at the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) awards.

Plus the team and I are proud winners and finalists in:

Content Marketing Institute – Best use of eBook | Global Award 2025
Content Marketing Institute – Best Multi-Year Marketing Campaign 2025
AMI Best Content Marketing Campaign 2025
AMI Best Public Sector Campaign 2025
AMI Best Marketing Campaign 2023
AMI Future Leader of the Year 2023
AMI Large Agency of the Year 2023
Content Marketing Institute – Best Content Marketing Program 2023
Semrush Awards Best Content Marketing Campaign 2023
Semrush Awards Best Marketing Agency 2023

STRAIGHT TO THE POOL ROOM

MEDIA MENTIONS

Mi3 – AI Masterclass explores new frontiers of consumer discovery
AdNews – AI, TikTok and Instagram ahead of Google for product recommendations
Media Week – Major shift in search and consumer discovery
B&T – AI Social Search Insights 40% of Gen Z prefer TikTok or Instagram when searching for brands
Mumbrella – AI is changing consumer discovery
AdNews – AI, Tik-Tok and Instagram ahead of Google for product recommendations
Mumbrella – When every brand is a publisher, how do you stand out?
B&T – 40% Of Gen Z Prefer TikTok Or Instagram When Searching For Brands
Mumbrella – Why you need more neurodivergent people on your content team
Campaign Brief – Human curiosity is the ultimate content advantage
Campaign Brief – Sarah Spence named Australia’s Certified Practising Marketer of the Year at AMI Awards
B&T – Copywriter Sarah Spence launches Content Rebels podcast exploring the future of marketing
B&T – Recognition for relaunched Content Rebels
Inside Small Business – When you realise you’re upscaling

Inside Small Business – How to nail your rebrand: eight tips from someone who’s been there
SmartCompany – Six things this growing business is doing differently to be inclusive to all brains.
frankie – How being a neurodivergent leader has helped me build a more inclusive and supportive business.
Campaign Brief – Afterpay appoints Content Copywriting.
Dynamic Business – Meet the Content Rebels founder, who puts people first in business.
Inside Small Business – How to nail your rebrand: eight tips from someone who’s been there
Mi3 – 2023 AMI Excellence Awards: Full winners list (includes CPM of the Year).
Women Love Tech – How (kind‑of‑accidentally) I scaled my business from solo to 15 in less than two years.
Your Business Boost – Being a Neurodivergent Business Leader with Sarah Spence.
The Corporate Escapists – From Solo Freelance Copywriting to Growing a Team of 20
AdNews – Australian Marketing Institute awards 2023.

PODCAST EPISODES

Apple Podcasts – The Content Rebels
Grow a Small Business – From Struggle to Triumph: From Freelancer to Industry Leader: Sarah Spence’s Journey with Content Rebels
SparkTV – A wine with Sarah Spence [Video Podcast]

The Debra Shepherd Podcast – Content marketing, business growth and creating inclusive workplaces with Sarah Spence
The Content Byte – Sarah Spence on selling strategy as a service and being neurodiverse in the copywriting world