About Kelly Stanze

A few fast facts to start:

  • I’m a 2w3 on the enneagram.

  • I’m an ESFJ for you Myers-Briggs folks.

  • I live in Kansas City, MO with my husband, son.

  • We currently care for ~20 rescue pets, including dogs (3), guinea pigs, reptiles, amphibians, and birds.

  • I have a mild allergy to kiwi.

  • I’m at my best when I get to use both sides of my brain.

RESUME

Consultant & Freelancer | Kelly Stanze Consulting + Creative

January 2020 - Present

  • Provide SEO services ranging from technical SEO, on-site SEO, content strategy, off-site SEO & digital PR (formerly known as linkbuilding), user experience, AI/GEO/AEO, and beyond

  • Produce original content (copywriting) and/or provide revisions of web content provided by others (optimization)

  • Assist clients in understanding the digital ecosystem and its options for their business, including the interplay between websites, search engines, social media, LLMs, user-generated content, forums, etc.

  • Lead trainings, facilitate workshops, and present sessions either with client teams or in partnership with relevant organizations

  • Interface with other vendors the client may be using to ensure holistic, multi-channel solutions to business needs

  • Shift the nature of the partnership in order to best fit each partner as an…

    • Agency subcontractor

    • Direct contractor to businesses and non-profits of all sizes

    • Embedded within a team as a fractional resource

Organic Search Director | Robot Logic Marketing (Freelancer Co-Op Agency)

March 2022 - Present

Robot Logic Marketing is a collective of freelancers who team up together to provide full-service capabilities to clients who need a more robust or multi-channel approach at a more cost-effective price point

  • Assist in new business & partnership development for the freelancer co-op

  • Serve as the SEO knowledge hub, collaborating closely with creative partners, technical partners, developers, our account team, and more

  • Develop SEO strategies and execute on them

  • Provide copywriting and content strategy guidance

  • Package reporting and analysis

Senior Discoverability Manager (SEO & AI Search) | Native Digital

April 2025 - March 2026

  • Provided consulting, execution, reporting & collaboration for a mixed portfolio of clients, with emphasis on SEO, AEO/AIO/GEO, ecommerce, information architecture, and CRO

  • Mentored and provided oversight for associate strategists across the search teams

  • Maintained all of the typical individual responsibilities of an SEO/AI channel manager

  • Led the agency’s party planning team, responsible for two events per month on average geared toward encouraging team engagement, company culture, and seasonal celebrations

Marketing Manager | Demiplane

August 2024 - December 2024

  • After contracting with Demiplane for 6 months, they offered me a full-time job; layoffs hit 5 months later

  • In addition to my usual SEO & content strategy focus, I managed all marketing including both digital and experiential/in-person

  • Convention & event planning, in-person convention representation, paid search strategy, social media planning & more

  • Interfacing directly with games publishers, but had especially deep exposure to Marvel Multiverse RPG, Pathfinder Second Edition, and games on the Powered by the Apocalypse system like Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game

SEO & On-Site Search Strategist | Hallmark

November 2015 - December 2019

  • Built the in-house SEO program from the ground up, spanning ecommerce, local, technical, testing & more

  • Owned discoverability of Hallmark.com, Ideas.Hallmark.com, and several other subdomains and subsidiary sites as the only in-house SEO strategist for the Hallmark corporation at the time

  • Closely partnered with Hallmark’s in-house developers and technical organization to ensure a search-friendly, user-focused technical ecosystem across Hallmark’s different websites

  • Provided real-time testing and QA for all major launches, including but not limited to all major Keepsake Ornament events

  • Managed outgoing product feeds, including the onboarding of an enterprise product feed management platform

  • Served as in-house lead for the paid search agency partner, prior to assisting in building the in-house program

  • Partnered with brick-and-mortar retail and SaaS partners to manage local optimization of 3,000+ retail locations

  • Administered and optimized the on-site search features for Hallmark.com

SEO & Content Marketing Strategist | PlattForm/KeyPath Education

November 2013 - November 2015

  • Provided SEO, content strategy, and social media management services to clients in the higher education and trade school spaces

  • Performed auditing, analysis, and reporting as part of data-driven strategy & execution

  • Built project plans & content calendars

  • Served on the secret employee task force charged with rolling out the rebrand from PlattForm Advertising to KeyPath Education, including website switchover strategy, company events, public relations, and more

  • For much of the tenure, served a single large, high-value client as the dedicated resource for that school

Digital Marketing Specialist | AdFarm

July 2012 - October 2013

  • Served a variety of food & ag clients of all sizes spanning veterinary medicine, animal welfare, food processing & manufacturing, check-offs, grower organizations, and multi-organizational task forces

  • Provided execution and reporting for social media & SEO

  • Attended a variety of in-person industry events to provide training on the use of social media and blogging for consumer outreach and public relations

What People Are Saying

“I respect Kelly's ongoing strive to understand the changing landscape of the digital industry. She's a team player and always willing to step up to a new challenge.”

— Ashley Collins, Former Colleague (Hallmark)

“The passion and knowledge she brings to the table exponentially increase what a team can accomplish when she’s on it. And she is always willing to go above and beyond her job description.”

— Sean Bryan, Former Colleague (PlattForm)

More Trivia

I’ve Jumped Off Of A Perfectly Good Cliff

In a cave in Mexico, no less. As someone who’s afraid of heights and hates the feeling of falling, this is a BFD. (Big freaking deal.)

I Can Say The Alphabet Backwards

And I’ve proved it in almost every job interview I’ve ever done. Ask me about it if we ever have a call.

I’ve Hung Out With Celebrities

Saying “yes” to weird adventures sometimes means you get to be the personal assistant of Worf from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

I’ve Shaved Alpacas

Again, say “yes” to the weird stuff. As an alumnae of 4-H and FFA, it seemed like a great idea at the time. And it was. They’re wonderfully weird creatures that are softer than CLOUDS. They spit and they’re terrified of everything and they hum when they’re happy.

I’m In Recovery For An Eating Disorder

Not all “fun facts” are fun, but this one is a big part of who I am. I’ll occasionally share about it online, as well as my experiences with depression and anxiety.