Sara Mannix, B.A. ’89

Search-Engine Pioneer

By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A. ’93

For many entrepreneurs, opportunity arises out of a challenge: They discover an unmet need and figure out how to meet it. Such was the case for Sara Mannix.

In 1995, when Mannix was serving as marketing director for a mail-order company, she asked a Web developer how the company could improve its search-engine results to attract more customers. He simply replied, “No one knows how to do that.”

Mannix set out to prove him wrong.

By testing different theories and tactics, Mannix began building her authority as a leader in search-engine optimization (SEO). This led her to start Mannix Marketing in 1996 with a goal to get clients “found” on the Web. The company, which provides a range of digital-marketing services, now serves more than 1,500 clients worldwide and employs a team of more than 30 specialists.

While Mannix enjoys many aspects of her role as CEO, such as collaborating with small businesses to develop their marketing strategies, her favorite thing is driving results for her clients – demonstrating the return on investment.

“I love to hear about how successful their marketing campaign was and how it impacted their business,” said Mannix. “It’s very rewarding.”

At first glance, one could say that Mannix’s college degree – a double major in Spanish and Italian – seemingly had little to do with her technology-driven career. But she credits her UAlbany experience with providing the foundation for a successful career in business.

“For me, it wasn’t what I studied that mattered, in the long run,” she noted. “The knowledge and the skills that I learned at UAlbany have helped me along the way in growing and running a business.”