About

Dan Hayward

Dan Hayward brings a quiet confidence to digital strategy, with a focus on PPC, Google Ads, and user experience for e-commerce and local service brands. Analytical by nature, he’s driven to understand the "why" behind performance, turning insights into action with precision and purpose. Calm, observant, and coffee-fueled, Dan is most at home solving problems, asking the right questions, and making sure every campaign is moving in the right direction.

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Four men posing beside a giant golf ball sculpture on a sunny grassy field.
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Part UX Detective

Keyword Whisperer

PPC Surgeon

Digital Sharpshooter

CTR Chaser

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Part Caffeine Loyalist

Golf Cart Philosopher

Observant Wallflower

UX Purist

Espresso Realist


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Random Facts

Tall enough to reach the top shelf without assistance, complaints, or a ladder.


Big fan of a quiet walk in nature or a solo golf round, especially when no one is keeping score.


Fully committed to his daily Starbucks run, no matter the weather or the line.


Usually reserved in meetings, but quick to jump in when UX issues or PPC waste come up.


Keeps his Spotify playlists as organized as his Google Ads campaigns.


Appreciates coworkers who speak their minds and coffee that speaks for itself.


Believes a well-optimized landing page is just as satisfying as a great design.


Not one for small talk, unless it's about conversion rates or golf swing mechanics.

Author's Skills

Clue Finder → Intent Mapper → Guardian of Relevance → Growth Navigator → Discovery Master

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Search Visibility Architect

Growth Navigator

Translates search intent into pathways, builds blueprints for organic growth, aligns technical SEO with content.

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Keyword Storytelling

Guardian of Relevance

Transforms keywords into narratives, aligns content with audience needs, turns data into compelling stories.

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Search Intent Translator

Discovery Master

Bridges queries with meaningful content, transforms raw data into actionable insights, deciphers what audiences are truly seeking.

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Opportunity Forecasting

Guardian of Relevance

Identifies emerging keyword opportunities, maps competitive landscapes, guides strategy toward sustainable growth.

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Data-Driven Navigator

Discovery Master

Interprets analytics to guide strategy, translates metrics into actionable steps, steers campaigns with evidence-based decisions.

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Author's Work.

As a Senior Search Marketing Strategist at RivalMind, Dan focuses on building performance-driven strategies that make sense to both humans and algorithms. His day-to-day involves managing and optimizing PPC campaigns, conducting in-depth keyword and competitor research, and helping clients turn ad spend into actual growth. Dan has a particular knack for identifying inefficiencies in Google Ads accounts and reworking them into lean, high-performing systems.


He often works closely with designers and developers to improve landing page UX, knowing that better experiences lead to better results. From refining ad copy and restructuring campaigns to exploring new conversion paths, Dan approaches every project with clarity, intention, and just the right amount of skepticism. His contributions show up in the numbers and in the thoughtful questions that help uncover smarter answers.

Author's Process.

Dan approaches every project like a puzzle worth solving. His process begins by listening closely to client goals, learning about their business, and identifying what matters most to them. From there, he dives into research, pulling insights from keyword data, past performance, and competitor analysis to shape PPC campaigns and SEO strategies that are both efficient and meaningful. He thrives on building clean, logical sitemaps and wireframes that support long-term scalability while making immediate sense to users.

Growing up building Lego sets and mastering Call of Duty Zombies, Dan developed a love for complexity and problem-solving that now shows up in his passion for UX. He enjoys the challenge of aligning industry best practices with each client’s unique needs, and he sees every campaign as a system to refine. Sharing results, good or bad, is just part of the job. It is what fuels his learning and helps him sharpen every ad, landing page, and strategy for the next round.

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Author's Full Story.

Dan didn’t set out to work in digital marketing. Like many great strategists, he followed his curiosity. What started as a general interest in business and tech gradually became something more specific when he discovered how search engines work, how users interact with websites, and how data can drive real growth. That intersection of logic and creativity pulled him in.


After graduating from college, Dan stepped into agency life and quickly gravitated toward performance marketing. PPC strategy and UX became his favorite parts of the work, places where he could blend structure, psychology, and challenge. As he built experience, he also found that what he enjoyed most was connecting with clients, learning their goals, and seeing those goals take shape through campaigns and optimization.


His path wasn’t about loud moves or big declarations. It was about showing up, refining his skills, and solving complex problems with calm focus. Along the way, he developed a reputation as someone who listens carefully, works intentionally, and cares about getting it right. For Dan, success isn’t just about clicks or conversions. It is about building something useful, strategic, and sustainable.