Advanced Local

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an automotive repair company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Advanced Local? 

We hired Advanced Local for their SEO and PPC services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started our engagement by reviewing our website and working on our Google Business page. The team then worked on our Google Ads campaigns.

At present, I’m redesigning our website with a different company, but Advanced Local also gives us some input for that; they provide insights on what we can do next with the redesigned website.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Dan (Director of Customer Research) and two other people. 

How did you come to work with Advanced Local?

We belonged to a business group, where we found Advanced Local. At that time, I was switching from another marketing company to another one. I had a chance to talk to Dan and had a great feeling about working with them. That was how our engagement started. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between $38,000–$45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Finding quantitative success metrics for Advanced Local is hard because we’re using different ad channels. However, we’ve noticed that our organic rating has improved. Our call volume has also increased. Overall, collaborating with Advanced Local has truly helped our business.  

How did Advanced Local perform from a project management standpoint?

Advanced Local’s management is helpful. They understand our business and its different parts; they also understand the seasons we go through and their ups and downs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply put, they’re aware of what’s going on in the business. 

Given that, we’ve been able to devise a plan with them that helped us financially by driving some business towards us. The team is also helpful in terms of putting up new information on the website during the pandemic. 

Overall, their communication has been good, and the engagement has been a great experience. To communicate, we use Zoom, where they share their screens to show us various metrics of how our website and ads are performing. Other than Zoom, we’ve also used Skype and Google. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is their key strength. It’s easy to get a hold of Advanced Local and the resources that are working with me. Overall, reaching out to them has been extremely convenient — the communication between our teams has been great. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. We keep changing our ads, so I get feedback from them in terms of improvements and changes. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Advanced Local is composed of great people; they’re talented, and they can work on a vast range of products — they’re truly flexible. The team also tailors everything they do for you and your business. If you’re looking for a company that does all of these things, I highly recommend working with Advanced Local.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an automotive repair facility focused primarily on European cars, though we work on some domestic vehicles as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Advanced Local?

We needed help with SEO because everything lives and breathes on Google here in Canada.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Advanced Local helps us with SEO. I told them where I wanted to be, and we worked with them a little bit on keyword research. 

From there, they set up the keywords and have been adjusting them as they go. The primary focus of their efforts is how our site is presented to the customers on Google; the team gives us guidance on how to navigate the search engine. We’ve doubled the scope of Advanced Local’s SEO work.

What is the team composition?

I only work with Dan (President & CEO),

How did you come to work with Advanced Local?

I met Dan at a conference in January 2020, where he gave a presentation based on his experience with Google. He seemed to know what he was talking about, so I reached out to him; that’s when we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $35,000 CAD (approximately $27,600 USD). The first year, we invested $500–$600 CAD (approximately $400–$500 USD) a month, and now we’re investing $2,000 CAD (approximately $1,600 USD) a month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Thanks to Advanced Local’s efforts, our website’s traffic is stronger than before, and our sales are up 18%–20% compared to two years ago — our investment with them is paying for itself many times over.

Initially, my customers’ response to the SEO was good, though not significant. With Dan’s guidance, customer response has improved and increased. I’d had other SEO providers that didn’t know what they were doing, whereas Advanced Local gives us really good insight and does a top-notch job — we’re very happy with them.

How did Advanced Local perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very active and stay on budget. Advanced Local also meets our deadlines; we talk about tasks during our meetings, and they complete them over the next 2–3 weeks.

I talk to Dan once a month on video calls or over the phone, and we look at what we’re doing and what needs to be done. For example, sometimes, he’ll ask me to reach out to our web developers to make changes. Overall, we have a very easy relationship with Advanced Local that flows well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Advanced Local walks the walk as well as talking the talk. With other providers, they’d talk the talk, but it just didn’t seem to happen. Meanwhile, when Dan says he’ll do something, it gets done. Although results aren’t instant in SEO, we can see when they start to move in the right direction.

Ultimately, we want a provider that clearly says how much they can do and stays on top of it; it’s a matter of communication, and Dan does a great job for us. Advanced Local constantly reviews their strategies, notes what doesn’t work, and tries something new. Overall, they give good service, do what they say they’ll do, and follow up with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We talked about possible improvements at our last meeting, and Dan suggested that we get more involved with the Google Ads we’re running with a different provider. I asked if we should invest more in SEO, and he said we don’t need to expand, just to tweak.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work closely with Advanced Local. I’m content with a monthly meeting, but if you need to have a meeting every two weeks, I’m sure they’ll be happy to do that for you — they’re very proactive.

Also, constantly review the work. If you just let the strategies sit there, they’ll just sit there. However, if you keep looking at the SEO, reviewing it, trying things, and moving in the right direction, it’s going to work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a local independent auto repair shop specializing in German cars as well as many other foreign cars and some domestic. We have been in business for 31 years and primarily got business through referrals from other customers, as we are not in a retail, drive-by location. I am the operations and marketing director for this shop.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Advanced Local, and what were your goals?

We were growing our services and wanted to expand our reach. We hired them to design a new website and provide full-scale SEO services to improve our rankings and grow traffic to our website and help us increase our customer count.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I met Dan at a marketing conference in January, 2020 in Salt Lake City. He was a presenter at the conference. At the time I met him and saw his presentation, I was very unhappy with a large national company we had hired. I was so impressed with his knowledge and presentation that I fired the other company and hired him.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

They began by designing a new and improved website. The goals were to increase our visibility in the market, increase customer count, increase visits to our website, and to keep our Google listing close to the top of the searches.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

At least 2 people worked with us, but possibly more. I only knew the names of 2 but they have many more people as part of their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Since implementing the new website along with the SEO efforts, we consistently remain close to the top of Google searches for many keywords. In a one year period, our phone calls increased by 175%, visits on website increased by 58%, views increased by 119%, indirect queries increased by 83%, searches increased by 62% and reviews increased by 100%.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They had always been very prompt in responding to any questions or suggestions we may have. Our communication is primarily by email, but we do have periodic phone calls to discuss things in general to keep it on a more personable level. They are not just another giant corporate company who depends on technology to handle everything. In other words, we get to talk to real people!

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their overall knowledge in this industry and their customer service. Even though we are just a small shop of 4 people, they treat us like we are large company and give us such a personal level of attention. Dan is one of the most genuine and down to earth leaders of anyone we have ever done business with. He and his team know how to treat people.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I can't think of anything I would have them do differently. Before we hired them, our business didn't even show up on a Google map.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Trustworthy Auto, an automotive service provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Advanced Local?

I needed their expertise in web development and SEO marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Advanced Local has built my website from the ground up. I’ve only provided Dan (Owner) with the information they need, and his team has produced my site content, including descriptions, brand elements, and photographs. They also handle my SEO needs to expand my business’s digital presence.

What is the team composition?

I mainly interact with two resources from Advanced Local, including Dan.

How did you come to work with Advanced Local?

Someone within my business consulting group recommended Advanced Local’s team to me.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $25,000–$30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Advanced Local has brought in significant site traffic, allowing me to secure the top Google ranking among similar service providers in my area. On average, I get ten new customers via Google and more from the website they’ve built. Overall, I’m delighted with the results I’ve seen upon engaging Advanced Local.

How did Advanced Local perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via Zoom and email. Advanced Local’s project management skills enable me to meet my goals within my project timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always available and willing to listen to my needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t fault them for anything; they’ve been a great provider so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Advanced Local to revolutionize your business by working within your budget and towards your goals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Water Star Motors Inc. is a state of the art automotive service facility located in Santa Cruz California. We have been in business since 1993. My wife Lisa and I are the owners and corporate officers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Advanced Local, and what were your goals?

Advanced Local Has been hired to manage our web presence and our Google Ads. SEO and map presence. Our goal is to stabilize and increase traffic to our web site and Google listing. We intended to increase our business volume by 30 to 50%.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We chose Dan and his team because of referrals from another automotive shop owner and a business consultant we were working with.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Fortunately the details of their work are beyond my scope of understanding. That's why I hired them. They create the steps and process the ads. Key deliverables are increased customer count and major improvements in web presence. Also increased traffic flow to our web site and Keeping our Google listing at the top of the searches.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

At least 3 or 4. I am not aware of their positions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Measurable outcomes would be increased car count and an increase in average repair order $. Also increased lead count and web site page views and time spent on that page. Key deliverables are increased customer count and major improvements in web presence. Also increased traffic flow to our web site and Keeping our Google listing at the top of the searches.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Dan and his teams knowledge of the Google system and the internet in general.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No. I consider them a great tool to have in our tool chest with reasonable rates based on returns.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO of an Automotive Repair shop.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Advanced Local?

To perform SEO and Google Adwords.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Word of mouth.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Performed an audit of our company and came up with a plan for future growth.

What was the team composition?

One main point of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have monthly meetings to go over the progress.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There seems to be good communication between our teams.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very professional and accommodating.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

No.