NextLeft

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an umbrella company for a number of worldwide logistics businesses.

I am the SEO [search engine optimization] and content manager of the group. I am also the product owner for all customer-facing web assets, as well as internal customer tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NextLeft?

We needed help gaining visibility for 2 of our brands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NextLeft has provided consulting around keyword targeting and content development. They've developed promotional plans and performed research around customer personas and prevailing search trends. NextLeft is also constantly link building for us. Whenever we undergo large content campaigns, NextLeft provides influencer outreach services for us.

How did you come to work with NextLeft?

We had been working with another agency in San Diego. After it went bankrupt, a part of the team we were using went to NextLeft. My primary decision making factor was the level of trust we'd gained in those resources; they knew our account. I also liked the idea of working with a smaller agency, one which would not relegate us to low-level coordinators.

How much have you invested with NextLeft?

The cost of NextLeft's services for 2017 will be between $150,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NextLeft at the beginning of 2016. We have an ongoing contract, which was renewed for all of 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don't have any specific feedback around our results. There is a level of internal bureaucracy which keeps us from posting big numbers, but NextLeft has done an amazing job with the research presented to us. Our ability to turn that around and shake the earth with it is limited, but since engaging with NextLeft, they've guided us in the right direction in terms of trends. NextLeft is a trusted consultant when it comes to planning and making decisions. They've helped underscore our plans moving forward.

How did NextLeft perform from a project management standpoint?

I've enjoyed working with a small team. We've gotten a lot of value out of the brainstorming with NextLeft because of their small scale.

What did you find most impressive about NextLeft?

My main contact from NextLeft is their VP, who knows SEO as well as her counterparts. Whenever we hop on a call, we can obtain a lot more perspective from NextLeft's team than from other agencies whose principals only act as go-betweens.

Are there any areas NextLeft could improve?

Not that I can tell.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with NextLeft?

Because of NextLeft's ability, as a small team, to be reactive, creative, and collaborative, potential clients should give them as much autonomy as possible. Giving NextLeft the freedom to create will yield more from the team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Director of Torrey Holistics

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

4-location Cannabis Dispensary in California

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire NextLeft to accomplish?

• SEO optimization of core webpages
• Google My Business optmization
• SEO content creation

SOLUTION

How did you find NextLeft?

Online Search

Why did you select NextLeft over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from NextLeft were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We contracted NextLeft to assist with a variety of SEO projects, including GMB optimization, SEO content creation, and SEO focused website optimization

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We've seen an immediate uptick in numerous SEO metrics (traffic, ranking keywords, etc)

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

NextLeft has been perfectly punctual and communicative throughout the entire process. VERY impressed.

What was your primary form of communication with NextLeft?

Virtual Meeting

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

They're honestly just wonderful people to work with. The results are good, and the entire process has been smooth.

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

No areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Propeller Industries

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Propeller Industries is an enterprise-grade financial partner that provides a fractional model workforce solution as a cost-effective alternative to hiring full-time finance talent too early.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire NextLeft to accomplish?

• Improve website SEO
• Increase organic website traffic
• Redesign website

SOLUTION

How did you find NextLeft?

Online Search

Why did you select NextLeft over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from NextLeft were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Category keyword research & SERP analysis
• metadata recommendations
• information architecture
• core web vitals audit
• ongoing strategy & consulting
• technical work
• monthly SEO report & analysis
• citation management
• Google My Business audit & best practices
• existing content audit
• article content keyword research
• article content briefs, article content development
• account & project management
• Google Ads audit and recommendations
• website redesign

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increased organic website traffic, higher SEO rankings on Google searches, increased lead form submissions from prospects that found us through organic search.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

NextLeft provided a content roadmap that outlined the deliverables that could be expected from them and their due date. They have stuck to the provided timeline, even as things were delayed on our end. If we had any new ideas that we wanted implemented, they worked with us to make them come to life in the most technically sound way.

What was your primary form of communication with NextLeft?

Virtual Meeting

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

We love working with the NextLeft team members. The energy and expertise they bring to every meeting is invaluable and makes the relationship easy.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of ShipCalm

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

ShipCalm provides 3rd-party operations for digitally native brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire NextLeft to accomplish?

• SEO
• Website Design & Development
• Increase Leads

SOLUTION

How did you find NextLeft?

Referral

Why did you select NextLeft over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from NextLeft were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

NextLeft has been our primary web development and SEO agency for many years. They have been responsible for: 

• website design
• technical SEO
• CMS management
• content development
• link strategy
• pay per click management

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Website Traffic
• Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs)
• Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs)

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They are extremely good at always being on time and under budget. I believe we've always received more than expected when it came to their deliverables.

What was your primary form of communication with NextLeft?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

In any third-party relationship, especially those that go on for multiple years, there are bound to be issues that come up where expectations aren't being met. It all comes down to how well a service provider takes that feedback and then actions it. In every case, NextLeft has immediately addressed any concerns we've had in a very professional and reasonable manner.

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

I don't think so.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a senior living management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking to grow more leads through SEO and drive more views and clicks to our website.

SOLUTION

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

Our owners had a previous successful relationship with NextLeft. Their success in that project convinced us to work with them.

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

NextLeft reviewed our current website and made recommendations on improvements. They also suggested (and offered to write) blog posts to bring more people to the website and raise our Google rankings.

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

I work with two people specifically: the account executive and SEO Specialist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen an increase in organic leads by over 50%. And move-ins from that source tripled in one year. Occupancy at the community has increased by 60% since we began the relationship.

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

The team at NextLeft is collaborative in nature. They work well with us and guide us throughout the process. We meet monthly to review results and progress. The meetings are helpful and useful.

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

I’ve worked with the same two people for nearly two years. The continuity is refreshing and makes me trust them more.

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

No complaints!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Coordinator at a local Credit Union in my area. I help manage all aspects of our marketing strategy and execution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

NextLeft has been pivotal in helping us really start capitalizing on SEO and Paid digital ads, which we previously hadn't focused on much. We have one team that helps us with the SEO side and a separate team that focuses on paid media.

SOLUTION

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

NextLeft is a partner of another company that we work with, EmpowerFi. They introduced us. We had an introductory call with them and it really felt like they knew what they were talking about and could help us make a difference in the digital space.

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

There are so many different aspects that NextLeft has assisted with. On the SEO side, they've taken steps to identify what keywords we should be focused on, what content we should be adding to our site, backlinking to other sites, and setting up tracking to see the journey of the member. On the paid media side, they helped us get set up to use Google Ads, and get our Social Media advertising ready to go. They help optimize the targeting and making sure our ads are performing at their best. If something isn't, they provide recommendations on what we can change.

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

We have an overall project manager for SEO and an overall project manager for Paid Media. Then there are 2 others, 1 for SEO and 1 for Paid Media that help make the actual updates and recommendations based on their knowledge. All the people we've worked with over the past couple of years have been wonderful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we've started working with NextLeft, we've seen a large increase in the number of keywords that we are ranking on page 1 for, and each month we continue to see improvement in page rankings and keyword rankings. We've also seen an impressive amount of traffic to our paid ads, with a very low cost per click.

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

We have bi-monthly meetings with each group and utilize google docs to help keep us organized and provide us access to any documents we may need. They're always on top of it when it comes to following up on deliverables and making sure we're working to provide them with what they need to keep our projects moving smoothly.

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

Honestly, the people are so nice! Their knowledge is impressive and we've seen lots of great results, but they're also a joy to work with. We always look forward to our meetings with NextLeft.

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

If I had to say one thing, i think we'd like to see better timeliness of responses on the Paid Media team side - but other than that it's been a great company to work with and we always talk them up when we're asked about NextLeft.