Searchbloom

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Relay Collective, and our brand is LumiBloom. We are an e-commerce company in the space of health and beauty. We have about 30 products in our e-commerce store, including hair care products, various types of hair extensions, oils, vitamins, and teas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

We needed help with our marketing strategy and wanted an e-commerce push to build our consumer base. We also needed to improve our website in order to make those goals possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

The first project was to make our website more e-commerce friendly and to help with conversion rates as we were shifting our sales strategy. They helped us identify the best platform for us, and we moved from WordPress to Magento. They completely redesigned our website, from the style to the new features we currently have. We started from scratch. We had a photoshoot to capture new images for the product and essentially started with bare bones. 

They also improved the layout of the site itself; where all the tabs show up. We have something called Lumi Life magazine, and they helped us decide the best way to display that. Originally, we wanted to use a system that would force people to leave to our site, but they advised that wouldn’t be the best thing for us. Instead, they decided to turn our magazine into a slider. They helped recreate that type of layout so we could get higher conversions and lose fewer people.

They also improved our SEO and rankings, putting in the internet space without us even knowing by setting blogs with our name in them, as well as leading people to LumiBloom. We are now moving on to our next phase which is targeted marketing through conversions and analytics. In terms of digital marketing, we have been reviewing what will be going online, as well as our Facebook ads. We are hoping to get that started on that in the near future.

What is the team dynamic?

I was in touch with multiple people depending on the project’s stage, but we have a project manager, who is our main point of contact. He facilitates meetings and makes sure we have everything we need. Other team members get involved if the work needs to be more detailed.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

Searchbloom was recommended to us by a good friend of ours. Once we saw what they were able to do for her, we gave them a call and were blown away by their capacity. We thought they would be a great fit for us.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent approximately $48,000 so far. We work with them on a retainer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Searchbloom in April or May 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Originally the website was constructed to support a different type of business model and we wouldn’t have benefited as much from Searchbloom’s services and conversions until we shifted over. The site went live last week, and we are about to start pulling conversions over to it. I am in love with the site and thought their slider idea for the magazine display has been awesome.

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

They have done really well. They have a strong team that gets things done and moves quickly. They do extra work behind the scenes that you don’t even know about, and that later benefits you.

They use a tool for details and communication, but I haven’t adopted it. Someone on my team worked with them on that, and the tool showed what they were doing at what time, including when they start and finish a job and how long it took.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are strong in communication and have supported us through the whole process. They listen to what we want. We came in with our own ideas, but they weren’t afraid to share theirs as well. If we were wrong, they would let us know and suggest a better way. They do this in a way that makes us feel comfortable and we know that the information they are providing is best for us in the long run.

I've worked with a few other teams, including marketing teams and web designers, and Searchbloom is the strongest by far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for ZampleBox, LLC. We are a medium-sized e-commerce business based out of Seattle, Washington that provides liquid, vaporizers, and vapors via sample boxes. We are the oldest and original vaping subscription service, it is like Birchbox but for vaping. 

I am the Director of Marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

The difficulty that we were facing when I found Searchbloom was that there were some big Google algorithm changes near the beginning of 2017. One of them specifically called Fred didn't agree with our website at all. Our search visibility from our Moz index just took a nosedive. Because we are a fairly small team, we were having difficulty solving that on top of everything else that our development team has to deal with on a day-by-day basis. I decided to find someone that could help us out with that so I reached out to Searchbloom.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The scope of work is really simple. It involves increasing our rankings on a number of important keywords across Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Google is far and away the most important one. There isn't really a granular brief for them. Our search visibility was bad and so I asked them for help.

Rather than defining a scope of work for them, I just explained our problem on a high level and let them tell me the scope of work. I'm not a SEO specialist. Searchbloom and specifically Jordan, our account manager and VP, did an excellent job training everyone at my company to become more search literate.

This gave us a better idea of why we were having some trouble. We also had a clear idea about what they were going to do to help us fix the problem. It was largely through generating more inbound links, editorial links, and on-site optimization through our meta tags. It was a long process because we have 80,000 pages on our website. 

We have some historical keywords that we always targeted. We were able to pick relevant keywords from the Google tool. They all had medium competition with high search volume. When we first worked with Searchbloom, we discussed keywords with their team. There was agreement between us so it wasn't a long process.

It can be difficult to get editorial links and enough links in our industry. It was difficult to achieve in-house. When you work with Searchbloom, you aren't just getting technical expertise. You also get their contacts in the industry to help us build inbound links. Their inbound link strategy has really moved the needle a lot for us. That is something that we couldn't do by ourselves regardless of how much time we spent with them.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

I met them at a vape industry conference and met someone there from another company who mentioned Searchbloom. I followed up on his recommendation and then the engagement started from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent between $20,000 and $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2017 and it's ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our search visibility score on Moz has more than doubled in the past four months of working with Searchbloom. Our daily traffic is up by about 40%. Most of our important keywords that we target are improving. Many of them have achieved top 3 rankings and many are in top 1. We are also number 1 for a couple of keywords.

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

Searchbloom has performed very well. Jordan, our account manager, is extremely solicitous of any problems. Whenever I reach out to them, I get answers and any assistance that I need. I've never had a problem with them to sort things out quickly and well. They are excellent frankly.

We mostly communicate over the phone. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have worked with a couple of other search agencies. Searchbloom is more efficient because they place a great deal of focus on strategy. I've worked with other people in the SEO industry that have a great deal of technical acumen. They understand how Google works and how to influence search rankings. However, those experts don't necessarily have a holistic view to create a strategy that affects the search rankings. I think Searchbloom is the best strategic outfit that I've ever worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Searchbloom on SEO, I would give top marks. They do have a CRO team and a UX/UI team as well. Those two other teams aren't really top shelf but they offer those services to help out small business clients. They don't necessarily market themselves for those services. I certainly wouldn't recommend that firms rely on them for those secondary services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing editor, founder, and owner of a new fly-fishing lifestyle website. I’m a columnist and outdoors writer in Utah and I’ve worked for other publications, and I decided that it was time to put a business plan together and be my own boss.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

I needed a website that would allow me to compete with everybody else in that arena. Writing and media in general for fly fishing is a very saturated market. It’s just like trying to get your voice heard if you’re starting a new marketing blog or anything like that. You have to make yourself unique, and I knew I needed something that would look great to initially attract people to the site and help them see the different aspects of the content that I’m producing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We sat down and had a chat about what I wanted the site to look like. I gave them some examples and I had some design mockups back very quickly for a custom Wordpress site. It was a real smooth process getting it done. They’re still building out some of the finer points that I wanted, but for all intents and purposes, it’s on it’s way to rolling out very soon. They’re also helping me out with SEO as well.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

I’m a member of a lot of different Utah-specific marketing groups on Facebook, so I solicited bids to see what it would cost me. Searchbloom was one of the first groups to respond, and one of their presidents and I hit it off immediately. He’s also a fly fisherman, so he loved the project. It was nice to have somebody who loves fly fishing and understands the marketing side of business. That’s what sealed the deal, as well as how quick they got back to me.

How much have you invested with Searchbloom?

$8,000-$12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s still ongoing. I started with them in the beginning of January. The breadth of the build that I needed isn’t something that can be done in two weeks. We’re all paying good attention to detail to make sure we get it right.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s definitely on the right track. It’s good to work with people who know their stuff. I have a deep background in marketing and SEO, and it’s clear that they know what they’re talking about. The web design – all of it, really – has turned out better than I hoped for. Very positive all around. I’ve shown the mockups to a lot of people in the industry to get their feel for it. Everybody came back and said it feels right and it looks good.

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

I haven’t had to wait on anything from them. I haven’t had to harass them at all; I’ve been kept well aware of the process the whole way through.

What did you find most impressive about Searchbloom?

They’re very hands-on. For the scope of the projects they take on and for the number of projects they take on, you do get a lot of personal attention. I like that, especially when you’re spending five figures. This is an investment, and I know it’s going to pay off in the long run. But the personal attention has been great. I’ve spoken to the CEO as well, and you can tell these guys are in it to make the best site possible and get the best site online for their clients and that’s why they’re doing this.

Are there any areas Searchbloom could improve?

Not anything I can come up with off the top of my head. It’s really like going to a buffet: you tell them what you want and they build it into the site. As of right now, there’s nothing I can think of that I think they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a performance programmatic media agency. I am a managing partner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

When working with clients, we found it challenging that many of their websites weren't designed for strong conversion follow-ups. Even though we could drive traffic to the sites, we knew that they would not convert well.

We obtained two new clients with brick-and-mortar businesses who were looking to take their brands online, so we needed a new partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have used Searchbloom to design and develop three client websites. The first site has been completed. We're driving traffic to it and the conversion funnel is working great. The second site is at the end of its development process. We're also in the process of going through some digital briefs with Searchbloom for the third client. We manage the marketing aspects of our projects since we are believers in the fact that digital services should stay in our lane. We handle programmatic marketing better than anyone in the space, but we're not going to try to be a search, SEO [search engine optimization], or web development agency. Searchbloom is our partner for those specific services.

There is a lead generation component to all of our clients' work. When there isn't an e-commerce requirement, we will build WordPress sites. The two most recent clients we've brought to Searchbloom have opted for Magento platforms.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

My partner and I have been working in this field for more than 20 years. We were introduced to Searchbloom by a mutual friend in the space, had a number of calls with their team, and reviewed their work. We picked Searchbloom knowing that the services they offer are website development at the base level. They're also very good at SEO and SEM [search engine marketing].

How much have you invested with Searchbloom?

Searchbloom has given us a base package of between $7,500 and $10,000 for quick site refresh projects. Backend oriented work can cost between $10,000 and $15,000. We've always pitched Searchbloom's other services, be they SEO or SEM. Typically, Searchbloom's sites will be SEO-friendly, but the SEM features can help a small business tremendously.

The prices charged by Searchbloom, relative to their services, are a phenomenal value. Clients have been shocked at how inexpensive it was to have a well-built solution.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first discussions with Searchbloom started in December 2016. Our first client needed to have their site launched in early January, so we had a tight timeline. Searchbloom turned everything around within four weeks, delivering the first test pages in three weeks despite holiday breaks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Searchbloom has worked collaboratively with the client coming up with initial images and concepts. The team was very receptive to feedback, which was good for me since I've always hated being the middleman in these situations.

In the case of our second client, Searchbloom is about 90% done with the e-commerce site. They've created completely new photoshoots and added video as well as new content. It's been a collaborative effort, which can be a sensitive subject for creative work. The CEO can have strong opinions, which can differ from the option favored by the agency. People can be rubbed the wrong way in these cases, but Searchbloom was very receptive to clients.

We're helping our initial client establish a conversion funnel. The campaign launch was delayed due to creative assets on the advertising side, so the data is still completely new. The client was ecstatic after first seeing organic conversions come through a lead generation page. After paying a few hundred dollars per lead, getting them for free sent the client through the roof.

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

Having a collaborative approach and not being too set on a specific direction, offering ideas and working with the client on creating a look and feel which pleases everyone, has been crucial.

What did you find most impressive about Searchbloom?

Developers are typically experts in their space, but they don't realize that their clients are typically experts in their own fields. I've seen different creative shops assume that they knew more about the client's business than they did, which made their offerings be very rigid. Searchbloom has been great at establishing a collaborative effort, working in partnership with the client, as opposed to treating them like the next piece of business coming through the door.

Are there any areas Searchbloom could improve?

Based on what we've worked on with Searchbloom so far, no. We've set deadlines, which were all met. We've also requested changes which added to the scope of work, and it's been seamless. In many cases, this probably ate into Searchbloom's profits.

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

Be proactive and responsive. Online advertising demands working fast, so clients shouldn't let ideas become stale. Even if there isn't a clear notion of what needs to be accomplished, clients should use Searchbloom's expertise in order to devise a strategy and take care of things in a timely manner. Be prepared to answer questions and have information at hand in a timely fashion.

BACKGROUND

I am the owner of a new bakery in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bizzy B Cakes specializes in custom cakes and dessert. We are currently a sole-owner business with plenty of competition surrounding us. Our goal as a business is to target anyone who is looking for a unique cake and/or dessert that you won't pick up anywhere else.

I play all roles in my business. From being the pastry chef, to marketing our name and make sure people know who we are. We focus on customer service and our artistry in our cakes and dessert.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

The bakery was brand new and I didn't know a thing about SEO or how it worked. I knew that I needed customers, and while word of mouth is great, it wasn't going to grow my business. 

Our business was not on the first page of google and nobody knew who we were or how to find us. We needed customers and fast. Our bakery was going to open and we weren't sure how we were going to get people through our doors. Our website was old and did not have any convenient features for customers who laid eyes on it. I needed someone who could make me a website that stood out from all of the competition. I knew that the old and free website I made was not good enough because I don't know anything about websites either. I do cake, not HTML.

SOLUTION

I was listening to a podcast in the car and had been listening to different people talk about SEO. I had been researching SEO for about a year before I heard Cody, the CEO of Searchbloom, on the podcast in an interview with a podcast host. He was explaining what they did as a company. I was very intrigued and knew that Searchbloom was my next stop as a business owner.

I met Cody and Jordan on the phone and told them that my goal is to be the biggest bakery in my city. Bigger than the bakery that has been here over 20 years. They knew what I wanted and in as little as an hour, they were already working on getting my business where I wanted it to be. 

They called and emailed every step of the way. This is something I was very impressed with. There's nothing that bothers me more than a company who takes my money and lacks communication. This wasn't the case with Searchbloom. Cody and Jordan always answered my emails and calls, and I never worried about the work they were doing.

When I first met Jordan on the phone, he explained that my old website (I had created myself on a free website creator) needed some major help. He was right. It wasn't professional or convenient for anyone. Searchbloom created an entirely new website for me on WordPress and I couldn't be happier with what. Searchbloom broke the record on expectations. They started delivering great SEO results within a week and finished my website within a few weeks. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Cody and Jordan exceeded my notions of how a business should treat their customers. Not only did they help me amplify my customer base, but they have truly impressed my business overall. Jordan called me with good news one day, explaining that before I hired them I was ranked 357 and now I am ranked 17 because of their SEO work. What business owner doesn't like hearing that?

I cannot thank Searchbloom enough for what they have done for my business. Cody and Jordan have been nothing but kind and are always delivering the best work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a small manufacturer and seller of vinyl and stencil cutting machines as well as of the vinyl and stencil products themselves. I am the IT [information technology] manager of the company. I oversee web development directly.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

We wanted to improve and update our website as well as its search results.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Searchbloom has worked on updates to our Magento website. The development is done on a job basis. If we have something that needs to be updated, we start a project with Searchbloom and get a cost and time estimate. We are looking to have Searchbloom working on our online visibility as well.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

We looked at several options for Magento developers. Our sales manager met Searchbloom at a trade show in California. We conferred and found Searchbloom to be a more cost-effective option, compared to other companies we approached, so we started the process on a trial basis.

How much have you invested with Searchbloom?

The cost of Searchbloom's services has been in the range of $1,500, including upgrades to our site and changes to our checkout process.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with Searchbloom for around 3 months. We don't have any ongoing projects now, but we are looking to use Searchbloom for SEO [search engine optimization] in 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have been very satisfied with Searchbloom's work. We're a small company, so we don't have much web traffic, which is the main reason for wanting to increase our online visibility. From what I've understood, it's easier now for customers to navigate our site. One of our primary goals was to switch out a new product for a new one, making it easier for people to locate items and checkout without issues. This has been successful so far.

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

Searchbloom is very quick to respond to any questions or concerns. If we contact them about something, Searchbloom will get back to us within the same day. Any deadlines are generally met on time or before. We are notified about any delays.

What did you find most impressive about Searchbloom?

Searchbloom has been great at keeping in touch with my company and me and did everything in a timely manner. I've had issues with other companies, which were the exact opposite of Searchbloom.

Are there any areas Searchbloom could improve?

Not off the top of my head.

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

I advise clients to make sure that they verbalize their requirements. As long as they let Searchbloom's team know what they want, the work will be handled.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a continuing education workshop for acupuncturists and massage therapists. I am the Chief Executive Officer of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

We wanted to take our company to a national and international level. We were using a local SEO company and needed a better alternative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have an e-commerce website. Searchbloom has provided SEO-related services for us, like a blog and Facebook content writing. 

My husband is publishing his first book on Amazon next month, and Searchbloom has provided help with that as well. I feel as if we've hired several companies wrapped in one.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

I searched Google, found Searchbloom, and contacted their Vice President. He was very knowledgeable and taught me many things. I initially took that information to the company I was working with at the time. This led them to do better work for me, so I promised Searchbloom's president I would switch to their company as soon as I had the budget for it. In the meantime, I gave my current SEO company a chance to do something more. They did a little, but not much. After 3 months, I could switch to Searchbloom, and I was blown away by how good they were. It was a completely different level of support than I had been getting.

How much have you invested with Searchbloom?

That is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

I've been working with Searchbloom for 6 weeks, and have an ongoing collaboration with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're looking for sales to go up by about $200,000, as a result of Searchbloom's work. Searchbloom has shown us what our increases are for each search term, after gathering a month's worth of data. Overall, everything has gone up, and we've increased our ranking for every search term, by a considerable margin on some. On a major search term, we've gone up from 34th place to 15th. On some search terms, we've moved up by one page. 

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

I run the company in conjunction with my husband, and we meet with Searchbloom's team once a week for updates on SEO, Facebook content, and so on.

What did you find most impressive about Searchbloom?

I thought I was hiring a company that would provide one person for the work, and another one to act as a supervisor, but instead, I've hired a group of individually-brilliant people communicating together to support our company. Searchbloom refers to the model as a "boutique company," and it certainly is. I used to have to push my previous company to do the work, while Searchbloom pushes me to do my homework, and does much of the work for us. I was not expecting the level of content writing and citations provided by Searchbloom. They've identified some great search terms, for which they've worked on title tags and specific content. I can reach out to several analysts, as well as to Searchbloom's leadership with any question.

Are there any areas Searchbloom could improve?

No, Searchbloom has blown our minds with what they're able to do. My husband and I used to feel we were alone on an island, trying to get something to happen, but we now have a full team helping us.

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

I advise clients to hire Searchbloom as quickly as possible. I wish I'd done it right away.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We help other businesses advertise through direct mail. I am Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

We needed to improve our online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Searchbloom was initially tasked with a redesign of our website from an aesthetic point, while also making it SEO-friendly. We asked Searchbloom for consultation on best practices for developing a strong online presence and improving our SEO ranking.

Our scope evolved past this, and Searchbloom worked on a monthly basis on our account, delivering back-links for our rankings.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

Our director of business development looked for multiple SEO firms, assessing their online presence and reviews. He narrowed the list down and selected Searchbloom for me.

How much have you invested with Searchbloom?

The total cost of Searchbloom's services has been between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Searchbloom in the second quarter of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Searchbloom did a great job with the aesthetic design of our website, while also building an SEO-friendly framework. We received many compliments from people who looked at our site and said that they chose us specifically because of the look and content of our site. We started getting leads through the internet for the first time in our activity. It's been a great success.

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

I have no complaints. Searchbloom is very quick to take care of our requests, whatever they may be.

What did you find most impressive about Searchbloom?

I've appreciated Searchbloom's willingness to be flexible with our budget and to accommodate and pivot when we've had to change directions. Any requests we give receive a quick response.

Are there any areas Searchbloom could improve?

I don't have anything in this area.

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

I would advise clients to take Searchbloom's advice and allow them to provide consultation. Searchbloom knows its industry well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

3D Media has been around for 13 years. We started out with search marketing early on with Yahoo search before Google was a household name. I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Searchbloom?

We were ahead of the market, but as we grew, things continued to change in terms of Google algorithms and updates. It seemed that for us, to have people doing everything on the SEO side wasn't as effective as outsourcing. We got into the habit of cooperating with other teams that simply did the work. We brought on the clients, handled the service, and so on; but as far as the actual labor of the SEO work and design went, we outsourced. It worked well for everyone and we built good relationships.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We primarily focus on marketing for the medical field, mostly doctors, surgeons, and dentists, particularly specialty ones. Most of our clients are local in nature, but many of them are also in competitive cities. It doesn't make sense for many of them to even have Ad Words, given that the keywords are so expensive. Searchbloom has been able to help us provide SEO for these clients. They're not only great in terms of being consistent with a completely white hat approach, but Searchbloom also works very well.

Our clients are patient, but not that patient. Medical specialists want to focus on their procedures and have a company in charge of marketing, instead of figuring out what the process entails.

Since we have a focus on marketing, not just SEO, I've appreciated that Searchbloom understands the need for the work to be human-related, not simply technology-based. When people are looking for a periodontist, they don't type in "periodontist". Most patients wouldn't even know how to spell that. What they're looking for is a solution to their problem, be it missing teeth, bleeding gums, or anything else. A client may type in "fix teeth" or "missing teeth", and they'll sometimes misspell words. Searchbloom is aware of these things more than any other partner we've worked with in the past.

I'm very happy with Searchbloom, and we plan to roll out some additional marketing aimed at attracting new clients. We plan to use Searchbloom with future clients as well. In our business, we have to be very careful about managing expectations. We don't own Google, so we have to operate Ad Words in the right way. From the level of the work itself and the people involved, everyone at Searchbloom has focused on integrity. There are so many companies that can do this or that, but at the bottom of it, what matters is that a provider keeps their promises.

I've found Searchbloom's work to be consistent. They may not always tell me the answer I want to hear, but at least I hear the truth. Many people in this industry simply want to make people happy, but this leads to disappointment when what was said was not really what happened. A company like ours cannot do this. We tell clients what the provider tells us, and the clients end up blaming our team. There have been a couple of companies in the past which left us in that position, and it's not something that we want to repeat. Our clients can turn around and put reviews online that can hurt us, but I don't have to stress about that with Searchbloom.

We've used Searchbloom for web design, specifically lead capture pages. We've found that many of our clients have the same problem: they have a website which someone built for them years ago, which needs to be a direct response. If people already know the business, that can be an advantage, but they still need to aim at the people who don't know them. Those people have a very short attention span, so we need to setup pages which offer all the required info in 3-4 seconds. After landing on a page from a search, the question will be if that's the solution to a problem. A person may have bleeding gums after brushing their teeth and not know why. They don't know that they need a periodontist yet, all they know is that what they're experiencing is not healthy. After typing in "bleeding gums", they will find a periodontist with whom we're working.

It's not enough to find a person on the front page of results or see an attractive ad. What matters is knowing if that service will address their problems by looking at the specialist's site. Mentioning that they're a member of the diplomatic board of periodontists is not going to excite the person searching for bleeding gums. It would have a greater impact to see before-and-after pictures of gums, going from horrible to healthy, along with a call-to-action phone number, and benefits for filling in their information. The person fills out his name, becomes a lead, books an appointment, and the periodontist has a patient. This is the best way of making the process work, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't have this system in place. It's good for us that they don't, and Searchbloom is on the same page in their approach. A few companies that we've partnered up with haven't gotten this. They understand robot-friendly, but not human-friendly. Going through all the tech stuff in order to ensure that robots crawl correctly is great and important, but equally (if not more) important is showing that we can solve a problem to the new user who lands on a page.

Email marketing is great for dentists, and we plan to link together with Searchbloom in this area. Our message needs to be tailored to the client's delivery, instead of offering a generic list of services. I plan to understate how good Searchbloom is in order to under-promise a little. This way, when we are able to deliver a result in 60 days instead of the 90 that we promised, the client will love me. In this hyper-competitive market, even meeting expectations can put us ahead of many people, but exceeding them is something completely different. Since Searchbloom is a direct reflection of our own team, we can be synced-up in terms of timelines and other things like this.

How did you come to work with Searchbloom?

I met Searchbloom's owner prior to the start of that company and was impressed by his follow-up. He was one of the higher-level managers of his company at the time and offered to set up an appointment and determine if they could help us. I remember putting him off a lot, but he remained persistent in a nice way. The best waiters in a restaurant are never really seen, yet they make sure that the customer’s needs are addressed without being intrusive. Over time, I became friends with Searchbloom's owner, the company was started, and he aligned himself as a partner, staying up-to-date in terms of algorithm changes. The collaboration has been great ever since.

At the time, I had a very large SEO company as a partner, and we were hitting completely different markets than what Searchbloom's owner was handling, but we became very good friends. I was excited about the few hundreds of clients I had, but he told me that they were working with thousands of clients, even though they were generally contractors and micro businesses. My focus was still local, but it was a higher ticket, comprised of medical professionals.

How much have you invested with Searchbloom?

We've spent between $200,000 and $1,000,000 on Searchbloom's services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Searchbloom shortly after they opened, around 2 years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've only used Searchbloom for around a dozen clients so far. We add new people slowly and have a lot of long-term business, up to 9 years. Because we're so careful on the direct response side of the work, we don't lose many people, and even then, many of them hop back with us after working with a competitor.

Since we do business all over the US but are based in California, we've sometimes run into local competition in a market area. For example, we were working with a dentist in Orlando who was getting courted by a local marketing company. They would visit his office frequently, promising a third of the costs we were charging. He took a shot with them but came back after a couple of months when they stopped generating leads. This is the good thing about bringing in clients the right way. We're currently in a position of wanting to open up our marketing more, so it's a good time for everyone, including Searchbloom.

Searchbloom has assured me that we'll be able to keep our clients for a long time by showing them real improvements every month. Our approach is working better than ever before, which is exactly what I want to hear when outsourcing work. Even though I'm friends with Searchbloom's owner, if his results were average, I'd look for another option.

Google Maps has changed a lot recently, incorporating a lot of paid search. There were some clients who were stuck in lower spots, even though they'd been doing good marketing. One of the things that we've been able to do together with Searchbloom is moving some of those clients to the A box. Even though it was only a step up of 1-2 positions, the perceived credibility is much better for the client. It speaks for the company before someone even makes a call. If something goes wrong, people won't ask about the least qualified specialists for that problem.

Local search in our case has become more and more about building quality links and reviews. The services provided by Searchbloom for both of those categories have been very effective. Google and the market, in general, keep changing, but as long as I know that we're doing the right things, we'll see an upward movement. Since our clients are local, rankings are the results I've noticed the most. 

How did Searchbloom perform from a project management standpoint?

As the owner of the company, I've tried to be knee-deep in everything done by our team, but there are too many changes to keep up with. On a couple of occasions, when there were specific things to be discussed, Searchbloom had one of its account executives step in and answer on behalf of our company for the client. They were able to address specific issues and keep us on the white label side. Searchbloom could have trained one of our reps to answer the question, but it was simply easier to have their own person step in and handle it.

What did you find most impressive about Searchbloom?

In terms of ethical link-building and getting results that will last for a long time, there are many different ways of doing it, and everyone claims to have the magic fat-burning pill. We want to stay current, but we also need a way to keep within the legal and ethical parameters. If there's any client base where playing around with credibility is ill-advised, it's doctors. I'm glad that Searchbloom is sensitive to that, and it's one of the reasons that we'll continue our work together. Some companies, when trying to scale their business, won't be very careful in this area, and only a few mistakes are required to screw a lot up.

I would prefer to have faster timeframes, but I know that the job will get done right. As a CEO, I'm always pushing for faster and anyone else would do the same.

I know that many things in search will be changing, and social media will become more prevalent. Searchbloom is a young team just like us, and they understand that it's important to have fun with your partners. Because their owner is a friend, I can call him up and talk sports, for example. I prefer to have business partners as friends, being professional and real people at the same time. The key word is authenticity.

Are there any areas Searchbloom could improve?

Many times, when bringing in new clients, we will utilize an audit tool for generating a report showing pain points. Searchbloom does have something similar to this in place, but we would like something that integrated to our systems and be a more white-label version of what's on their site. Searchbloom has worked on this and told us that it would be rolled out by December. It's not as fast as I'd like, but again, it will be done right.

In terms of improvement on general quality, I have no issues. I'd rather get a slow answer than bad work. Zig Ziglar said something along the lines of "It's better to pay more than what you'd expect, or wait longer, than less than you should and get the wrong solution." It can have an impact on reputation and future business.

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

The more that other white label SEO companies can focus on their target, the better it will be, and the better Searchbloom will work for them. It's much better to have a focus on one main industry because it offers a chance for the people involved to learn everything about the area, including terminologies and market identifiers. Being an SEO agency for every kind of business will get good results, but it won't be ideal. Marketing is better done by a sniper than by a guy with a Gatling gun. At the end of the day, the client matters most. Whoever can provide the best user experience, will handle marketing work the best.