SEO Brand

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m Director of Brand Development at a 20-person strategic brand consulting and design firm. I oversee the strategy team and vendor relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We had a very large enterprise-scale web development and redesign project. The client wanted to increase their conversion rates from 1% to 3%, which required modeling with a new CMS system. We decided to engage strategic partners with the necessary experience to handle SEO strategy and clean up using that system. Additionally, some analytic issues arose with migrating data out of the client’s old site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEO Brand was one of multiple vendors on this project. All played some role in advising the client on structuring and conversions.

With SEO Brand, we created wireframe and design concepts. The team used Google Analytics to do clean up and migrate data out of the existing system to set a performance baseline. Creating the baseline allowed us to strategize keywords and categories in client’s market. In meetings, they recommended new keywords that would rank higher than the competitors’.

They were committed to working in a team setting with everyone, making recommendations that aligned with others’ UX and UI designs. Mike Salvaggio [CEO, SEO Brand] consulted on structuring pages to generate higher conversion rates. They also advised on conversion models, the sitemap, and backend server settings to assess the model’s performance.

Most of their work is scheduled for the January 2018 launch when it’s possible to test the conversion models they implemented. Currently, they’re ramping up by improving metadata and streamlining redirections from the old site.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Mike and 3 members from his team.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

Originally, I learned about them through colleagues and our managing director. We worked with them on a technology symposium for another client. They were the natural choice for this project. Other vendors had comparable capabilities, but their expertise eclipsed the competition.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $20,000 - $30,000 to date. We expect the final cost to be $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started May 2017 and should be completed January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While their commitment is very high and we appreciate the team’s dedication, their initial recommendations were too high-level for the tech-savvy client. We had them refine deliverables and this advising. The team responded well to this miscommunication by providing great follow-up answers.

In total, the work is very good. Their overall advising on best practices and specific solutions matched the client’s needs. I’m looking forward to the launch and am confident in those results.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Everyone is highly communicative and transparent. They’re accessible via phone, email, and in-person meetings. The leadership team makes themselves available nearly 24/7.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their guidance humanized a very complex project for the client by making the technical details relatable. They are goal-oriented, aligning processes to the client’s success benchmarks.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some deliverables to do not match the quality of their presentations and communication skills. They need to deliver assets that are as clear as what’s being communicated to the client.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process and stay in contact with them because of course it will be as collaborative as possible. It's a great way to work with them and it's made all the difference in our project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a marketing director for R.J. Soens Group, the top-producing group of Long and Foster in Avalon, New Jersey. We're comprised of 15 real estate agents from our 100-member branch.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

Our group had commissioned a new website three years ago, prior to my employment. Veteran employees told me it had low traffic, and produced fewer leads than its predecessor. While the older site might have been a bit prehistoric, it had gotten us more business. SEO Brand helped us understand why we ranked lower than our competitors for topical keywords and searches. We discovered that our website was too big and cumbersome to navigate effectively. Their team is helping us divide our current site, and write new blog copy to drive web traffic up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first element of their work focused on search engine optimization. They used a keyword strategy to place us in higher rankings within relevant pages, especially ones we know our clients visit online. Secondly, they helped us with our copywriting and blogging efforts. Our newest project together has been a complete website redesign. Their work has been integral to changing the face of our web presence. They articulated exactly what steps I’d thought and felt were necessary, but hadn’t been able to pinpoint.

What is the team composition?

I've met and communicated with almost everyone involved. Specific staff handle the web design, SEO, and web maintenance, respectively. Each branch has equal status, and I know I can reach out to any of their staff.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

We initially interviewed a local company, which was not the right fit. R.J. Soens, the leader of our group, actually knows Mike Salvaggio, the owner of SEO Brand, through mutual friends. After a phone call, we met for lunch, where Mike explained how the engagement would work. We’d been at our wits' end with the website's lack of conversions, so we decided to give them a try.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay $1,700 monthly for search engine optimization, and $400 for blogging. With the website redesign and maintenance, our costs totaled $43,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a 700% increase in web traffic since we hired SEO Brand, which is exemplary. We're still struggling to capture leads, however, which was our biggest motive to embark on this line of work. The redesign had made our site more navigation friendly, which we hope will produce more business imminently.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent to work with in this capacity. We have a collaborative online form which makes communication easy and effective. They're very responsive, and we hold frequent telemeetings and conference calls. No more than a week tends to go by without us speaking, if we have the need. We communicate on nearly a daily basis, or every other day at minimum.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEO Brand has made better progress with technological advances than the company who previously hosted and maintained our website. They’ve homed in on our specific business niche. We kind of got lost in the shuffle with the larger company that we had been working with prior. I'm not regretful about hiring them; all members of our group are happy about our choice.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone starting a website redesign needs to express a clear vision for the desired changes. It’s useful to be willing to take advice from their staff, who are more well versed in their field.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Raining Colors LLC, which is a visual design and user experience firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We’ve partnered with SEO Brand several times in the past, but our most recent project with them was assisting the human capital management brand Ceridian in creating a seamless user experience on their website. Our goal was to help Ceridian gain new customers through conversion while also retaining current customers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first step was to find out the client’s goals. Typically, after discussing goals, SEO Brand does what I call a “reality check” with the client, in which they discuss the website’s current analytics, the client’s budget, and a plausible timeline for the work that needs to be done. Unfortunately, the client had no analytics available on their website, so SEO Brand collected site analytics for a month while we interviewed the client’s customers to further our research on the site’s current user experience. When we compared the site analytics with the customers’ anecdotes, we found nearly identical results. It was then that we were able to return to our client with a proposal based on the data we collected.

After the client agreed to the proposal, we utilized SEO Brand’s expertise to ensure the site’s wireframe optimized user experience. For example, we created a brief customer questionnaire as opposed to a more time-consuming one to ensure the customer isn’t inundated with too many questions and in turn navigates away from the site.

What is the team dynamic? 

We worked with Michael Salvaggio [CEO, SEO Brand] most directly.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

Michael and I were childhood friends. When got back in contact with each other a few years ago, he told me about his business, and it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for to partner with my business. I was a bit hesitant to work with him because friends and business are often a bad mix, but we started out by partnering on a few small projects. It went very smoothly, so we continued our partnership with larger projects.

How much have you invested with them?

This year, we’ve invested $70,000. It’s fluctuated in past years, ranging anywhere between $20,000 to $100,000, depending on this size of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with each other since around 2012, and the engagement is ongoing. I have two upcoming projects in 2018 that I’d like to recruit SEO Brand for.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our latest project is still ongoing, but we could not have gotten Ceridian’s business without SEO Brand’s detailed review of their site’s analytics. It greatly aided the client in making the decision to work with us. 

Clients don’t always love reality checks, but Michael’s team does a great job, through comprehensive analytics, of reassuring our clients and making them feel safe in their investment.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done great. No project goes exactly according to plan, but SEO Brand is capable of pivoting very quickly to ensure we bounce back from any unforeseen conflicts or changes made by the client.

I don’t like to be the middle-man, so I ensure SEO Brand has its own relationship with our client. We communicate jointly with the client, as well as with one another via Skype, Google Hangout, and phone calls. Michael would also accompany me to where the client is based to have in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What’s most impressive is the trust SEO Brand has built with me and our clients. They never flinch when things get difficult — Michael and his team have put themselves on the line for us fare more than I believe most would because they know they’re obligated to keep us happy. We avoid the headache of working with someone that’s perhaps a bit cheaper, but doesn’t provide us with the confidence SEO Brand does.

Are there any areas they could improve?

SEO Brand’s communication between their home-based team and offshore teams could be improved, as it could in nearly every company that uses offshore brands. That could ensure a smoother internal process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a client specialist for CG Mobile America. We create and distribute licensed phone cases and accessories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

Our company currently does business worldwide, except in the U.S. We needed an online presence so that the American customer can get to know us and the product, and ultimately purchase from us. We hadn’t worked with an SEO provider before.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

They designed a whole new website, which is absolutely amazing. They introduced us to Magento and helped us work on that. 

In addition to that, they took care of our Google campaigns. They decided which campaign should start first for either new collections, or holidays such as Black Friday, and took care of our promotions to entice people to visit our site as well. They also helped us with AdWords PPC [pay-per-click] which could lead more people to view our products. We will be working together on keyword research in the next phase of the project.

They created and personalized all our social media campaigns for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These solutions are very recent, and in terms of our social media, they have helped us come across as more professional.

What is the team dynamic?

We were assigned a project manager. Jenelle [Operations Manager, SEO Brand] and Melissa were my primary contacts, though I worked with others too. They are very nice and always there to help.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

We had just moved to the U.S. and didn’t know of any companies here. We did some online research, and SEO Brand had good reviews on their site. After our initial meeting, we decided to go with them as there was something different about them. We got along from the beginning, and they grasped what we wanted right away. Some of their team speak French, which was also beneficial for us as some of our team only speak French.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent $100,000 so far. It will be approximately $3,000 per month for Facebook campaigns, advertisements, and background work.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship began in March of this year and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As of now, we have been really happy with what they have done so far, their team, and the solution they have brought us. The website they designed works perfectly and looks amazing. We’ve had no bugs or issues, and all the information is accurate. Our customers really like it, and it’s easy to navigate. It has changed our life, and we have been really happy about it.

What they have done for us in terms of Magento is absolutely amazing. It has made our life easier. I believe we will see improvements on a weekly basis, and our business will be great thanks to them.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been awesome and they answer us in less than 5 minutes every time. They are on top of things 100% and never give up on us. They have an answer for everything and are very professional.

We have a meeting on the phone twice a month to go over all the details. We are looking forward to meeting and going over all the statistics in terms of how the Facebook campaigns have gone, how many people we have touched, as well as the amount of orders we have received.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their capacity to handle any problem is impressive. They always have a solution and are really nice and patient people — they easily understand. This really facilitates the work as there is no time wasted having to explain things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything bad to say about them. They have been, and continue to be, awesome with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the web designer at ECJ Luxe, a luxury goods, timepiece, jewelry, and apparel store. We have multiple locations, with about 10 employees at our store in Boca Raton, FL. We have a strong brick and mortar presence as well as an e-commerce site.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We were having trouble getting customers to our site, so we needed help with SEO, increasing site traffic and redesigning our site for an improved online customer experience. Previously, I was the only one at our company working on SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEO Brand came up with an overall approach that would help increase our website performance and we provided a list of the brands that we wanted to promote locally. The team revised our list of keywords, set up Google Analytics and helped with our listings on Google My Business.

They also redesigned our website based on the example we provided of Tiffany & Co. We wanted everything to be accessible from the main site through one menu as opposed to what we had before, dividing the site by collection. In the process, SEO Brand contributed content for improved SEO, including the “About” sections for different brands and events pages for all of our locations.

The team likely purchased social media ads as well, but I'm not certain. Our Social Media Manager worked closely with the team, while I assisted with technical issues involved on the site.

What is the team dynamic?

We work with a lead project manager, who delegates certain tasks to other members of her team.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

Our Social Media and Store Manager found SEO Brand through a friend. They ultimately chose SEO Brand after comparing the longer list of services the company could provide next to its competitors.

How much have you invested with them?

I would estimate around $1,200 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since October, 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our bounce rate went down and our visitors to the site went up slightly. Since the redesign of the site, we’ve also seen more orders for our apparel in the last couple months.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive and quick to resolve issues as they come up.

What did you find most impressive about SEO Brand?

They were accessible whenever I had an issue with the site or questions about SEO keywords and certain strategies they’re employing.

The site looks great and met expectations from my perspective.

Are there any areas SEO Brand could improve?

I would like to see our site climb higher in Google's search rankings, especially for local searches. I believe we should be at the top of the Google My Business listings. If you're looking for high-end luxury jewelry in Boca Raton, for instance, we should rank first because we have the biggest store in that area for those types of products.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of a company called TriAlpha7, under which we are opening e-commerce stores. Our first store is My CBD Etc. We’re based in Prescott, Arizona.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We’re very limited on the advertising and exposure we can do for products we carry. Without search engine optimization, you’re pretty much dead on the web, so we turned to SEO Brand to help boost our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

With SEO Brand, it’s always been a collaboration back and forth. They have more experience than I do, so they were able to help me figure out the best way to go about this project.

Initially, we set up a six-month or year strategy that involved key word searches, link building, and web content.  They’ve also helped with our site’s code and design. Our platform is BigCommerce, and we work within a template, so my company is limited on the changes and upgrades we can make. SEO Brand’s coders have been able to whip it into a more aesthetically-pleasing site.

They’ve also helped us with content development. SEO Brand scraped and rewrote some of our content, and wrote original content for the site. They’ll also be helping us with blog posts, and we’re hoping to do some work with social media marketing down the road.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

It wasn’t easy to choose because there are so many companies out there doing the same thing. I did some research, read some reviews, and talked with SEO Brand at length. I was impressed by their customer list and reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re a rather small company, but they were able to put a package together that worked within our budget. We pay about $2,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June of 2017, and the project is ongoing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re only about four months into the project, but the site is looking sharp and we’re already starting to see results.  We’ve gotten compliments from clients who come into our store who have seen the website.

Most of our traffic was from our local tri-city area because we’d been doing some local advertising and promotion. Now, we’re starting to see more traffic from Google search in different parts of the country. With SEO Brand’s work, we’ve certainly seen an uptick in our exposure. We were even first on a few search pages, which we were ecstatic about as such a new company.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very transparent and communicative the entire time. They use Basecamp to track emails, upload files, and keep track of the project. If I send an email with a problem, I normally get a response pretty quickly. The team is always polite and they always address my concerns. They also send me biweekly reports. It’s as if they’re here with me, like an extension of our team, and they treat me that way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their transparency and communication are impressive. This day and age, if you have a problem, it’s important to get it fixed yesterday. SEO Brand is very on top of things, and they’re quick to respond.

There are no surprises with the SEO Brand team. I don’t have to search around to find out where they’re at or what they’ve done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any complaints at this point in time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of 180 Degree Nutritionals. We’re a startup nutritional supplement company selling products online, e-commerce and Amazon. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

As a startup company, we needed a digital marketing firm and a full-service provider to help us realize our vision and be able to take our ideas and develop them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEO Brand is our full-service provider. We had a vision and they helped create it with a brand new website. The platform they suggested was not only aesthetically pleasing, but also very functional and easy to navigate. The functionality was perfectly aligned with the aesthetics.

They helped with icons and the logo. Their attention to detail was amazing as far as with specific fonts. We were very impressed with their page layout for our nutritional supplements; the way it scrolls down and you can see the benefits of our products. Our ideas were perfectly placed.

They’re also doing our social media campaign. Our goal is to build a community and they’re identifying which communities to target. They’re also identifying the tone that we want to speak to our community and our consumers with. They’re also identifying the right type of photos, images, and other statements that would embody our brand. They help with SEO to drive traffic to the site. They made some key suggestions that really optimized the site and the blogs. We’ve provided some great content, but some keywords can make all the difference. Their level of expertise in identifying the keywords generated more traffic to our site. They also help with pay-per-click and Amazon Platform Web Services. They’re experts with Amazon Platform Services and they guided us through the entire process from setting up the account to product images and strategically placing specific keywords for optimization. 

What is the team dynamic?

They have specialists in each area. We’ve been communicating with each team member, and the project manager oversees everything. We’ve had specialists in Amazon, social media, and web design. There is an open line of communication and it has always been clear and transparent. They’ve always been very responsive.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

We were referred to SEO Brand from a mutual acquaintance who highly recommended them. After one conversation with them, we knew that we wanted to work with them. Their client list, level of expertise, proven success, and the feeling of trust when we spoke to them stood out. They were so knowledgeable and provide a range of services, which is what we needed. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around $35,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched on Amazon and we’re already receiving results as far as sales go. We’re getting a ton of positive feedback. We track the traffic to the site and the sales we received. We’re ahead of schedule with the results, and impressed with what we’ve seen.

Overall, SEO Brand did an absolutely amazing job helping us to realize our vision and take our ideas and develop them. Their level of expertise gave us confidence and we were comforted in knowing that we’re in good hands. 

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. Their project manager is very knowledgeable. They have never missed a deadline. They’ve been completely professional, accommodating, and patient throughout the process. As a startup company, sometimes there are challenges, but they’ve been patient and worked with us to develop our ideas.

We worked with them through Basecamp. It was a great way of communicating and organizing all of our information. We also have conferences and communicate through email. We have monthly meetings and sometimes bi-monthly meetings depending on which area we’re working on. With the social media, we have bi-weekly meetings. It depends on which we’re working on. If we need to have an additional conference call on any of the other projects, they schedule one immediately. They’re very prompt in their response time and scheduling a call. SEO Brand responds immediately and we can always schedule a call within a few days.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge, expertise, and approach to how they run their business are most impressive. We feel so comfortable with them. We wouldn’t think of working with anyone else as we roll out our new product line.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We are completely satisfied with the results. We’re very happy with their level of service and their ability to communicate with us and help us realize our vision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

North Texas Luxury Lawns and Greens is a synthetic turf installer. I’m a managing member.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

Marketing was my challenge and I had been through a couple of other companies and really had a bad taste in my mouth with marketing. We found SEO Brand, and they were great. They were responsive, and I feel like I was a little more work than a normal customer just because I’d been through other companies. They came in and knocked it out of the park. Our business picked up. I’d been through two other companies and then we tried to do PPC ourselves. SEO Brand helped us with organic and PPC, and our business picked up drastically when they took over.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I started just doing SEO with them, then we moved to PPC after that. Since then, they have built us a website. Their communication is A +. There were some challenges because I had a couple other companies that had done some things that they had to undo. The whole process was quick, and their pricing was great. Their model in their business and the way they run it was far superior to the others, and the others were reputable companies.

SEO Brand is really organized. They communicate well. The pricing model is fair. They’re just a great company. We had an old website that was outdated and wasn’t mobile-friendly. SEO started from scratch with the website. All my expectations were met, and we’ve even had customer comments saying how good it is. I’m a research guy myself. If I buy anything at all, the smallest thing to a vehicle for my company, I put a lot of time into that so I knew how important it was. I knew mobile-friendly was an important thing. They even got into the details of the website including what colors we should use and which ones we shouldn’t. They added a pay feature and some links. They did some things I never considered that a website would benefit from like the pictures and the gallery. It’s a great website with a great framework and the way it’s set up. It’s got six or seven pages, galleries, and an About Us page. It has all the important features of a website. The website build was a collaboration of both teams. I talked to them about some information I thought should be included. They came up with some really great information, and they were great with communication. They get a five star there.

The keyword research was also collaborative. I had an idea of some words. We’re part of an eight-location group so we somewhat knew where to start. SEO Brand has been innovative in this process also because some words that I hadn’t thought of, they came up with. Our target market is within 60 miles of our office.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

I read reviews myself. After going through my two prior companies, I was really beaten up. I felt like those companies were not fulfilling their obligations. I called SEO Brand, and they were prompt. They got me answers to my questions. The biggest thing is, they do what they say they’re going to do.

I haven’t used a local company. Since they're out of state, there’s a little bit of disconnect: Are they going to do what they say they’re going to do? SEO Brand knocked it out of the park as far as that. To me, they went above and beyond. They’ve done some things that blew me away. Other companies were charging me for things that SEO said they don’t charge extra for. The other companies were taking the ads down at night, where SEO runs the ad all the time. They’re a transparent company. They do what they say they’re going to do.

How much have you invested with SEO Brand?

We spend $3,000 monthly with them. We have increased our budget for this work because we want to keep moving forward. The website cost $5,000. We’ve spent between $15,000 and $20,000 over the course of our relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them August 2016, and the relationship is ongoing. We plan to be with them for the next 100 years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I went from five to eight calls a month to 40 or 50 a month. That’s a drastic difference. Every month we’ve set goals for our sales. We’ve beat our expectations pretty much every month since SEO Brand has taken over. We’ve gotten great user feedback. We always our users how they found us, and 70% say they found us through our PPC campaign. That’s the biggest return on investment, I would say.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve given us tons of updates even when I didn’t expect them. SEO Brand provides true analytics. Their communication is A+. This is the way that it should be. We communicate through conference calls every couple of weeks on my time. Between the meetings, we communicate via email. Every so often we’ll call them when it’s needed. There are a couple of things that have come up, and their team was right on top of it.

What did you find most impressive about SEO Brand?

Their communication, transparency, and the results they provide are the things that set them apart.

Are there any areas SEO Brand could improve?

They’ve done well for me. I can’t say that they need to improve anywhere.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the digital marketing director at Ion Labs. We are a private label contract manufacturer of nutraceuticals, OTC [over-the-counter] products, pet products, cosmetics, and skin care products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

Primarily, we needed help with website design and updates. While I have experience working on websites, I don't have the personal bandwidth day-to-day to go over the technical aspects that SEO Brand is good at.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked on a couple of in-depth website issues with SEO Brand such as hosting and DNS [domain name system]. They also enhance the features of our web presence and digital footprint. SEO Brand works on the backend and frontend by creating and customizing the technical framework of our websites. An in-house graphic designer creates what we’re looking for, which I’ll send to SEO Brand with notes. They’ll then modernize it, critique it, and change some things around. They even provide some graphic design help as well to make the website look aesthetically pleasing. They do it all. As of now, all of the platforms that I've requested from SEO Brand have been on WordPress. I personally prefer this platform because I know how to use it. I also know that WordPress is probably the best platform that you can use for search engine optimization and web design.

The details aren’t in black and white yet, but I’ve talked to SEO Brand about two more projects down the road. One of them is a brand-new website for a branded cosmetic line. Another one was a revamp of our umbrella website, which takes you to the other brands we create.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

I had originally reached out to SEO Brand while shopping around for other companies. In the search process, I checked the companies’ portfolios to see if they had experience working with large and small brand businesses. I wanted to make sure that they were doing their due diligence regarding online marketing. We were looking for someone who had experience running key specific ads and working organic efforts. I do that kind of work every day, so I appreciate businesses who are also proactive about doing that. SEO Brand gave me the best quote, the best details, and pretty much the best deal out of all the companies I contacted. We’re also a Florida-based business, and I like to think local on certain business ventures. I know SEO Brand has their headquarters in Hollywood, Florida, and that was a big-time determining factor. I was thinking about a number of different fronts, but that was one of them.

How much have you invested with SEO Brand?

We've spent $15,000–$25,000 on SEO Brand’s services so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to SEO Brand either in late April 2016 or early May 2016. We completed the first project in late June 2016. Our engagement is ongoing, and we work together on a monthly basis.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To be honest, it would be hard for me to put our success in terms of statistics or hard metrics. Our success has been project-based. We work with them, we get the project done, and then they oversee our technical aspects month by month. We’re not working with them for advertising or any type of marketing, so I couldn't give you metrics or KPIs [key performance indicators] based on SEO Brand’s performance.

When they made the website for us, it had to go through a large internal review prior to being launched. It went through all the degrees of our web presence checklist. First, it was processed through our marketing department, which is about five people. It was then reviewed by our sales team, which is about 10 people. Finally, it was reviewed by all of our executive staff, our VPs—everybody, really—to get an assessment across the bar. Our VP of quality, regulatory, finance, innovation, and operations all took a look at it, as well as our CEO and president. I think SEO Brand did a good job. I also think that users who go to the website like the look of the products that they’ve been creating for us.

A little over a year ago, we launched a branded item in the marketplace called ProCharge Liquid Protein. We needed it to have a professional website. SEO Brand built an e-commerce site, and it was absolutely beautiful. Customers could learn about the product and then purchase it online. Ultimately, we used the website as the digital storefront and main face of the product. In doing so, we added that to our marketing initiative and our go-to-market strategy. We truly do believe that the site helped us get that product into GNC and 7-Eleven.

They just finished updating our main website, ionlabs.com. They did a great job of modernizing it and putting together a nice visual component, which we needed on each page. That update is really going to help our brand. The staff who facilitate their SEO are extremely knowledgeable. I worked with them briefly on some of the initial projects. At the end of the day, I like to manage SEO myself, but I know that they have an extremely good handle on SEO. 

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

SEO Brand did a good job from a project management standpoint—I never had issues with them as far as deadlines or delays were concerned. I also didn't have a hard time getting in touch with them. If I asked them to do something, they would respond the same day, which was always good. They also have classy customer service, so I don't have anything negative to say about that. They use Basecamp, which I use as our primary means of communication with their manager. I thought that was much better than using the phone. I spoke with our project manager over the phone maybe five times over the course of a year. While it was easy to talk over the phone, Basecamp provided a simple way to create new projects. It let us add details, send information, and keep track of everything. It was extremely organized. I liked the way that SEO Brand’s team used it. I've worked with a lot of web design firms, and I can honestly say that the way we communicate from project to project is just easy. It’s easy to work with SEO Brand.

What did you find most impressive about SEO Brand?

SEO Brand is easy to work with, which is one of their best features for customers who are looking to create a product from scratch or build on an existing one. Their customer service is very good.

SEO Brand also has a talented team with a good eye for web design. They have a good idea of what needs to be done on a website and how it needs to function. You can tell that the groups of people who make up their team have experience. They answer questions before I ask them, and I think that’s valuable when you hire a company like theirs.

One of the biggest things I want to say is they’re transparent about their operations—what they want to do and how they can help you. I think that’s important as well. When a new business wants to start a project with them, there isn’t anything too much to worry about because they make sure that they tell you all of the details and nothing is misunderstood.

Ultimately, I think SEO Brand did a good job. Obviously, we’re going to continue doing business with them, because I really like the products they keep making for us. I like them as a company.

Are there any areas SEO Brand could improve?

Nobody is perfect. It’s tough to translate certain technical aspects to people on an individual basis, and it’s tough to talk about functions—what they can do and what they will result in— while making sure that communication is clear. SEO Brand has done a good job in doing that, but you can never go wrong with improving communication. It’s hard for me to tell you what they should improve on because they’ve done a good job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Global Marketing Associates. We do domestic and international marketing consulting for companies in the US and elsewhere in the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We worked with SEO Brand to help one of our clients improve their search and social marketing for a new product. It’s a medical device for people who use CPAP machines, which tend to dry out a patient’s eyes. This device was developed to specifically improve that side effect. It was a brand-new concept, so we needed to get some significant brand awareness rather quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked with SEO Brand to help the client grow their business and build some brand awareness for the CPAP product. SEO Brand took a look at the overall picture in terms of the market and the challenges. They came up with a plan to create a microsite for the product, which was a subsection of their main website, which also deals with eye-related products. After creating that microsite, they began running some social and search marketing campaigns to basically drive end-user traffic to the site, based on certain keywords. If someone had a medical issue and they were wearing a CPAP and they had some issues with their eyes, they could certainly go online and have certain ways to find help for their condition. It was an excellent way to try to capture their interest when they were searching for certain keywords related to the actual conditions associated with the CPAP.

SEO Brand did a great job setting up the microsite and then helping to drive traffic to the site using search and social media platforms. The benefit of working with them is that they’re very data driven. A lot of companies would come up with an idea that might work on website design, or things of that nature. However, in order to actually drive traffic, in what is becoming an increasingly crowded space, SEO Brand did a great job of sifting through all the analytics and determining which keywords work the best, which platforms are ideal, and then driving that traffic to the site.

I was involved in the process, but it was mostly run by SEO Brand. They’re the experts on search and social marketing, so I work with them to help my client improve the visibility and brand awareness of their CPAP product. SEO Brand mostly did the analytical work, the keyword exploration, and so forth. Then, they actually set up and managed the campaign. This campaign was focused on the US market. The client wanted to initially launch the product in the US.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

I’ve worked with them in the past. I’ve been involved with some search marketing in the past, and I know a lot of companies aren’t as knowledgeable and don’t have the same depth of understanding on the data and analytics side when they’re trying to put together a campaign.

Being data driven ultimately leads to success when someone is using search and social marketing, and that’s what SEO Brand focuses on. That’s why I’ve worked with them in the past and will continue to work with them in the future. They look at the analytics of the campaigns rather than just throwing stuff out to see what works. They analyze and refine the campaign, and add in quickly if they need to, in order to improve the overall performance of the campaign. In my experience, a lot of companies don’t do that.

We’re both in the Philadelphia area, and that’s how we initially came in contact with each other. The data-driven approach separates them from a lot of other companies in the market.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together over a year ago, in 2016, but I don’t have the exact date. The collaboration has been completed. It had a lot of success. I now work with SEO Brand on projects for other medical products.

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 stats, but I know there was a significant increase in visitors to the site through search and social media. The client was very pleased with the results. They were able to get their product into the market and build their brand awareness very quickly in what’s becoming a crowded space. They were pleased with the results of the campaign.

SEO Brand has expertise in determining the best keywords from a data standpoint. The results are very impressive; they had a lot of conversions once they got the actual site. The client was successful in selling online from their website.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

In this case, as I was working with a company that didn’t know SEO Brand, they were very diligent in making sure that they had a lot of follow-ups. The CEO of the company was very involved with the project. He knew it was a client I’d been working with for a couple years, and he was very diligent in getting following up with info and updates. They added to the campaign by improving the microsite and helped the client with their entire website. They extended the project, and the CEO was very involved in the project as well.

What did you find most impressive about SEO Brand?

They are data driven in terms of making decisions.

Are there any areas SEO Brand could improve?

No. The goal was to get visitors to the website who were interested in certain keywords and then convert that into sales, and that’s exactly what they did. From the standpoint of what SEO Brand did, it was very successful and the client was happy. They can’t control the product, only the marketing side.