SEO Brand

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Designer Eyes is a luxury eyewear retailer and e-commerce player in the United States. We have 13 stores across the United States and are the exclusive dealer for several well-known brands. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

Our marketing expenses were continuing to increase, and I needed help managing our investment in those services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with an audit of our entire marketing department, from the head of marketing to the data entry analysts. They helped us change some of our processes to match the demands of e-commerce SEO. We modified our approach to handling data and integrated a variety of their softwares. 

SEO Brand now manages all of our websites, our third-party marketplaces, our marketing spend, our PR, and a few additional tasks. We’re still building and implementing new services. SEO Brand recently launched a third-party marketplace for us in the UK, and we’re working on an Australia iteration now.

What is the team composition?

I work with Michael (CEO, SEO Brand), and my team deals with 3–4 different people there. There are two main points of contact and a few developers that get involved on an as-needed basis.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

They were recommended to me by a friend of mine. They earned the contract mainly because of the initial audit. SEO Brand came in for three weeks and gave a substantial analysis of my department.

They showed me upwards of $500,000 worth of savings that I could implement. I was ready to try out those types of strategies, and they won me over that way.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent at least $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them for over a year, probably the last 15 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before SEO Brand, we were spending close to $1,000,000 per year on marketing. I don’t have the exact number, but they’ve helped me save about $600,000 of that. Our business is doing better than before, our conversion rates are higher, and we’ve been able to eliminate positions because of their software.

Our data is also much cleaner, and we’re no longer scrambling to prepare for the holidays. We’re continuing to build new things, like the two third-party marketplaces that I mentioned earlier. It's all about conversion for me, and they're hitting the metrics that we want.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

My team speaks with their people on a daily basis. They’re very efficient; I’ve only heard positive things. I talk with Michael once a month to review everything. We talk through the numbers and come up with ideas for improvements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Most software companies and B2B providers will overpromise at the beginning, and I can tell you that SEO Brand doesn’t. Their service is only getting better because they’re efficient and good at what they do. Transparency is also a factor. SEO Brand keeps us updated and lets us know about potential problems. 

Another thing that I love about SEO Brand—and you don’t encounter this very often with technology companies—is that they make a point of coming to our office. They send someone once a month to come to sit in on reviews with my team to get a sense of everything that’s happening. It’s nice to have face-to-face interactions, especially during a development project. It’s clear that they want to understand our business needs.

The last thing I’ll say is that they focus on continuous improvement. Their software is managing everything for us on one platform. We’re dealing with 15 different channels that can all be manipulated, and SEO Brand is always looking for ways to make things better.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Any company can improve by bringing more resources to the table, but I haven’t found that to be a problem with SEO Brand. If I were them, I would look into gathering more resources for design optimization. I know that they do that for a variety of other platforms. Outside of design, though, they’ve helped me with a couple of headaches that I’ve had, especially with Shopify.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know that you won’t have to negotiate for a better quote. They’re straightforward people that will give you fair prices. They’re also going to stick to the timelines that they set out. Most of the time, they complete projects at least a week before they’re supposed to be done.

Also, be ready for a team that loves testing. Some of their tests seem like incremental changes, but they often make a huge difference in the long run. Often, addressing a very simple issue can help you avoid a major problem. Because they’re not always fighting against the clock, they’re able to focus on these things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a mall owner and manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

When we purchased the mall, there was minimal marketing and no one was visiting it. We hired SEO Brand to build a professional website and to help market the mall online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and built a new website from scratch. Now people can easily register and pay for new events. To promote these events, SEO Brand writes press releases and creates content. In addition to improving the new site's SEO, they created a PPC campaign. Taking control of social media, they manage our Facebook and Instagram accounts and create social media ads.

What is the team composition?

Kelly is our main point of contact, but we have a team of 4–5 comprised of writers, SEO experts, and a Facebook ad specialist among others.  

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

I was searching for different agencies online and they had a lot of good reviews. A few years ago they were listed as one of the best companies to work with and won an award.

How much have you invested with them?

The website was a $7,000 flat fee, and we spend $2,300 a month on the rest of their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2018 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started, we only had 1,000 followers, but now we have 10,000 followers on social media. We have significantly more people coming to events at the mall and are aware of things going on, so we’ve definitely received our ROI.

The website’s functionality is great and we don’t usually need to call them to come fix anything. The content they’ve created for press releases is fantastic, and we’re very pleased. We continue to work and grow our business with them. This process is going to take time, but we’ve definitely seen an impact from their work.   

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very proactive and responsive. The few times we’ve needed something fixed, they’ve gotten back to us quickly. We usually communicate via email. They’ve delivered everything in time and in budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re based nearby, so it was easy to communicate with them. They’re responsive and professional. While a lot of other local agencies outsource to their work to other companies, we appreciate that everyone on their team is nearby and easy to get in touch with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they need to improve anything. They’re doing what we hired them to do, are receiving good feedback, and are driving results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Financial Services, serving affluent clients retirement and estate planning needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEO Brand?

SEO and lead generation to grow our top line revenue and client acquisition.

What were your goals for this project?

Save time by having an excellent firm take over our SEO efforts. Increase client acquisition results. Leverage expertise by allocating our planners unique abilities away from lead generations and SEO. Have a modern and user friendly internet client and prospect website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to SEO Brand and a number of other providers. SEO Brand impressed us the most and we are happy that they were the ones we decided to work with.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with a meeting to discuss our goals and objectives with the project. SEO began by helping us focus and quantify the goals for the project. They then designed our solutions and worked with us to make modifications before going live. We are ecstatic with the results already.

What was the team composition?

SEO managers John, Juan and Pollethe worked hand in hand with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen an immense increase in traffic and leads, we are in discussion now to increase our planner base to handle this increase.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Effective is a great word to explain our experience. We do not like to waste time and SEO brand was concise, effective and efficient in how they worked with us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professionalism was unparalleled. When the team said they would do something it got done without us having to follow up. We were kept abreast of progress and inevitable roadblocks and solutions to them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are happy with all aspects so far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of a household appliance company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We hired SEO Brand to build an e-commerce site and assist with SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEO Brand built our e-commerce platform from scratch, involved in all aspects of coding and design. With our help, they also create a lot of copy. Their team focuses on indexing all of the web pages for SEO, performing keyword research. Since they’re new to our business, we work together to craft the right phrases and words.

What is the team composition?

We work with Kelli (Project Manager, SEO Brand), Mike (CEO, SEO Brand), and someone who handles all of the SEO work.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

I’ve used SEO Brand several times over my 12 years working in the digital space.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we’ve invested about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with SEO Brand began in October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the platform yet. Hopefully, we will engage with SEO Brand to use their PPC services in the future.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Kelli acts as the project coordinator. Overall, they’re fantastic. Their team is extremely detail-oriented, consistently hitting deadlines and goals.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They excel at explaining processes and ideas that might not translate well to the site. Their team knows what’s going to work and what won’t.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. The whole process takes time, but that’s not their fault. Sometimes this type of work takes longer than it should.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients need to make sure they reply and give them what they need in a timely fashion, so it doesn’t end up taking longer than expected.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of marketing at a health clinic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

I hired SEO Brand to replace a vendor that had been doing a poor job. I relied on their team for SEO services, website maintenance, and content creation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In addition to SEO Brand, I also work with another vendor for content creation, but they operate on different schedules. I tend to allow SEO Brand to steer the ship and determine what they think is actionable each month.

What is the team composition?

We work with the digital marketing manager, an assistant digital marketing manager, and a digital marketing specialist.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

I found them through an online search. I interviewed several companies, but I felt the greatest confidence in SEO Brand. They seemed to have all the right answers and the capabilities for expansion if I decide that I want to grow my program.

How much have you invested with them?

I prefer to keep that figure confidential. I'm confident that I'm getting my money's worth based on the quality of their work, but they are expensive.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in January 2018 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My website's traffic has increased, and I’m benefitting from an improved conversion rate because we’re seeing more clients. The website is in better overall condition because they’ve eliminated most of the existing errors. All told, my domain authority is strong and seems to be growing.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re team players. They work well with my internal staff and with my external vendors. We communicate primarily through emails and phone calls, but we also hold Skype calls when necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I know I’m a smaller client, but they take care of us as if we were long-term clients or friends. They give me a lot of personal attention. I also admire their flexibility and their willingness to think outside of the box.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We initially had some workflow issues because we had never worked together. The use Basecamp internally and with clients, and I didn’t adapt well to that portal, so we had some early frustrations. They have since accommodated me by being open to other forms of communication.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As a client in an SEO project, it’s vital to remain responsive to the vendor so that they can meet expectations. Without clear expectations or goals, it’s hard for them to meet all of the requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for an electronic component manufacturer. We specialize in connectors and cable assemblies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We had performed a mobile-responsive redesign in May 2017. Although we saw a spike in traffic, we reached the capacity of on-page optimization. We were looking for off-page SEO and content creation opportunities—high-domain-authority link building.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their off-page work included cleaning up our backlink portfolio and removing disavowed and spam links. We do a lot of international business and have an offshore factory, meaning there are a lot of unauthorized e-commerce sites distributing our products. Many of these have high spam scores, which can act like anchors for our main site. I handle all the on-page optimization, but I did have a few questions for them related to our high-ranking or high-volume product pages, keywords, title tags, and meta descriptions.

In our case, the hurdle of dealing with outside agencies is that they can’t simply make up content that sounds great. They were less involved in terms of content creation, but, once we got the material refined, they were helpful with the publication of it. At the end of the day, our audience is made up of design engineers, so the material needs to be extremely technical. As far as this was concerned, I had to do a lot of handholding, but SEO Brand definitely was the avenue to release it. We also created two press releases: one for our general product offering and one for a trade show.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with one of their business developers, a project manager, and an assistant SEO manager.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

I saw a “Top SEO Firm” badge from a listings site on LinkedIn. I went to that site and looked at the top 5–6 firms with mid-range pricing. SEO Brand did all its work in-house, which was an advantage. I know that a lot of agencies use freelancers for the actual work. They also had prices in-line with our budget.

John (SEO/SEM Manager, SEO Brand) was the main reason we ended up doing business with them. He got on the same side of the table as us, making sure we were satisfied.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had a discovery call in October 2017. The project wrapped up in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our hope was to get our domain authority number up from 33 to 40. We weren’t able to do that, but we have cleaned up our backlink portfolio by disavowing 115 non-valid links.

They increased our ranking for a particularly high-volume keyword from the 18th to the 9th position. I’ve seen a significant traffic bump after the press releases and the disavowing of links. We've gone from 5,000 to 6,000 unique visitors per month after working with their team for a very short period of time. One of the links we acquired had a domain authority score of 81.

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided a project management board where we had access to a list of tasks, and through which we could share files.

We would definitely recommend them. We had a 100% satisfaction guarantee and John went above and beyond the scope in order to give us additional intel and on-page auditing. He was was with us to help every step of the way throughout the content delivery.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re not fit to spend $10,000 per month on SEO, so their cost was an advantage.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-owner of Perfectly Priscilla, an online women's clothing boutique.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We wanted to improve our organic rankings within the searches. We went through three SEO providers in two years, but we were not seeing the results. So we started looking for a new company to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial conversation with them about the keywords that we thought were relevant and discussed our goals. After that, they created backlinks, added some content to category pages, and managed keyword mapping to ensure our website gets organic traffic.

How did you come to work with them?

We found them through a Google search and read some reviews about them. After interviewing several companies, we decided SEO Brand was the best candidate to help us accomplish our goals.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid them around $1,600 a month, so it was approximately $20,000 in total. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

We worked with them between October 2016–December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did an excellent job helping us increase organic traffic. They were very proactive and got us on the first page of Google searches on a number of key phrases. 

How did they perform from a project management standpoint? 

They used Basecamp for project management, but I preferred talking to them on the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They truly wanted to see our company succeed and delivered on promises. Also, they were very transparent with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing they could improve is cross-selling. I wish we had known about other services they offered before we switched to a different agency. (If we had known, we would have stayed with them.)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m head of business development for The Bagel Club. We’re based in Canada and decided to launch a website that sells bagels online, mainly to the United States. It’s a membership-based business. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Brand?

We needed our name and brand to be more widely known on the web. The challenge was getting the first 1,000 memberships. The main focus was to get a website built. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built and designed our website, including the credit card platform and the shopping cart. They helped with the business because we receive orders on a daily basis and recurring orders. They gave us a few designs and we had some brainstorming sessions. We decided on which look we wanted. Then we sent emails back and forth with some screenshots and Dropbox links. We took a few weeks and then we decided on exactly each page. 

They wrote a marketing plan and designed the marketing strategies. Now they’re doing all our SEO [search engine optimization] and managing the whole marketing platform. We’ve been doing some pay-per-click [PPC] campaigns. They helped us do an analysis.

I rely a lot on their expertise. They provided us some keywords that were particular to what we want to do. It was a little bit of back and forth of a list of keywords and cost. They also did a cost analysis. We mainly took a lot of their propositions because of their experience. They’re in the United States and they know the market well.

How did you come to work with SEO Brand?

They were referred by a friend. I also did an online search and looked at their website and portfolio. I had a few contacts with them and decided to hire them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together December 2013 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first test we did was conclusive: we saw that the market is there. It’s something we’re going to continue working on. The work has produced good results. We have a report of the keywords and SEO and the impact is great so far. We’re satisfied with the quality. 

How did SEO Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

When we started the project, they assigned 2 people for project management. They have a platform through which all the emails are sent and they use Basecamp for the work. 

We have weekly conference calls where they give us feedback on what they’ve done. They send me reports and we talk about what they’re going to do in the next week. There are always 2–3 people on the call. Once the website was launched, they sent us some analytics. They’re great with follow-ups and when we’ve had a few issues, they always answer fast. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of service and efficiency is impressive. If we email them, we get an answer within 48 hours. Their knowledge of marketing has helped us a lot. I've discovered a lot of things that I didn’t know because of them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It’s been a great experience so far. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve recommended them to a few customers already as there are so many companies out there and when you find a reliable company, you stick with them. I have only good things to say.

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.