The SEO Works

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of a recruitment company. Our mission is to connect domestic workers to people and companies rapidly.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The SEO Works?

We hired them for SEO services. Our website wasn’t ranking well, and we wanted to increase our visibility and attract new users.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to drive new users to our platform in a maintainable fashion.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched online and used Clutch to browse reviews. The account manager answered all questions before we decided to choose The SEO Works.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The SEO Works updated various search phrases in our target market. Their team uncovered the types of searches and what our company should focus on within site to achieve our goals.

What was the team composition?

We primarily worked with the account manager, but there was a strong team behind them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The SEO Works improved our visibility amongst search engines. We’ve seen an increase in contacts through the website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We understood each other’s needs. The account manager finetuned our ideas to have a better view of what we wanted to measure. We had a monthly phone call to discuss progress and receive updates. Their team was professional.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were able to work with our ideas while showing us the most effective way to get more users and have those users bring others on board. The SEO Works was excellent.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The SEO Works aren’t inexpensive, but clients pay for exceptional work and service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the online manager for a local carpeting and flooring company called Morgan & Quinn. Though we have outlets across Yorkshire and England, we lacked a web presence. In my role, I managed the website build, finding a development firm to handle the site and a digital marketing agency to work alongside them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The SEO Works?

We wanted to bring our business online with a brand new website. I brought on a development firm to create the site but needed a firm to manage our SEO and boost our visibility. I reached out to The SEO Works to ensure that our site and content were SEO-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They initially came onboard as consultants for the development company; for five months, they provided key insights to ensure that the site build was fully SEO-compatible. After the site launched, we officially contracted them to manage our overall SEO strategy and web content. Their responsibilities now include article writing, blog writing, some logo work, keyword tracking, and back-facing SEO processes.

Each month, the team sends us a monthly report about our progress and key results. While some clients might read the first few paragraphs and conclude that things are going well, I prefer to get more in-depth. I visit their office on a monthly basis to review the report with our account manager. Together, we go through the document page by page, and they explain anything that might be too technical for us. This helps us track their work and coordinate efforts.

What is the team composition?

They’ve assigned an account manager and technical lead to our project, but there is a vast team working in the background, too.

How did you come to work with The SEO Works?

We found them while searching for local SEO firms and met them along with 2–3 other companies. They presented their business, and we particularly liked their sales director; he was likeable and clearly knew his field. Furthermore, they had an impressive portfolio of past clients, so we didn’t feel like we were guinea pigs for a large-scale e-commerce project. Rather, they had experience collaborating with a number of big brand projects similar to ours, which they inherited or worked on from scratch.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost has varied and slowly increased over the last three years. For the first year, we were trying to get our foot in the marketplace and define our direction, so we spent about £1,500 (approximately $2,000 USD) per month plus the value-added tax (VAT). In year two, we decided to add more logo and product work to the scope, which increased the spend to £1,800 (approximately $2,300 USD) plus VAT. Currently, we’ve increased our spend to £2,500 (approximately $3,200 USD) plus VAT to account for more in-depth services such as blog and article writing.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work officially started in May 2015, and the engagement is ongoing. But they’ve provided consulting work since January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The SEO Works has been crucial to establishing our digital footprint since day one. When we first started the project, they instructed our web development firm on where to place content, how much content we needed, and how to structure our product menu, and so on. Within about four weeks, our specific product searches jumped to the top half of the first results page, purely due to their site recommendations. It was phenomenal.

They’ve also helped us think more outside the box for key terms. As experts in the industry, we’re able to identify keywords that we might expect customers to look for, but those are typically the hardest to target and aren’t always the best option. The SEO Works suggests less competitive terms that are easier for us to rank higher in.

How did The SEO Works perform from a project management standpoint?

When they first started giving us reports, they showed us a few examples of how they could present the information. We tweaked their format slightly, so now they send us reports tailored to our needs. It’s not a generic document exported from software. Rather, they write it out so that I’m able to understand our performance from a technical point of view while my director can grasp it in layman’s terms.

With the report, I can better track what their team is trying to achieve on a monthly basis; if we haven’t quite met our goals, I’m able to see the reasons why and figure out what to do instead. One of the biggest challenges with SEO is that it’s easy to see what our goal should be, but those targets aren’t always realistic for a variety of reasons. For example, a big search engine might change their algorithm, which affects our results. This isn’t always a bad thing, but the report helps us plan ahead.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Over the last three years, we’ve gotten to know them and understand just how capable they are. They have a reputable team with some exceptionally talented individuals, and we’ve been fortunate enough to have had most of them working on our project. My account manager, in particular, is fantastic. The SEO Works assigned him to lead our account because he has such extensive SEO experience.

In terms of their performance, they do everything we ask, even if that means making quick changes. This can be a nightmare for SEO companies since we’re on a 12-month roadmap. Sometimes we need to adjust or stop what we’re doing after putting in months of effort, and, other times, the product is no longer scalable in the long-term. The marketplace also fluctuates as new products come out and fashions shift. Despite this, The SEO Works is happy to drop what they’re working on and rethink everything to get us where we need to be. They’ve adapted fantastically to all of our changes, and I have absolutely no complaints.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing that I haven’t addressed with them already. We have a good relationship and still communicate with the sales director and account manager on a monthly basis. There’s full transparency between us; if something needs to be said, we can discuss it with the necessary party. In that sense, I don’t have to manage my account manager.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a real estate website and manage its functions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The SEO Works?

We needed to develop our SEO.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our exposure on Google and increase our sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I contacted various vendors and received no responses. I found The SEO Works through Clutch, and they immediately provided answers and detailed strategies.

Describe the project in detail.

The SEO Works curated our content and keywords to their SEO best practices. They consulted us on better ways to align our website with search engine algorithms. 

What was the team composition?

We worked with their SEO specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

After one month of Clutch SEO's services, our PageRank rose to the top ten on Google for the keywords we chose. Our phones rang with new potential clients right away. We now get regular inquiries from potential customers on a daily basis.

How did The SEO Works perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team provided exceptional customer service and were responsive via phone and email. Whenever we requested additional features and various changes, they were always prompt and helpful with getting things done quickly. We were extremely happy with their service.

What impresses you about The SEO Works?

They worked extremely fast and produced tangible results at an affordable price.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Patient.info (previously Patient.co.uk) is an online resource that provides people with easy access to high-quality information and services. Earlier, I was the Head of Development and was responsible for the technical architecture and delivery of the content platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The SEO Works?

We'd used SEO Works over an extended period to manage and support our day-to-day SEO needs. However, we chose to engage with them more closely as we planned our international strategy and our domain move from Patient.co.uk to Patient.info.

What were your goals for this project?

The primary goal of the project was to migrate the site from a country code top-level domain (patient.co.uk) to a general top-level domain (patient.info) to support and accelerate our international traffic growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

SEO Works was initially chosen as they were a local SEO agency that had been able to demonstrate proven experience working within the healthcare space. Over an extended period of time, they were able to prove their effectiveness in growing traffic to the site; because of this, they became our go-to supplier when planning our international SEO strategy and roll-out.

Describe the project in detail.

The primary goal of the project was to grow international traffic to the site and deliver against our strategy. This involved content optimization and—more significantly—technical migration from Patient.co.uk to Patient.info.

What was the team composition?

We primarily dealt with our dedicated account manager and SEO director who was able to provide technical insights and advice. However, we were also in regular contact with the business owner and senior management, all of who provided very professional service.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

Prior to migrating the site, the majority of our site traffic came from UK visitors, with only 40% of traffic coming internationally. After the domain migration, our traffic sources gradually changed—as expected—in favor of our international audience. Whilst our UK traffic remained strong, our international traffic incrementally grew to around 70%, with the majority coming from the US. Through careful planning and controlled roll-out, we were able to ensure that there was no service interruption. This was only possible through collaborative work that embraced SEO Works as an extension of the team.

How did The SEO Works perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was managed really well. Right from inception, we agreed to timelines that were stuck to throughout the duration. This required commitment and buy-in—not only from SEO Works, but also our internal teams—to ensure that all deliverables were met in a timely manner.

What impresses you about The SEO Works?

In addition to their sound technical knowledge and ability, what was most impressive was the enthusiasm that SEO Works expressed for our business and their drive to promote our content and services into new audiences so that more people could benefit from having access to high-quality health information and support.

Are there any areas for improvement?

All in all the service was great. There was the odd occasion where deliverables or meetings had to be delayed/rescheduled, but this was always for valid reasons and communicated to the team in a timely manner. Whenever this occurred, SEO Works worked hard to ensure that the project remained on schedule and was delivered as planned.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing director of a manufacturing company. We create chrome plating for marine and hydraulic components.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The SEO Works?

We hired the SEO Works to develop targeted marketing for our industry in the digital sector. We are a niche company and required a bespoke package to reach out to OEM markets rather than a traditional market.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase the awareness of potential customers for our business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had many meetings with potential digital marketing companies. The SEO Works delivered the most professional proposal and adapted to our market the best. They also had a proven track record. 

Describe the project in detail.

The SEO Works' directors met with us to develop a targeted plan. They are currently working as part of our internal marketing team—continuing to implement SEO and PPC ads.

What was the team composition?

We initially worked with their directors. Now, after we developed some confidence, their project managers handle the project and communicate with us weekly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any statistics or metrics that speak to the quality of their work and impact of the engagement?

Their work ranks us high in key terms and produces market awareness from low volume customers. Their targeted campaign brings us new and worldwide OEM customers. It has been very successful so far.

How did The SEO Works perform from a project management standpoint?

The team at The SEO Works are great to work with. They always have a member of the team available and their management team always show a willingness to get involved in our campaign. We really benefit from their years of experience.

What impresses you about The SEO Works?

The SEO Works continue to showcase their experience and professionalism in our engagement.  They provide new ideas at our scheduled meetings and keep us updated with the latest technology.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of e-commerce for H.I. Weldrick Limited. We trade as Weldrick’s Pharmacy. It’s an online pharmacy business based in South Yorkshire. We’re currently the fourth or fifth largest online pharmacy in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The SEO Works?

We weren’t getting the best out of our previous SEO provider and were looking for someone new. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

About 18 months ago, we switched our SEO management to SEO Works. About a year ago, is switched over the AdWords as well. We were fairly new to the market. So we were looking for advice and guidance with SEO Works. We also ended up running the most optimized campaigns. 

We weren’t looking for tremendously fast growth; we recognized very early on that it was important to meet our customer expectations. We have very high customer satisfaction rates and we didn’t want to go too quickly and not be able to meet those expectations. We worked closely with SEO Works to ensure that our SEO and AdWords growth was sustainable and that allowed us to grow at a rate that we could easily adapt to. 

They write blog articles, which have helped to increase our SEO content online. It wasn’t very well-optimized before that. So they came in, had a look at that, and rewrote some articles and linked it into our content. That turned out really well for us.

What is the team dynamic? 

We have an account handler, Declan [Senior Account Manager, The SEO Works], who works closely with us. Very early on, we adopted Slack for communications. So rather than picking up the phone, we could send instant messages between my team and his team. 

We also work with Catherine [SEO & PPC Account Manager, The SEO Works] who deals with our AdWords campaign. They also have a couple of people that helped write the blogs on their team. They’re included on our Slack communication. We’ve been able to increase the communication with my team and their team. We get instant feedback suggestions from both sides. It’s really been a great integrated team effort to improve the SEO and the AdWords.

How did you come to work with The SEO Works?

It was before I started in the role. We had a plan that we were going to move over to SEO Works. We weren’t happy with our previous provider. SEO Works was local to us, which was really convenient. The research we did showed that they were really a strong, upcoming local company. We like to support local companies. We’re able to get together in person and really get to know the team. It worked really well for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a modest monthly AdWords budget. They get a commission on what we spend. One of the problems we had initially with the old provider was they hadn’t optimized our account for mobile devices. So when we switched, that budget went through the roof. They’ve been working closely with us to manage that budget because we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on AdWords.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we started working with them, they’ve optimized our site for both regular SEO and mobile compatibility. We’ve seen around 50-60% year-on-year growth in our turnover. We’ve seen conversions, on mobile devices in particular, double during that period. Our conversions on desktop and tablet have increased about 50% as well. Beyond that, we noticed an immediate improvement in the communication we were getting. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in our business levels.

How did The SEO Works perform from a project management standpoint?

The relationship has been fantastic. The communication has been superb. As soon as we introduced Slack in between the teams, our response times were down to minutes. That is in contrast to days between response times when working with our previous provider. We get regular reports and instantaneous responses to any questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication is great. They listen to our individual needs as well. We didn’t want growth that we couldn’t sustain in terms of delivery to the customers. They listened to that. It was probably the first time they had ever heard a company say they wanted to limit their rate of growth. They really worked hard to achieve that goal for us. We didn’t want to lose customers through bad service, and they’ve worked really hard to manage that. It’s counterintuitive because they get paid a commission based on how much we spend. They’ve understood that that’s limited when necessary if money is not flowing well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We have a fantastic relationship with them. There’s nothing I’d want to change or improve.

Do you have any advice for people looking to hire clients in the SEO and PPC world?

Speak to other people who are using the company. We didn’t do that with our first provider. We did with SEO Works. They came highly recommended from some companies that we’ve worked quite closely with. Recommendations are important. I’ve spoken to a couple of companies who were looking to move SEO providers and have been able to give them some really positive feedback that’s enabled them to make decisions based on the experiences that we’ve had.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a manufacturer and distributor of motorcycle protective clothing. We also own a number of retail outlets, one being a cycle retail store and two motorcycle retail stores.

I am the marketing manager for the company. I look after all traditional and digital marketing as well as product placement and all website activity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the challenge that you were trying to address when you approached The SEO Works?

We needed SEO [search engine optimization] work and an increase in traffic and sales through our motorcycle retail store.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project was a one-year contract on one of our retail stores. It included carrying out SEO for a selection of keywords.

How did you come to work with The SEO Works?

We sent out a number of quotes to various companies which offered this service. Their price was good, and we got along well with the guys at The SEO Works.

How much have you invested with The SEO Works?

We paid for each keyword that they worked on instead of the time it took.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project concluded after 12 months. The target was to increase sales conversions throughout the year, but we understood that it wasn’t an instant fix.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sales were increased on the retail site we gave them. Now they carry out SEO on all three of our retail sites as well as ten of our brand sites. We now buy development hours, so in addition to the SEO, The SEO Works now designs and runs all our web activity.

What did you find most impressive about The SEO Works?

We can contact The SEO Works on most hours of the day, and they respond. We also have one contact which allows us to direct all queries to one person, and then they filter them on their side. The SEO Works goes above and beyond when it comes to carrying out the work.

Are there any areas The SEO Works could improve?

No. So far, we have had no issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom. We manufacture parts for diesel ship engines. I’m the managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The SEO Works?

We wanted to improve our search engine rankings and make our target market aware of our manufacturing capabilities. We didn’t want to achieve a top rank for the wrong reasons, for example, attracting people looking for a facility to do car bumpers and being purely industrial.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their work has been all organic SEO [search engine optimization].

How did you come to work with The SEO Works?

I initially looked at a number of providers and found that The SEO Works was located near us. What they do with respect to the organic work was much more professional and in-depth than other firms, and their cost fits our budget as well.

How much have you invested with The SEO Works?

Our budget started around £500 [US $624] a month, but it’s since increased to approximately £1,000 [US $1,248], so we have probably spent £12,000 [US $14,971] annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together for over three years, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first year, we didn’t necessarily see the results we had hoped for. However, we were committed to a long-term plan. Over time, the work has built traction and it’s starting to be successful.

Our business operates in a specific niche, and sometimes it’s difficult to get feedback from our customers. We’re quite happy that SEO is part of our marketing strategy. As long as we’re getting new customers on a yearly basis, we’ll continue our relationship with The SEO Works.

How did The SEO Works perform from a project management standpoint?

We have our own relationship manager, and the owners are also very accessible. We have a good relationship with them.

What did you find most impressive about The SEO Works?

They’re a very modern, forward-thinking company and issues are resolved very quickly.

Are there any areas The SEO Works could improve?

Obviously, you always want quicker results, but we have confidence that they’re doing the work behind the scenes to increase our online presence. We understand that it takes time, and we’re looking at a long-term plan.

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

I think it’s important to have a fixed budget, agree on an action plan, and then have an outlook of 3–5 years to execute on that plan. It’s a very layered process that needs to be built up over time, and we’re now seeing the benefits of this approach.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and director of a financial services and wealth management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The SEO Works?

I needed to develop the brand and identity of my company through effective marketing. My website is very informative regarding retirement and investment planning. I needed the site to rank higher when people in our local area searched for keywords in that niche.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I engaged The SEO Works for optimization and social media services. They offer the option of paid ads, but I didn’t go down that route. We update the account manager with information, news, and advice for consumers. They then update the website to hopefully increase our ranking with search engines and encourage people to learn how we can help them.

How did you come to work with The SEO Works?

A main point of interest for me was that they won a national Drum Award for the B2C field. They were independently selected for that award, which stood out to me.

How much have you invested with The SEO Works?

In an average year, I spend between £3,000 and £3,800 [US $3,742–$4739] with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them for a couple years now, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results generate a lot more revenue than what I pay them. It pays for itself and more. I get an average of one new client per month, which yields £1,000–£2,000 [US $1,247–$2,494] per client.

How did The SEO Works perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a good relationship with our account manager. We exchange ideas, and it works extremely well.

What did you find most impressive about The SEO Works?

They understand my business and what I want to achieve. Other companies may give you a lot of statistics on what they can do, but I find that The SEO Works sticks to the work and actually delivers. If something isn’t going right, they’re quite open to discussing and amending it.

Are there any areas The SEO Works could improve?

They’ve grown very quickly. In the past, they’ve had to realign to manage their growth and keep the customer service level high. They’ve since focused on that and changed how the account managers work. They have also increased their staff.

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

I think you need to go in with a realistic plan and not believe you’re going to get to the top three in Google within two weeks. I think you have to commit an annual budget and give it at least 12 months to see the benefits. It takes time and effort, and it only works by providing good and relevant information. It’s a long process, but once you achieve a good search ranking, you can maintain it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Content of an IT services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Business systems and IT services for ambitious SMEs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The SEO Works to accomplish?

• Increase traffic and visibility trhough SEO project
• Increase backlinks through Digital PR project

SOLUTION

How did you find The SEO Works?

Before my time

Why did you select The SEO Works over others?

Appointed before my time

How many teammates from The SEO Works were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We worked with SEO works on site optimization to build traffic following a site migration. Towards the end of the project, we pivoted the focus from SEO to digital PR.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall web traffic, keyword traffic, impressions, backlinks

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

A monthly report and meeting, with email for queries and requests.

What was your primary form of communication with The SEO Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They showcased an impressive level of creativity in the digital PR campaign.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The SEO Works could have done differently?

For the SEO component of the project, I felt like the tactical recommendations were practical and sensible, but monthly reports could sometimes be late and we could have done with a stronger strategic steer overall. The digital PR component was more impactful, with a clearer direction, ideas and results.