SEO Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're the franchisor for Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning, with hundreds of franchisees and locations across the United States and Canada. I'm the CEO and president. We offer complete operational and marketing support for our franchisees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEO Inc.?

We needed a vendor to help with SEO. We've engaged them for nearly 10 years, and are hoping to expand their role.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to stay up-to-date on the latest SEO trends. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We met with many vendors, but SEO Inc. was the best option by far.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

SEO Inc. is our full-service SEO provider. They manage all our web properties and improve their rankings. They use a variety of keywords, implement internal linking strategies, and optimize backend code to improve our Google search recognition. They recently cleaned up our main website to prepare for a relaunch.

What was the team composition?

We have worked directly with the founder and director, but they have a whole team that handles day-to-day tasks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We wouldn't be where we are today without SEO Inc. I'm impressed by their commitment to staying on top of the latest trends. We're far ahead of our competition because of their help.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We’re impressed with their professionalism and accessibility. They send us personalized alerts at all hours of the day to notify us of important updates and critical changes. They do their best to avoid delays and anticipate potential issues. Their organized, efficient workflow always moves the project forward. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

SEO Inc. understands that our brand identity and reputation needs to speak to both potential franchisee owners and their customers. The team knows how to communicate with both audiences effectively.

Money is the clear drive for most vendors, but SEO Inc. stands out for their commitment to our success. They even started working on our account before we signed a contract. We’ve never considered looking for a new partner. They're an honest, hardworking team with exceptional abilities.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, SEO Inc. is the real deal!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of The Levy Group, a fashion conglomerate that designs, manufactures, and distributes many different product categories via their own proprietary brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Inc.?

We were moving towards a direct to consumer business approach, so we needed to optimize our site. That meant making sure that everything was in order in terms of keywords that create visibility, as well as the functionality of the site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We told them our history and our future expectations. They did an excellent job of explaining every venue of opportunity based off of our budget, mapping out what our expectations should be. They took into consideration the types of products we’re trying to sell and are consumer based.

They also did the SEO and managed our paid search campaigns.

What is the team composition?

We were working directly with Dalton (Digital Marketing Expert, SEO Inc.).

How did you come to work with SEO Inc.?

They were recommended by a friend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was so impressed with their SEO work after the first year that I wanted to do more with them, then after the second year, our business more than quadrupled. We increased the spend and had them manage everything.

They do an excellent job collaborating with us and explaining the analytics. The project provided us with the tools to successfully manage our business, giving us a very cost-effective roadmap moving forward.

How did SEO Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They were extremely professional and did a very good job—the project management is excellent. We met in person once, while the majority of our meetings are on the phone with one or two Skype meetings. I trust them fully.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re so hands-on and professional—I get unbelievable service. They’re really on it and conduct themselves in an ethical manner. Overall, I’m very impressed with their performance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re willing to put in the effort, they can create the vehicle for you to do a good job. Communicate as much as possible and utilize their service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of North Coast Audiology. We help patients with hearing disorders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Inc?

We wanted to differentiate ourselves from others in the industry. We didn’t want to be lumped in with those taking older approaches, like direct mail and newspaper ads, because we feel unique in our field. We wanted an SEO approach that would earn us more patients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project began with the SEO Inc team giving a PowerPoint presentation on their SEO process and an overview of the concept. They showed us our company's analytics on how we were performing in search engines. From there, they walked us through the changes they were going to make. Their team made updates to our website and implemented SEO tactics to improve our search engine ranking organically.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact on the SEO Inc team is Garry (CEO, SEO Inc).

How did you come to work with SEO Inc?

After meeting Garry, I felt his company was the perfect fit for our project. He seemed to have the insight into how to attract patients in a non-traditional way.

How much have you invested with them?

We expect the entire campaign to total between $35,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our traffic increased by 300% and we’ve had a noticeable growth in business. We track how our patients find us and the work SEO Inc has done largely contributes to our incoming patients.

How did SEO Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

SEO Inc keeps us in the loop on their progress—they send us milestone updates and request our feedback. Their team keeps us informed on everything from deadlines to the reasoning behind their latest action.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They break down complex jargon and concepts and make it clear for those unfamiliar with the process. They keep me up to speed and explain everything so that I can manage my expectations and understand their work. I always feel that they handle the project well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of for them to improve on; they’re the only company I’ve worked with in this industry, but they have an excellent reputation for a reason.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re someone who has limited knowledge in the SEO industry, listen to their advice. You’ll start to understand their process better and see results that make sense.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing communications specialist for a manufacturing company. My role includes maintaining the website and designing print advertising and sales collateral materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEO Inc.?

Our previous website was slow and not performing well. SEO Inc. designed several websites for us over the past five years. Each site got bigger and bigger. SEO Inc. is beyond excellent when supporting, responding, and developing our websites.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a responsively designed website with faster site time, and that could hold more information.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed and reviewed the work of many companies. SEO Inc. stood out above the others because their client base was delighted with their work and have been working with them for many years.

Describe the project in detail.

The project included redesigning two websites and combining them into one responsive site. SEO Inc. worked on creating unique pages that would rank well on search engines. We needed the pages to have clean links and URLs. There was also repetitive information on our website, so that needed to be cleaned up and fixed.

What was the team composition?

We worked with dedicated project managers and engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the market, we were perceived as distributors, not manufacturers, as a result of our RFQ’s being low quality. After SEO Inc. redesigned the website, optimized content, and cleaned up URLs, we have seen our quote requests dramatically change.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our partnership was excellent. Cari (Director of Project Management, SEO Inc.) and her team were extremely responsive. The engineers monitor our website daily to optimize performance. All requests are handled in minutes.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

SEO Inc. has the most genuine people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Their team goes above and beyond.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, nothing that I have experienced during this engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the online presence manager of Oxi Fresh. We’re a carpet-cleaning franchise based in Denver with about 530 locations across US and Canada. I manage both local and franchise-wide visibility.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Inc.?

We needed a vendor to help with our SEO efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEO Inc. is our full-service SEO provider. They manage all of our web properties and focus on improving the rankings of each. The team works with a variety of keywords, implementing internal linking strategies and optimizing backend code to increase our recognition in Google’s system. They’ve recently helped clean up our main website in preparation for a relaunch initiative. We’re looking to expand their role with our company.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with three people from SEO Inc., and I also speak with the CEO from time to time. We mainly communicate with our project manager, and another teammate handles our backend needs.

How did you come to work with SEO Inc.?

Oxi Fresh first worked with SEO Inc. before I started with the company. Our CEOs knew each other, so it was an easy choice. We stopped the initial collaboration because we needed to cut back our spending. When we had the funds to support SEO work, we returned to SEO Inc.

What is the status of this engagement?

This specific engagement started in October 2013, but they worked with the company before that. Currently, our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After our first time working with SEO Inc., we ranked on the first page of Google results. In time, our web properties dropped off to the eighth page on average. Within two months of our second engagement with their team, we were back up to the second page. Four months in, we started ranking on the first page again for both local and nation-wide searches. Initially, we were highly ranked for about 800 keywords, and now we’re close to 2,000. These results speak to the valuable effects of SEO Inc.’s services.

How did SEO Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very professional. We’re impressed with their team’s level of accessibility. They sent us personalized alerts at all hours of the day to notify us of important updates or critical changes. They follow a very organized and efficient workflow, always looking to keep the project moving forward. They do their best to avoid delays and anticipate possible issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The franchising industry is a bit different than most; we’re catering to two clients—franchisees and consumers. SEO Inc. understands that our overall brand identity and reputation needs to speak to both potential franchisee owners and their customers. The team knows how to communicate with both audiences effectively.

Money is the clear drive for most vendors, but SEO Inc. stands out for their commitment to the success of our company. They even started working on our account before we signed a contract. We’ve never considered looking for a new partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like them to improve their reporting processes—we plan to speak with them about this in the near future. We’d prefer more detailed and personalized explanations of their work at the franchise level. It’s a very minimal problem and doesn’t reduce the positive impact they’ve had on our business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of BagzDepot. We specialize in printing business logos and artwork on reusable bags.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEO Inc.?

We hired SEO Inc. to improve our online presence on search engines. In the promotional item industry, there is high competition on keyword rankings.

What were your goals for this project?

Our overall goal was to generate more online traffic and increase customers. In order to do that, we needed to rank higher on search engines with our niche keywords.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’d been searching for a vendor for a long time when we came across SEO Inc. on LinkedIn. After reviewing their online presence, we scheduled a call. They were very professional and understood our goals and needs. Their friendliness was another key reason we selected them for our SEO needs.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with a discovery call. This helped us communicate and get on the same page about the company and our niche. They performed a site audit and then came up with a strategic plan. They now provide content, blogs, and backlinks for our website each month. They also produce monthly reports that show a snapshot of the project at that moment.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager. We’re also in contact with the CEO at times to make critical changes or updates on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a huge improvement in keyword ranking since the engagement began. Before we started with SEO Inc., we weren’t showing up on page one—or even pages two or three—for any of our key terms. Now we appear on page one for most of our keywords, and at the top of page one for several of our top converting keywords. We’ve also seen a significant increase in our web traffic. We’re very happy.

How did the SEO Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive via email or phone. They’re always quick to answer all of our questions. The project manager is very helpful. They always ask for our approval before making any changes to our site. Their team is great to work with, and it’s really nice to be able to get a second opinion from their CEO. We’re happy to extend our contract with SEO Inc.

What impresses you about the SEO Inc.?

They invest the time to come up with new topics and ideas about our industry. We’re very happy with the results they’ve delivered to date. Their professional, friendly, and knowledgeable staff is their greatest asset.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the COO at Allwork.Space. We are an online news website that publishes a variety of coverage relating to business centers, virtual offices, co-working, and incubators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Inc.?

We wanted to increase visibility for all of the information we publish and for our organization as a whole.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEO Inc. mainly works on improving our search rankings, increasing website views, and implementing link building strategies. Their main focus is SEO services, but they also provide small-scale PPC work. They monitor the campaigns using Google Analytics and Google AdWords.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with the owner of SEO Inc.

How did you come to work with SEO Inc.?

We worked with SEO Inc. in the past on a different project with one of our other companies, Alliance Business Centers. We had a very positive experience and received favorable results, so we decided to work with them again.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2003 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve experienced a consistent growth rate of 15–20% since the beginning of this year. We’d like to be higher, but SEO Inc. is very honest with us in explaining the timeline we should expect. We have confidence in their team and we rely on them to let us know the best directions and strategies for our company.

How did SEO Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via emails and phone calls and sometimes, they personally meet with the CEO at our company. Whenever we have a question or request a status update regarding the project, they are very prompt to respond.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They keep themselves current with emerging information in the SEO industry. With their knowledge, they’re always able to deliver what they promise. The SEO Inc. team is very dependable, there haven’t been any surprises and they always stay within our budget. I am really happy with our partnership.

Any advice for potential customers?

I recommend clients be specific about their SEO goals and the team can tell you the best approach to get you there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing member and founder of St. Rose Executive Suites and Virtual Offices. We provide business suites, individual offices, shared office space, and virtual office meeting rooms to clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Inc.?

Most of our new traffic leads come through the internet, so we needed help improving our website ranking and SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEO Inc. conducted a site audit to determine where the site was at, how it ranked, and where it stood with certain keyword terms. They then made suggestions for how to improve the site, which we implemented. SEO Inc. provides regular site reviews to keep us updated and on track. They use Google Ads and Google Analytics to create their strategy and inform our paid campaigns.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interface with a senior SEO analyst.

How did you come to work with SEO Inc.?

A colleague referred them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since January 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our leads have definitely improved, and our page ranking has increased by about 25%–30% since hiring them.

How did SEO Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re efficient and always keep us up to date on the project. They let us know what they need, and we have regularly-scheduled meetings to all stay on the same page. We mainly communicate via email but also use phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly skilled at leveraging Google to improve our ranking. We haven’t had any issues with them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Ask a lot of questions because they have great information and insight that will help you accomplish your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder, CEO, and chairman of the Alliance Business Centers Network. We own a variety of technology and office management companies globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Inc.?

Back when the internet was starting out around the late-90s, we thought it would be a good time for our programming team to engage with an outside consulting resource. We wanted to have preeminent websites in our industry—which we now have—and that would require some outside support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of the major things they did when we first started out was to look at our main website in order to completely re-engineer our database structure. Our data structure contained around 25,000 pages, and they analyzed how Google searches were working at the time. We created pages in real time, based on searches submitted to Google. This gave us a dynamically-searchable database in the early 2000s, an era when nobody else was doing this. It skyrocketed us ahead of our competition, and it had material impact for 4–5 years. This was probably the most technologically intense project they worked on with us.

Otherwise, they worked on everything from paid management of our accounts from a search engine marketing or PPC point of view, to classic SEO and link management and development between ourselves and other companies. They’ve done all varieties of work. They helped us flush out bad links too.

What is the team composition?

We coordinate directly with the two principals of the company. Our relationship is long-term, so they are our account managers. They organize their team requirements to be effective for us.

How did you come to work with SEO Inc.?

We researched the web and other media trying to identify who the leaders were in this industry. We were looking for thought leadership and creativity, as opposed to just mass scale. Secondly, we wanted to work with a local company. Lastly, it came down to chemistry: they’re fun and pleasant to work with, and they were willing to do the research necessary to engage our industry and company. We tried them out on some smaller engagements initially, and we’ve been working with them ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $100,000 annually with them. It’s worth it.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SEO Inc. in the late 90s or early 2000s. It’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We own a variety of sites that are the number one ranked pages within their various categories globally across the internet. There’s no better metric than being number one, and we’re within the second and third positions for as many keywords as possible across the spectrum. SEO Inc. has helped us maintain our leadership, even though we have some much larger competitors by coming up with an organic search process that was superior to theirs.

How did SEO Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicate once or twice per week with our CMO and CTO. I meet with them by phone about once a month, and we meet in-person every 60–90 days. It’s an ongoing relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They always buy lunch, so I don’t have to.

SEO Inc. has stood out through consistency and creativity. They’re always at the leading edge and always focused on learning. We share the philosophy that we always have to be the best students of our own industries in order to succeed, and SEO Inc. is absolutely doing tomorrow’s technology.

The team at SEO Inc. is in touch with what the various search engines are doing, how they’re doing it, and why. They have a lot of contacts and connections inside these search engine companies, which they use to create guidance on what they do for us as a client.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could buy better lunches.

Seriously, I can’t think of anything. They’re incredibly responsive. It’s as if SEO Inc. was a part of our company, rather than an independent contractor.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chairman of Alliance Virtual Offices, a company that develops and manages business and coworking centers around the world. We have about 720 locations operating in 54 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEO Inc.?

We’ve been a digitally-driven company since the internet began. We needed a partner that would be able to grow our business online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For their largest project, SEO Inc. looked at our code and rewrote it to make our search engine faster and more user-friendly. Now, as someone types, our engine can reconfigure to present suggested words in real time.

Today, they help with new algorithmic changes on Google and PPC campaign work. We have both an in-house and external digital agency, and SEO Inc. coaches them in those areas. We manage about 20 different sites, and SEO Inc. has worked on both internal operations and marketing sites.

What is the team composition?

We typically deal directly with the company’s principals.

How did you come to work with SEO Inc.?

We had a series of unsuccessful digital agency partners until we found SEO Inc.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $10,000–$20,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since 2001.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been a leading company on Google since we first started. SEO Inc. constantly helps us improve our rankings and customer outreach. They quickly pick up new keywords and expand our presence in geographical marketplaces. At one point, we tried to do the work by ourselves, but SEO is much better at it.

How did SEO Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re proactive and always willing to take on new assignments. They’re responsive and use a project management tool to track progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re SEO experts who are easy to work with and get things done. They understand the nuances of SEO and SEM and haven’t ever lost their edge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they treat their clients well and do good work.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Give them good direction and set expectations. Make sure your internal team coordinates with them to maximize the partnership.