Sure Oak

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of an Ai/ML software consulting and development company focus on custom computer vision and natural language processing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sure Oak?

We wanted to increase where we rank in google for a number of our articles to increase our inbound marketing leads. This is a process I was doing myself since the start of this company and wanted to move it out to someone with more marketing experience than I have. Sure Oak knows quite a bit about strategizing where to have backlinks placed to maximize google movement and I knew this was something I could take advantage of.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Their expertise and the quality of clients they've worked with was the driving factor in choosing them.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We started with a number of strategy sessions to fully understand what our business does and what type of websites are correlated with what we provide. The goal was to choose backlinking sites that aren’t just tech blogs but software services related sites that are truly relevant.

From there they provided quality backlinks to 4 of our blog posts each month. The links were always on time and they provided monthly updates. We were able to be very hands off and they delivered each month with the high quality links we were looking for.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

They assigned a number of resources to us that included the director of link building.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We closed a number of deals through the increase in traffic to these specific blog posts. One of our posts went from unranked for the keyword to #3 gaining over 100 clicks per month to that article. Traffic to the site is up over 50% since we started.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was great. We wanted to be hands off to focus on the rest of the marketing operations and they did a great job of that while still keeping us updated.

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

The quality of their links is one of the best I've seen. The average DR was well above what they promised and it was exciting to see them come in every month.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing manager at a B2B garment printing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sure Oak, and what were your goals?

As we grew our company and had a SEO strategy, we needed high quality backlinks. We went with quality over quantity.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We contacted a lot of backlink companies and after hearing their way of building links and their price point, we decided to go with them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

It started with an onboarding call, in which we discussed what we're looking to get out of this project and any specific keywords they should look for. After that, they did their research on the company website and its digital footprint and which keywords to target. They then delivered the agreed upon links every month with a report summarizing the link and its DA score.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There was a project manager and a SEO specialist who worked with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Depending on the keyword and page, we increased our ranking on SERP from either 1 or at least to the first page.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They've been great at communicating with us throughout the project. Any questions we had, they would answer as soon as possible. We communicated via email mostly but that was our call.

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

Their level of SEO knowledge and speed at work were impressive. They knew what they were talking about and can communicate that well.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not much, we were extremely happy with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior digital marketing specialist at SideChef, a recipes and grocery delivery app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sure Oak?

We were stuck with our organic traffic growth. We did some SEO in-house, but we didn’t have people dedicated specifically to link building. Thus, we reached out to Sure Oak to take over this challenge for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sure Oak has taken over our link-building efforts, generating backlinks to increase our organic traffic. First, we provided them with access to our Google Search Console so that they could assess our situation. Then, they came up with a proposal detailing specific areas in which they thought link building would help us generate more organic traffic. Their assessment was great because they chose the areas we also had in mind even though we didn’t share them with their team — we were on the same page.

What is the team composition?

So far, I’ve worked with three people from Sure Oak. Initially, I had a call with Dalley (Growth Consultant), who assigned our case to Ben (Client Success Manager). He and another person have been working on our account since then.

How did you come to work with Sure Oak?

I was searching for backlinking services through Search Engine Journal, a popular blog in the digital marketing community. They had a listicle about agencies that provided those services worth looking into, and Sure Oak was on that list.

We reached out to and interviewed five agencies, including them. Many of them offered link-building services as part of their SEO packages. However, Sure Oak was one of the only agencies flexible enough to provide us with link-building services only, which was what we needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them $3,000 per month for their services, but we can either increase or reduce that amount after our six-month contract if we need more or fewer services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and our engagement is ongoing. We signed a six-month contract, but we probably will renew our contract because they’ve over-delivered so far.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a 60% increase in traffic on one of the pages that Sure Oak has helped us promote, as well as a 17% increase in traffic con another of the pages. When working on SEO, it generally takes time to see results, and it gets hard to demonstrate certain growth to our leadership quickly. However, we’re very happy with Sure Oak’s involvement because our growth has been very clear in the specific areas they’re working on after only two months. Thus, it has been easy to explain the benefits of this investment to my manager, which has helped us continue our collaboration with Sure Oak.

How did Sure Oak perform from a project management standpoint?

Our collaboration with Sure Oak has been very transparent. From the start, they explained very clearly how our partnership would work. We have biweekly calls, and they provide us with monthly reports. If we have any questions about the reporting, they give us the option to jump on a Zoom call. Additionally, they’re very helpful and willing in providing answers to questions outside of their scope, like SEO consultancy.

Additionally, Sure Oak is very flexible and accommodating regarding our time difference. Our company is physically located in Shanghai, but we also have offices in the US. However, I don’t have to have 1 a.m. calls, and they arrange them to be either during the early morning or in the afternoon. Usually, those calls are via Zoom or Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sure Oak’s understanding is impressive. While other companies provided us with successful case studies when we were looking for a partner, those case studies weren’t relevant to our niche, so we thought that it was difficult for them to understand our market. However, Sure Oak presented very clear case studies relevant to our business, and they didn’t even bother to present anything outside our niche. 

In addition to that, Sure Oak offers a very personalized and human experience. From our initial call, it has been very easy to work with them. They’re very accommodating in how they provide their services, making them a great fit for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, I wouldn’t change anything about what Sure Oak does.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be straightforward, and don’t be afraid of telling them exactly what you want, whether it be a success metric or a specific budget that you’re limited to.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a distributor of toilet partitions. I’m the VP and part owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sure Oak?

We wanted help with SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off with Sure Oak reviewing our website content and making technical adjustments. We had keywords already established, but we went through those with their team just to confirm which ones were extremely important to the business.

They’ve helped change some of the content that was on the site and worked on creating backlinks. Also, they have a road map of what they do every month.

What is the team composition?

We have three main people working with us — a lead technician, a project manager, and a content specialist. We work with other people, but they just review some of the road map accomplishments every month.

How did you come to work with Sure Oak?

It was a referral from another reputable company.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $76,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2020, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We look at the organic visits to our website and the calls-to-action that they completed. Not only did we see a rise in organic searches and visits, but those visitors also converted and went through the different channels that we wanted them to go to.

How did Sure Oak perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. They’re a small team, and it seems like they’ve been working with each other for quite some time. Some of the upper-level people are pretty well-experienced, so they have it together.

For project management, we just use shared Google documents. We communicate through email or phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They just seem to be more experienced about the technical aspect of SEO than other companies. At the beginning, they came out without sugarcoating it and told us what we needed to do to get higher rankings.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sure Oak’s proposal is pretty well defined, but I would shop around and compare — maybe even talk to some other customers about their experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Lead UX Designer for a large renewable energy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sure Oak, and what were your goals?

We were merging three old websites into one new website as part of a rebranding effort. We hired Sure Oak to help us optimize all the new website content and to help us manage the migration so we didn't lose our existing search positioning.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were referred to Sure Oak by our previous agency, which they had recently acquired. Their professionalism and detailed proposal for our project, along with the strong recommendation from the owner of the previous agency, helped us decide to move forward with their services.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

We began with a few deep-dive meetings to help them understand our business and our target market, which is a little bit unique from other industries. Sure Oak performed audits on all three of our existing websites to make sure that all content was accounted for, and created an in-depth migration map for us. As we determined what content would be carried over and what new content needed to be created, Sure Oak performed the keyword research for every page to help us optimize all the new web pages before launch. They also helped us with organizing all of our redirects after migration and performed a post-launch audit to help us clean up our pages and improve our page rankings.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We primarily worked with the Director of SEO Strategy and the Senior SEO Strategist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We had a truly seamless brand launch, thanks in large part to the Sure Oak team. They were with us every step of the way to make sure our content was optimized, that our redirects were in place, and that nothing got left behind. We have only had the new site live for about a month but are already seeing excellent traffic - much higher than I would have anticipated for a site migration or new website, and I have no doubt that it's because of Sure Oak's guidance.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Sure Oak is very organized and very communicative. Every call we had was followed by an email with relevant action items, and their team was very timely on all deliverables. I didn't see any detail slip through the cracks with them! Any bottlenecks that did occur were on our side, not theirs. The team is incredibly knowledgeable, and they are professional but also fun and personable. I enjoyed all of our meetings with the Sure Oak team.

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

Their expertise in SEO and specifically in backlink strategy makes them a stand-out in their industry. They had a solid strategy for every component of our brand launch and were able to articulate both the strategy and the reasons for the strategy to our team. I was so impressed by how well their work to prep for our migration played out during the actual launch, and with what we've seen already in post-launch traffic.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Unfortunately due to our company's internal requirements, we had to shift to an existing vendor for ongoing SEO so we didn't give Sure Oak the opportunity to run with our long-term strategy or to get creative. When we worked with them, we were 100% focused on site migration and brand launch, and they did an exemplary job with that! I don't have any areas for improvement in our experience with them, and I am sure they would have continued to impress us over the long term as well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an open innovation platform that allows you to innovate faster by detecting and contacting the best experts or the most relevant companies. I am in charge of digital marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sure Oak?

We wanted to increase our domain authority in order to be more competitive in seo. We found several solutions that didn't suit us enough. SureOak allowed us to have real quality links to sites that are interesting for us.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our AD and thus bring more seo traffic to our site

SOLUTION

How did you select Sure Oak?

We first looked for a solution in our country (France) but none clearly answered our problem. We then searched for an English-speaking company on Google and came across Sure Oak. We set up a meeting so that they fully understand our issues and objectives. After a period of reflection and comparison with other offers we decided to work with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We first had an interview so that they could get to know our expectations and we could get to know their skills. Once the need was well established, SureOak offered us to do a test at a reduced price over 1 month.

At the end of this period we continued with one of their classic formulas. We had access to a detailed report that they agreed to provide us every week. Our exchanges went well with the whole team and they were always reactive and attentive to our requests.

What was the team composition?

Our first contact was with the Growth director. We then had a project manager who followed us closely. We also met other members of the team through a kickoff.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have not been able to carry out our project for a very long time so we have not been able to perceive any significant improvement in our domain authority. On the other hand the links provided were always related to our domain and lexical field.

The domain authority of the acquired links was always above ours. We had also asked to acquire links on a certain type of site related to our field of activity and our request was respected.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager was always listening to us and explained things well. They answered all our questions and accepted some of our requests (such as having a weekly report). They were very responsive to our emails.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I didn't think they could make us gain so many links with such high domain authorities and on sites we were interested in, but they seemed very difficult to acquire if we would have had to do this campaign on our own. They were able to help us achieve things we couldn't on our own. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

We would have liked to see our domain authority increase even if our had to be conducted over a short period of time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a car dealership. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sure Oak?

They were our link building partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a new website for a special finance department that we created for a very narrow niche. They were responsible for providing link building services for that site.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with an account representative.  

How did you come to work with Sure Oak?

I found them online searching for link building agencies. Reaching out to those with impressive websites, we decided to interview several of the providers through a proposal process. They seemed like the best fit for the work and were professional. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered the link quantity and quality that we agreed on at the start of the project. Our industry is pretty unique, without tons of potential sites that could link to u. However, they landed good-quality leads with relevant resources. That allowed us to show up higher in organic rankings. 

How did Sure Oak perform from a project management standpoint?

They respond right away to my questions and concerns. Their reports are also structured well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve handled the account well in terms of quality and quantity of links.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They follow through on promises and met our objectives, so I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give clear expectations upfront to get the most out of working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Dietary supplements eCommerce website since 1992.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sure Oak, and what were your goals?

First of all, it was only about a general SEO audit of our website, but it's ended to work together for more than a year now! Adding link building and on-page optimization every month. We are looking to build a strong organic ranking.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sure Oak and what were the deciding factors?

It was about their founder reputation on Semrush! They always provide a professional service in a timely manner.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

The goal is to build a strong and long term reputation for my eCommerce website.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I am currently with one account manager who is the same person from the beginning and two specialists. One in content writing and the other one in SEO. They all did a really good job.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I am very satisfied with their service. I would say it is maybe a little bit expensive, but the quality has a price I guess!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

We are mainly communicating through emails and I feel it efficient regarding our projects.

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

The service in general is very satisfying.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I would say regarding our recurring projects through the months, maybe to be more flexible on outside project tasks. It gives a VIP felling to the client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the general manager of this company and responsible for the websites which we run.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sure Oak?

We hired Sure Oak to do a review on our backlinks and after that build new backlinks for our websites.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal for this project was to maintain a healthy backlink profile whilst adding new backlinks for our websites.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sure Oak?

After doing quite some research and checking online reviews for several companies I saw that Sure Oak was the company with the best reviews and decided to contact them along with 2 other companies. In the end after having a first contact through a personal call I definitely had the best feeling with Sure Oak.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We hired Sure Oak to do a review on our backlinks and after that build new backlinks for our websites.

What was the team composition?

I've had contact with several employees and all were very nice and helpfull.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At this moment we're still working with Sure Oak and they send me monthly reports which are detailed. I also can explain exactly what I'd like them to do different and they are always open to guide me the right way.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Reaction time on my emails is short and in case I'd like to have a personal call then they can also always schedule this on short notice.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The very personal approach towards their customer impressed us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

If I would have to find a point to describe here then I'd hope they could make things a bit cheaper. But that's just nitpicking.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Simply Senior Living is an online referral provider that helps seniors and their families connect to the best senior living communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sure Oak, and what were your goals?

As a new website, we were looking to grow our organic search traffic and domain authority.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We chose Sure Oak due to their experience with other clients in our industry and due to their comprehensive analysis of our site's SEO.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

Sure Oak created an initial report that detailed the current status of our SEO, then scheduled monthly calls and requirements for completion of the campaign. These objectives were based around site architecture, content, on-page/off-page SEO, and link building.

Each month, Sure Oak would provide Content Briefs that described keywords to hit on specific pages on the site, which aspects of on-page or off-page SEO to improve, and other suggestions on how to improve the site. They also provided an update on traffic data over time, where they had obtained backlinks, and what the goals were for the next month.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

3 SEO specialists, 1 project manager, and 1 sales associate worked with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Traffic to our site is more consistent than prior to working with Sure Oak.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Sure Oak is a remote first company that utilizes largely the Google Docs ecosystem and Google Meet. Most of the deadlines are based around monthly phone calls on Google Meet.

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

Sure Oak was very professional and committed to the project. They have a strong knowledge of link building and basic site architecture.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The cost of services can be expensive, depending on your company's budget.