Akash Srivastava

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner, operator of online import / retail website

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Akash Srivastava, and what were your goals?

Yes, we hired Akash in the spring of 2017 for SEO of our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select Akash Srivastava and what were the deciding factors?

He came highly recommended to us by someone that used him for website optimizing.

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

After we selected keywords for Akash to target, they went to work immediately. They supplied me with a detailed list of the project's scope and what outcome I could expect from the engagement. After several months, my our website was much more visible on Google, using all the keywords I had selected. Our website was usually found on the first page of the search results! My website sales have increased very nicely which is due directly to the work Akash has done!

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

I worked directly with Akash but I know his staff also was working on my project at the same time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My website was nowhere to be found online and had absolutely no online presentence. Now I have a lot of traffic and most importantly, website sales!

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

I don't know what 'project management style' you are referring but Akash communication to me in English was excellent! They treated us as if we were their only concern! I am always contacted personally by him, I never have to wait for his reply or assistance with any of my website needs.

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

Personal attention and great results as promised!

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

I don't know of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

StoneHouseMarketing Solutions, Inc is a full service marketing company that provides website design, hosting and maintenance, SEO services, email marketing, Facebook PPC, strategic marketing and other marketing services. We service primarily local clients in Belleville, Ontario and other cities nearby but do have a few national based customers for SEO and social media management services. I am the President of this company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Akash Srivastava?

Akash does SEO on several client projects.

What were your goals for this project?

Get number one rankings for key words of interest as measured by industry standard tools Eg. SEMRush, SEOMoz. Improve overall rankings of all keywords of interest.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

It's been so long I don't remember specifically. Sorry. It may have been via Google search and found his website.

Describe the project in detail.

I have a number of clients where Akash has done SEO related work. This has been done on an ongoing basis for several years in some cases, covering both national rankings in Canada and the US and local rankings in other cases.

What was the team composition?

Akash reporting directly to me.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All of our clients have many keywords ranked number one in their respective spaces. This is not just ONE keyword. Typically it is 10 or more ranked number one. Of course we have many keywords ranked 2, 3, 4 and so on, as well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Of course we are dealing with time zone differences but that is manageable. Usually we communicate using chat tools.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Keyword ranking results have been outstanding. Ranking #1 for a given keyword means approximately FOUR times the traffic as ranking #2 (and more for lower rankings). It's multiples better. And as already mentioned, our clients are typically ranking 10 or more keywords #1.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing coming to mind at the moment. Sorry.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a retired Stanford University professor of theater arts. I have written a book on improvisation, which has been published in nine languages. I also host a website that serves as a reference point to talk about my book.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Akash?

I was trying to connect my website to Google Search Console, but I was having a difficult time attaching it to the system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Akash helped me set up my connection to the Google Console. He created a link on my existing website that attached things to the system where they keep track of metrics. It was a very simple process, with one item to be done.

What is the team composition?

I only worked with one person.

How did you come to work with Akash?

After I put a query on a message board, I got an email from Akash saying he’d be glad to help for no charge at all. He then told me that if I had other work I’d like him to do later on, it would be $25 an hour and that he’d be grateful for a review. I did insist on paying him through PayPal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

He finished everything in about half an hour. It was all very satisfactory. He even offered a suggestion about something that could improve the website, which I took. While I’m not sure about the full extent of his technical capability, he did offer good recommendations for people if I wanted to have my website redone. I found him highly trustworthy and a good communicator.

How did Akash perform from a project management standpoint?

He managed everything skillfully and politely. In the course of the project, he came online and shared a screen so I could watch him work. This was helpful because I was able to see what he was doing with the information I gave him. It’s normal to have some concerns about working with an unknown technical advisor since you have to give them logins and passwords.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by his knowledge of behind-the-scenes coding for Google products. I’d call on him again if I had a technical problem. I liked him a lot. He’s a nice person.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can see.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend sharing a screen through Skype. This would let you to talk to him personally and see him do the work in real time. This arrangement worked really well for me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Tick Tock Adventures, LLC. We provide teambuilding and entertainment services in the form of real-life escape rooms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Akash Srivastava?

I hired Akash to help us with SEO [search engine optimization] so that we can obtain a better page rank from search engines.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to increase our search engine visibility and rankings. We wanted to be at the top of page 1 for selected keywords.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have considered and used many other SEO vendors in the past, but Akash seemed to have the full spectrum of skills others had talked about, and he offers them at an affordable price.

Describe the project in detail.

I have some knowledge of SEO principles, but Akash has much more experience and knowledge in this area than I do. As such, I have relied on his suggestions to determine the work that needs to be done. He works on link building from a variety of types and sources, including infographic sites, citations, social sites, and traditional posts. He also writes unique content for many of these posts so they are not just a series of duplicated information.

What was the team composition?

I work directly with Akash, mostly by email.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our rankings started to climb after a few months, and the result was very noticeable for our business. Akash offers quality service at a fair price, and I am pleased with his skills and work ethic. He delivers quality work that you can measure and see for yourself.

How did the Akash Srivastava perform from a project management standpoint?

Akash is very organized. He has a worksheet that he shares with me where he keeps track of all of his activities. I can see exactly what he has done, and I can click on the links to check it out for myself.

With some other SEO companies, you need to sign a long-term contract, but Akash is content to perform services on a monthly basis. This means that there is very little risk in starting a project with him. If you don't like the work, you can quit at any time.

What impresses you about the Akash Srivastava?

He is eager to please and tries very hard to deliver quality content, links, and results. So far, I have not been disappointed, and I believe I will continue to use Akash for the foreseeable future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Compared to the other companies I have worked with, no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a wholesaler of home decor. We product blankets/robes/slippers, etc

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Akash Srivastava?

We hired Akash for SEO. We knew it was an important piece to online business. Found him on clutch and have been working and seeing results with him since.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals are to popularize our online presence.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was searching on Clutch and asked him a few questions via a contact form and I liked his answers.

Describe the project in detail.

The project is not too complex. Basically we chose keywords we’d like to jump up the google ranks when customers search for our brand and that’s been the bases of the project since. Trying to better our rankings each month. I’ve seen these results progress each month with Akash.

What was the team composition?

We usually speak weekly to touch base on how things are going with our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes. Akash sends me a detailed spreadsheet of the overall progress of our website rankings at the end of each month. Each month we’ve seen great improvements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything runs smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I find that communication is great and we see very similar on the ways in which we need to get things done.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think there is always room for improvements that’s why we continue each month to better the month before.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a 2-person re-seller of unique product lines from Argentina. We import handmade leather goods, jewelry, gaucho knives, as well as alpaca fiber wear to the US. Since we are a small company, my partner and I do all the buying, selling, marketing, web work, and bookkeeping.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Akash Srivastava?

We wanted help with various SEO services.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to increase our website sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by a former customer who had been pleased with their work.

Describe the project in detail.

The project aimed to improve our website rating on Google, thereby increasing website sales. We were also targetting other search engines

What was the team composition?

We communicated one-on-one and had direct communication with Akash on all questions, requests, and needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After we selected keywords for Akash to target, they went to work. They supplied me with a detailed list of the project's scope and what outcome I could expect from the engagement. After several months, my website was much more visible on Google, using all the keywords I had selected. Our website was usually on the first page of the search results. My website sales have increased which is due directly to the work Akash has done.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was excellent! I'm pleased.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They offer one-on-one attention and communication in an extremely prompt time frame.