Directive

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Demand Generation for a company that provides shared storage solutions for video editing teams. I'm responsible for keeping generating leads to our sales team as well as overseeing digital marketing initiatives.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We hired Directive to help with organic traffic, SEO, and CRO efforts. As a growing company, we do our best to keep to a fairly lean team so hiring on Directive allowed us to add a bunch of brilliant minds to our marketing team, without having to hire, train, and onboard multiple resources.

What were your goals for this project?

We had hoped to increase organic traffic to our newly re-designed site as well as track efforts for content marketing efforts and optimize our site for higher conversion rates.

How did you select this vendor?

Directive's consultative sales process and existing customer base was enough for us to know we were making the right decision. So far, everyone we've worked with has been very knowledgable and incredibly helpful.

Describe the project in detail.

Directive kick-started our partnership by understanding our key north-star metrics (what we were hoping to accomplish) and this has so far been the agenda for every meeting.

From there, we set up a bi-weekly cadence to discuss web traffic, how we're trending towards our goals, as well as how we can improve our processes, content, and website to see an increase in performance. One of their suggestions gave us a 350% increase in conversions on one page during one month!

What was the team composition?

I have an account manager that manages the relationship, an account strategist who seems to leads our bi-weekly meetings, an SEO expert to help with anything extra (more like a solutions engineer it seems), as well as a bunch of folks behind the scenes.

I also work with one of the managing directors who checks-in often to see how the team is working out for us. I definitely feel like all my thoughts are heard and the team works diligently to make our team feel excited to tackle these initiatives.

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

We've had a positive increase in site traffic when compared to the previous year's months, as well as month-over-month growth during the end of last year. Our site conversions have been increasing and they help us stay incredibly focussed to our north star metrics so I always know decisions I'm making are for the right reasons.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The bi-weekly meetings give me enough time to make some movement with our site development team and content marketing team without keeping things stagnant. I always feel like I have something I can do to increase traffic or create an easier path for conversions to new customers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Directive is always willing to slow down to explain best practices of SEO and CRO without missing any details. I feel like I've learned so much in the last year working with the team. They also are just fun people to work with so I always look forward to meeting with the team and hearing their ideas for the upcoming weeks.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Directive does not offer marketing automation consulting (as far as I'm aware) which would make them a complete package in my book. Having someone to measure not only the front end results, but then ensure those leads convert quickly into actual sales would be incredible. But I guess that would just make my job a little too easy!!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for AliveCor as a marketing manager. I help ensure that we are getting the most out of our marketing and media plans. I work with Directive Consulting for digital advertising management.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

Digital and Social Media Advertising management. We were being sold digital advertising that was ineffective and unnecessary. Directive's monthly consulting fee was the perfect solution because they did not have an incentive to sell us advertising that was not working. They were also highly recommended by a previous co-worker.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to have consistent management and reporting of our paid search, display and social media advertising.

How did you select this vendor?

I was referred to by a previous co-worker and did some research on my own as well. I had a meeting and the fees were reasonable for the work that was requested.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Directive manages Google Ads, Bing, Facebook Business and Google Analytics for AliveCor. They provide reporting on a weekly basis describing budgets, changes, hurdles and recommendations. This includes broad management of the platforms and detailed management, such as keyword targeting adjustments.

What was the team composition?

The team is comprised of 1 individual whom I meet with on a weekly basis. The team has changed in the last year, but not the size of the team.

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

Our platforms are running consistently. Since this wasn't a one-off projects, it's tough to say a specific element of success. Our paid search and social media platforms and running smoothly today.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It is an effective work flow. We meet weekly, discuss any priorities and issues. Directive will take that information and typically provide solutions over the following week.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

In digital advertising, it's tough to find an honest partner. There are a lot of tactics that do not produce results and Directive is an incredible partner because they are honest and do not over-spend or sell you on areas that are ineffective.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Yes - Expanding their reach into more platforms. I have asked Directive about areas such as Email Marketing, but have been told that it's outside of the company's scope. They are a great partner for what they manage, but expanding their digital scope to encompass more services/platforms would improve their business.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior manager of a direct selling company, primarily focused on shampoo, conditioner, and other haircare products.

What challenge were you trying to address with Directive?

We hired Directive to help us put together an organic SEO campaign to increase our visibility for our non-branded products and other haircare related items for all hair types.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Directive optimized our website and made edits to our existing content. The back-office was also updated and gives distributors, and users access to increase product visibility. They also put together a keyword strategy for all of the haircare related terms and then created new content to match the phrases. Their team managed our social media profiles to optimize them and display ourselves as an authority in premium haircare.

What is the team composition?

We worked with between 5–6 people on their team.

How did you come to work with Directive?

I found Directive on Clutch. They came highly recommended for SEO services.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent in the range of $50,000–$70,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from July 2018–April 2019.

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

Overall, we saw a noticeable improvement in our organic search traffic. Among keywords and branded search terms, there was an increase in users and visitors finding us in search results. Our company is more visible on Google and our products are recommended more frequently to those who search for haircare.

How did Directive perform from a project management standpoint?

Their approach to project management was excellent. We had weekly calls with their team, and all of my emails received answers within 24 hours. They went the extra mile to stay in contact with me and follow up on everything we needed. If there were opportunities, their team was proactive in informing us and performing outreach.

There was a shared Google Doc that outlined their progress and requests from our team. Everything was clearly communicated and we shared the same expectations during the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was thorough and had vast knowledge about how organic SEO works. I’d highly recommend them because of their resources and insight into the industry. They knew what we were aiming for and how to connect us with people who could help.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for them to improve on from my experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be patient for the results from SEO. Also, give their team everything they need and take advantage of their resources. If you collaborate effectively, you’ll both be in a position to succeed.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the head of marketing for a mobile app developer in Los Angeles.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We needed support for SEO as well as conversion rate optimization (CRO) to drive leads and new business. We also wanted their help in advising our team on best practices with respect to content and technical site optimizations.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our leads via increased rankings on high-value keywords that drive the most value for our organization.

How did you select this vendor?

I researched and vetted several different SEO companies, primarily using Clutch. We chose Directive because they had the most experience in the space. They’re also based locally and use reputable tactics rather than some offshore agencies.

Describe the project in detail.

Directive used the first month to conduct a comprehensive site audit. They identified key technical adjustments that should be implemented to improve our site on Google. Then they acted as a strategist, providing content direction and recommendations to our writers to help us rank higher. They also advised our developers on the technical changes required. They perform regular analytics updates to ensure we’re moving up in the search rankings.

What was the team composition?

Our main contact is our assigned account manager.

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

The results speak for themselves. We’ve seen a 35% increase in traffic year-over-year (YoY), a 52.6% increase in keywords ranked in the top 3, and a 61% increase in leads YoY. Our health page is top-ranked for key terms, vital as it’s the most important industry to our organization.

How did the Directive perform from a project management standpoint?

Directive is extremely accommodating to our needs. Their initial proposed method was via Trello. However, they were more than happy to switch systems when we informed them we used Jira. We have regular weekly calls with our account manager. These function both as a reporting mechanism for the week's tasks and to ensure alignment between our teams.

What impresses you about the Directive?

Their regular weekly contact helps us stay focused on the tasks at hand. We came to them due to a slip in our rankings. That left us worried about our organic leads, which are the lifeblood of our business. They bring expertise and a calm attitude to drive the results we want. As manager of a small team with limited bandwidth, it’s an absolute blessing that they’re able to take key business tasks off my plate.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I’m very happy with the results we've seen. Directive is a stellar firm both in a professional and personal sense.

Please describe your company and your position there.

CyberDefenses is a managed security service provider that serves the US military, local and state governments, and enterprise business. We provide services that include a 24/7 Security Operations Center, CISO guidance and cyber intelligence.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We needed a partner to implement SEO.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase organic traffic and bring in high-quality leads.

How did you select this vendor?

After interviewing several SEO and digital agencies, I chose Directive because of their comprehensive approach. They recognize that SEO is a holistic effort that involves content development, and they understand the latest SEO tactics.

Describe the project in detail.

Directive did a thorough assessment of our current website performance and ranking. They made recommendations for ways we could improve. The team implemented a contributed article outreach program to drive quality backlinks to the site. They managed ongoing SEO optimization and conducted a PPC campaign.

What was the team composition?

We worked with an account manager, SEO specialists, content writers, and graphic designers.

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

We saw a steady increase in the organic traffic to our site month-over-month, surpassing our goal of a 25% increase.

How did Directive perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly meetings that kept projects moving smoothly forward.

What impresses you about Directive?

They have an organized and effective process, yet they’re willing to adapt and adjust to our business needs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

My only recommendation would be to work more with the client's tools and resources when possible instead of adding new ones.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of a B2B software startup. We sell messaging to consumer brands, which enables their customers to engage over multiple channels.

What challenge were you trying to address with Directive?

We had been in the market for almost two years and needed to appear in searches because our name was unknown at the time. Our team had a local vendor, but we wanted a more mature agency to help us improve SEO, organic search, and paid search. As a B2B software company, we aimed to drive awareness and requests for demos.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project started with a kickoff call. We focused on generating quality inbound leads via SEO and paid search. We met with the account manager weekly. He focused on paid and organic search efforts. During these meetings, we reviewed the list of changes, updates, and improvements his team was managing.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked with an account manager. There was a team working behind the scenes, but we didn’t know the exact composition.

How did you come to work with Directive?

They were a referral from a partner. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000–$25,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April–December 2018.

How did the relationship with Directive evolve?

Directive’s leadership was involved during the project’s early stages to ensure that everything ran smoothly. However, they became inaccessible as time elapsed. Their unresponsiveness to multiple asks made us feel like an unimportant client. The account manager did his best, but there seemed to be a managerial gap between him and the executives. The experience was disappointing because we, as a small team, chose to outsource to experts.  

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

The first few months were encouraging. We experienced gradual progress with SEO and paid results through August 2018. Positive traction with SEO made us optimistic about future results. However, our numbers then fell below the levels from our first partnership with the local vendor. We ended the partnership after Directive shut our campaign down twice—one time lasted a week—without informing us. Their unsatisfactory performance made it impossible to justify the partnership from a fiscal perspective.

How was project management handled?

The account manager was great, but the executive leadership was not. He capably executed a handoff and remained supportive throughout the engagement. I cannot say the same for the rest of his team.

This is the first negative review I’ve left in my career. We were truly disappointed in Directive because I thought they were going to support us.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

The documentation was comprehensive, which is especially important for SEO and paid projects. They captured everything and established a continuous dialogue between the project manager and us.

In what specific areas can they improve?

The team could have been more detail oriented. We kept spending money, hoping that additional investment would turn the project around. However, the problems were caused by a lack of diligence and strategy. Ultimately, their expertise, recommendations, and execution did not have a positive impact.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

We used several review sites including Clutch to find a replacement agency. Customers should check references and online reviews before hiring a vendor. We hadn’t talked to Directive’s references. Furthermore, clients should ensure the vendor’s experience aligns with their industry. In short, do as much diligent research as possible.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing manager for a leading IT services company based in South Jordan, Utah. I oversee all of our company’s marketing efforts, including branding, online presence, events, and internal marketing.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We hired Directive to optimize our relatively new site and position us for successful future launches into new markets.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to regain our top rankings for certain keywords and improve our overall ranking for auxiliary services terms. We also wanted to increase traffic, specifically by generating more high-quality leads.

How did you select this vendor?

We were unsatisfied with the customer service and results from our previous SEO company and looking for a vendor to help our growing company expand into new out-of-state markets. I found Directive through one of their content marketing pieces related to B2B SEO. Their focus on B2B strategies, as well as a dedicated, data- and results-driven approach, set them apart from other local vendors we considered. Thorough in their proposal and evaluation of our current rankings and website, they clearly demonstrated that they wanted to accomplish our goals together.

Describe the project in detail.

After working with a sales representative in the early stages, we conducted several initial calls with some of their team members, including our account executive. During these meetings, we discussed in great detail the nature of our business and our goals for the future. They then performed a preliminary in-depth audit and evaluation of our current rankings, web presence, and website, which took a month to complete and produced great insight to help shape the project going forward. Using information we provided, Directive built out a series of "profiles" that described our key terms, our rankings, and our competitors. In addition to requesting feedback on all of these items along the way, they used a variety of tools to show both our current position and good opportunities for growth.

Now, with a scope of ongoing SEO maintenance and growth, Directive regularly makes direct changes to our website, such as content changes and creation, blog outreach, analysis, and more; they are not involved in the code or development side of the site.

What was the team composition?

We work exclusively with an account executive that serves as a liaison to several internal experts and team members responsible for design and content creation.

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

The results have exceeded my expectations. Over the past few months, organic search visits have increased by 30% while the bounce rate has decreased by 25%. The number of ranked keywords has increased by 23%, with a nearly 100% improvement in the number of keywords ranked in the top three positions. SEO can be a slow process, so the fact that Directive has accomplished these levels of results in such a short time is incredible.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Service and communication are excellent. Our account executive has been fantastic. He responds promptly to email questions, even those that may relate more to general marketing than specifically SEO. Our weekly scheduled calls are helpful and thorough.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their thoroughness constantly impresses me. Great time and thought are put into their detailed and frequent reports, which offer tactics, suggestions, and overall strategies for growth and improvement. They are transparent with their methods and always seek to align themselves with our goals.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, no. This has been one of my best client-vendor relationships, and it is with the finest SEO vendor I've ever worked with.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the digital marketing specialist at Alaska Communications. We have over 500 employees and work mainly in Alaska. I head a team that is responsible for PPC, SEO, conversion rate optimization (CRO), and the overall consistency of our brands digital content.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive Consulting?

As part of a company-wide initiative, we needed a digitally focused agency to support an online marketing push. We hired Directive Consulting to manage several campaigns and create content.

What were your goals for this project?

Ultimately, we wanted to improve our organic rankings and increase performance on search engines. Another main focus was cleaning up our image and portraying a consistent brand across all of our web presences.

How did you select this vendor?

A few of our team members met Directive Consulting at a conference. They hit it off immediately, and we decided to partner with them.

Describe the project in detail.

In an extensive onboarding phase, we gave them access to a majority of our internal applications like Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Moz, to name a few. They started implementing strategies focused on increasing visibility and establishing our brand’s digital identity. They continue to maintain these efforts, providing weekly updates, quarterly reviews, and goal-setting advice. We speak with them almost daily.

What was the team composition?

We meet weekly with our account manager, Jesse (Director of Accounts, Directive Consulting). I also have access to their CEO and COO when necessary.

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

We’ve been working with Directive Consulting for just over six months now. In that time, we’ve improved our organic rankings/traffic, referral domains/traffic, and conversion rates. Since last month, our conversion rate has increased by over 50%, so we’re quickly growing.

How did the Directive Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

I feel like I'm their only client. The team’s receptive service, excellent communication, and actionable approach are incredibly effective. If I email our account manager, I am confident that I’ll receive a prompt response. In addition to daily interactions, we track the project using Trello. Across all communication channels, they’re consistently responsive.

What impresses you about the Directive Consulting?

Directive Consulting looks at each task proactively rather than reactively. They're always one step ahead of the game. They stay up to date on industry trends, which helps us stay competitive. I can say, without hesitation, that they are the best B2B agency I’ve ever worked with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At times, the number of action items we have can be slightly overwhelming. Directive Consulting does a great job of explaining all the details, but sometimes we feel overloaded with information.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the director of demand generation at a company that provides the world’s only smart data warehouse for business intelligence (BI). I am responsible for building the sales pipeline through organic and paid acquisition programs. Built for the cloud, Panoply utilizes machine learning and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) to automate highly diverse data integration, query optimization, and elastic data management. We make it fast and simple to gain actionable insights without the need for IT engineers. The company, based in San Francisco and Tel Aviv, is privately held and funded by investors such as Intel Capital, 500 Startups, Blumberg Capital, and C5 Capital.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive Consulting?

We want to build and scale our paid acquisition efforts beyond branded search.

What were your goals for this project?

Our vendor needs to deliver 15+ first touch MQLs per month and grow the business. We need to keep up with our organic and earned media channels growth.

How did you select this vendor?

I was introduced to them by our VP of Marketing. We compared them to two other agencies, and they presented the best strategy and deliverability with ROI as a focused key-performance indicator (KPI).

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Directive Consulting curates our creative and media-buying strategies. As part of this, they are tracking and reporting our marketing metrics using Google AdWords, Remarketing, Perfect Audience, LinkedIn, and Capterra. Their program manager provides branding guidelines, approvals, and roadmaps for other programs. Their team manages the development and delivery of paid acquisition campaigns.

What was the team composition?

The team consists of the account manager (our main point of contact), a marketing specialist, analyst, designer, and a salesperson.

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

Their marketing efforts increased MQLs and helped us thoroughly understand  CPA per channel thus far. I am very happy with Directive Consulting, and they are doing a great job.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are polished and professional. We use Google Hangouts, phone, email, and Zoom. Our account manager listens closely to feedback and delivers next-level improvements.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our account manager is excellent. They fully understand that in the services industry the people and service delivery are the product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

A co-location would be great for faster collaboration and planning, but this is minor.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Xactly provides software that simplifies and enhances sales planning, incentives, and employee performance. I am the web optimization manager and run tests for our website for user experience and to optimize leads coming through the site.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive Consulting?

They helped us with our SEO and PPC campaigns.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase lead generation.

How did you select this vendor?

We discovered them at a marketing conference.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They drive leads for our company for both organic and paid campaigns. They create compelling content to increase conversions and recommend changes to site structure that have a positive impact on our bottom line. They know how to deliver quality leads via paid channels.

What was the team composition?

We have a dedicated project manager who speaks with us weekly and is available anytime we need him. He has a team of specialists that support our team and we always know where we stand.

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

We've seen incredible results, including 178% growth in organic traffic, 93% increase in organic lead generation, and 44% improvement to PPC lead generation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication is great. They're always available to provide in-depth answers and their turnaround is exceptionally fast. Our project manager adopted our company's task management platform to make tasks and scheduling easier for our team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am constantly surprised by the additional resources and recommendations they provide. I've used other SEO/PPC agencies that use a generic template for metrics. Directive is consistent and includes new recommendations for research. They know about every trend and algorithm and they have new ways to improve lead generation every week.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. We are extremely happy with the team and their service. If we ever see weekly results go down, their specialists identify the cause and find a solution immediately.