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 headed the digital marketing (demand gen). function at Lucidworks until Feb 2020. Lucidworks provides entrprise search application.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

SEM / PPC

What were your goals for this project?

350 leads per month at less than $100 CPL, within 90 days of statting engagement. They did that within 60 days

How did you select this vendor?

After comparing almost 5 vendors who have expertise doing SEM & SEO in the technology space

Describe the project in detail.

It was pretty much where they had to start from the scratch and build it from ground up.

What was the team composition?

Lead strategist, a junior strategist and a designer

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

350 leads per month with thin the first 60 days at less than $100 CPL. Though later I increase the CPL goal to.improve lead quality.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Pretty good in most cases and when it was not, they are open to feedback

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Worl ethics, focus on numbers and they are very collaborative, they felt more like an extension of my own team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Have someone help on the marketing ops. piece on the client side as well, so that reporting is in line with metrics from the platform

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a VP at an insurance provider.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We needed lead generation and website migration services.

What were your goals for this project?

We set out to increase leads, decrease our cost per lead, dominate keyword rankings, and execute a smooth migration.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Directive online.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Directive ran multi-faceted PPC campaigns to drive new users at a much lower cost than we’d previously achieved. They were selective in targeting and building custom landing pages, tracking user feedback, and running A/B tests.

For SEO, they guided content strategy, overcame technical roadblocks, created valuable backlinks, and worked with an internal team to devise high-level strategy.

What was the team composition?

We had a dedicated account manager and a team of specialists, along with executive support from department directors.

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

They ensured our paid lead generation was profitable during our busiest season, nearly doubling conversion-rate growth account wide. The website migration didn’t affect their results at all, as they were positive both before and after.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had weekly meetings to keep everything on track, with consistent communication from both sides in between. Their project management tools and software were easy for us to access and use.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their dedication to doing the job right, even when faced with challenges or presented with difficult conversations, was outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I experienced. We're very satisfied and planning to work with them again.

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 a marketing executive at an insurance brokerage firm.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We needed to quickly scale our PPC operations due to growth.

What were your goals for this project?

My firm wanted to garner more leads from contractors seeking insurance products. We needed a good value and a set ROI.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Directive on Clutch. After a discovery call, we partnered with them based on their expertise in PPC and lead generation.

Describe the project in detail.

Directive is deploying PPC landing pages on AdWords to generate leads. They enter the leads directly into our CRM and codify them by source.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with their team.

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

They have generated incredibly high-converting landing pages.

How did the Directive perform from a project management standpoint?

Directive has kept us informed throughout the process. They provide weekly updates.

What impresses you about the Directive?

Directive is very thorough and open to new ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we have not come across any so far.

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.

I am the CTO of Galen Data. Our company provides a cloud platform for connected medical devices.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We hired Directive for SEO services to boost our site’s organic traffic growth.

What were your goals for this project?

Our objective for this engagement was to increase domain authority, organic site traffic, and conversions. Specifically, we wanted to improve our search positions for certain SEO keywords.

How did you select this vendor?

We initially found Directive through a referral. After doing our due diligence by researching three different providers, we selected Directive based on their process and demonstrated understanding of our challenges.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The overall project centered on seven types of work.  Based on a site and keyword analysis, Directive updated core pages and optimized blog posts. They conducted AB experiments and helped us with guest blogging and Hotjar tracking.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager as point of contact. Additionally, a team of SEO experts and content writers was involved.

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

Directive helped us establish a better understanding of our keyword rankings. They showed us what to keep in mind during our content generation efforts. Our domain authority, site traffic, and rankings for specific keywords improved as a result of their work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our two teams was very good. Jim (Project Manager, Directive) diligently communicated the agenda, status, actions and schedule changes.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Directive’s knowledge, skills, and ease of work were most impressive. They provided a notable level of customer service. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are none I’ve seen so far.

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.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CMO for Winmo, a B2B sales intelligence platform. We are based in Atlanta with over 100 employees.

For what projects/services did your company hire Directive?

We needed a digital agency to take over our PPC efforts. Having bad luck in the past with other agencies, we were looking for someone who could provide results and bring our business into new areas of growth opportunity.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking to increase our number of MQLs and raise our qualification rate.

How did you select this vendor?

One of my colleagues was listening to a podcast and came across Directive. They had experience in the B2B space. We thought would talk to their team and see if they could solve our problems.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After hiring Directive, we did a thorough 30-day audit where we recalculated our campaigns and keyword strategies. Their team has experimented with putting us in new ad groups and forming new keywords, while also refining our key drivers.

What was the team composition?

My demand generation team works closely with their PPC strategic team.

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

We have no metrics at this time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Sam (Account Manager, Directive) is one of the best people I’ve worked with in my history of engaging with agencies. He manages the PPC work meticulously.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m thoroughly impressed with Directive’s work ethic and PPC expertise. I’ve never engaged with an agency as hardworking as Directive. Their team is eager to hit our targets, which is unique to find in an outside partner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Directive has done an excellent job so far.

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.