iCEA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Project Manager at Vitama Nature, which is a brand of dietary supplements with a high content of active ingredients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

The goals can be very generally placed as promoting our company online, improving its visibility, increasing sales in the e-commerce channel and reaching new customers

SOLUTION

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

Through a conversation with a specialist who offered to work with iCEA. He took a lot of time with us, was patient and knowledgeable - this was the deciding factor.

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

The scope of work and milestones are included in the strategy developed at the beginning of the cooperation. Most significantly, the work is carried out in a timely and systematic manner, and the goals are achieved.

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

On a day-to-day basis, we work closely with the Supervisor (Customer Success) and the SEO Expert - these are the two key people we have the most frequent contact with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The visibility of our website in Google search has increased a lot as a result of our cooperation. iCEA is making sure that this development is happening all the time.

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

Our project at iCEA is managed professionally. We communicate mainly by email, but also by phone and online meetings. The cooperation is on time and without problems, and there is a friendly atmosphere, which is not crucial, but it warms up the image a lot and we are more willing to cooperate.

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

Contact with employees and their openness to find optimal solutions to the issue

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

Certain activities could be implemented faster, however, we understand the nature of the field and this is only more of a wish than an accusation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am markieting specialist at Proneko. I take care after social media, our website and SEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

We were looking for a good company which could help us to improve our rankings and grow traffic at our website and we found ICEA which is doing well so far.

SOLUTION

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

I got a recommendation from friend's company.

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

First of all we discovered phase and we laid out our goals. Then we all together found correct key words for our business. Later on ICEA started with small changes at our website and month after month is working on it.

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

Mostly I am with touch with our coordinator Weronika, but I know there are at least 3 more people working on our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Each month we are closer to be successful in the rank. Our website become more attractive for our users. Our position in google is better and better.

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

They are sending us monthly reports which is good but also we are having a call to speak about it and think about new solution what in my opinion is very important. I can say they are always on time with their tasks.

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

They are growing each year and they have special program which helps them with task so I can see if someone is done with the task.

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

It would be nice if from time to time they come with the new ideas about our business, any recommendation what else can we do, even by ourselves would be nice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing specialist at a manufacturer of leather jackets. Our goal is to promote high-quality products, such as high-quality tailor-made leather jackets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

We are expanding online sales and trying to increase brand awareness. We hired them for comprehensive SEO work to improve the visibility of our offer in the Google search engine, and to improve the quality of our store.

SOLUTION

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

We compared the offers of several competing companies and selected them based on the competitiveness of the offer, good price and range of services.

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

We audited the state of our online store on the day of the start of cooperation, set a work schedule for the coming months and started the implementation of the assigned tasks. After completing the first works (content marketing, changes in the structure of the store, improving the interface, improving the structure of headers and URLs, etc.) and assessing the effects, we made some changes in the further strategy. Works are still in progress...

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

We have our own project manager who distributes work among the technical team and is responsible for communication. We work with at least two SEO specialists with whom we periodically discuss the scope of work online.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the beginning of our cooperation, we have reversed the trend of falling positions, and our positions in the Google search engine are slowly moving up. Work is still in progress and we hope to sustain growth.

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

Cooperation and communication take place smoothly and without major obstacles. Since I asked for it myself, most of the communication takes place by e-mail, but nothing prevents you from using other means of communication. We discuss all work on an ongoing basis. Every 3 months, we have a longer online conference with technicians.

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

With previous companies, I often had problems with communication and clear transfer of information. Here everything is done according to the contract, and the company has adapted to my way of working in a very flexible way. A big plus.

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

There were some minor errors during the preparation of texts and changes in the store, but this is nothing unusual. The mistakes were quickly corrected.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of a one-person company - providing services related to the production of software and computer graphics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

SEO audit and positioning for one of the clients.

SOLUTION

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

On recommendation.

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

We needed information on whether to rewrite the SSR applications. To this end, we commissioned an audit and positioning.

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

One contact person and one SEO specialist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The audit showed that in order to improve site search, the application for SSR should be rewritten - it's in progress.

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

Their quick response and execution of the order were impressive.. Hassle-free contact.

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

Nothing to add.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a domain with legal services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

iCEA Group International is handling the SEO of my website. I was keen to increase visibility and organic traffic from Google search and we worked together to achieve this goal.

SOLUTION

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

During business discussions, the company showed great professionalism and a lot of expertise. To begin with, an SEO analyst performed a preliminary audit of our site, which showed key elements for improvement.

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

Within the framework of SEO activities for my domain, iCEA Group International creates content for me, takes care of technical optimization of the site and conducts linkbuilding activities, according to the signed agreement.

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

I have direct contact with the Customer Success Specialist, but throughout on the project team there are also: SEO Specialist, Copywriters, Webdevelopers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are successively experiencing an increase in the visibility of our domain in the Google search engine

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

Activities that are scheduled for specific months are implemented on time. Communication with the company is carried out by email, telephone and videomeetings

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

Communication, great knowledge in the field of SEO, dedicated specialists

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

At this point, the cooperation is going well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company has been selling napkins, tablecloths and runners since 2000. In 2020, we started selling online. I take care of the administration of the online store and contact with external service providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

We started working with iCEA to promote our online store in search engines. The company was to help with content preparation, optimization of the site's performance and external linking. The goal was to improve organic traffic to the site and attract new customers.

SOLUTION

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

I chose iCEA from among many companies that contacted me. I was convinced by iCEA's past SEO track record and modern approach to preparing content, infographics and visuals, for example offer descriptions.

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

We began our cooperation by auditing the online store and identifying the critical areas to be handled first. The company prepared the first texts for the main product categories. After that, they took care of corrections to the site's code so that it would be better seen by Google's robots. We are currently expanding the categories and subcategory descriptions. Results such as the speed of the site, the position of selected keywords and traffic are regularly reported.

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

I worked directly with 3 people - a SEO Specialist and two Customer Success Specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

8 main keywords and 195 total keywords in TOP10 of Google searches after 15 months of cooperation. In the run-up to Christmas, more than 2 times more organic traffic and a 15% increase in revenue generated by organic customers (21.11.2022-20.12.2022 vs. 21.11.2021-20.12.2021) despite the global crisis and high inflation in Poland.

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

We communicate by email. A dedicated supervisor (Customer Success Specialist) and SEO Specialist are assigned to the cooperation and can be contacted. You do not have to wait more than 24 hours for a response, and in most cases you get it the same day.

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

Individual treatment of clients, identification of iCEA staff with the project and instant assistance.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of an online store offering sports and logic cubes for SpeedCubing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

I started working with iCEA Group International knowing how important organic traffic is to an effective web presence. iCEA Group International has been conducting SEO efforts for my store for over 3 years.

SOLUTION

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

I was looking for an SEO agency and decided on iCEA Group International mainly because of the transparent contract with information about the activities that will be undertaken and the attractive offer.

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

iCEA prepares more content for the site and optimizes it - it’s an ongoing process. They continue to acquire new external links and make technical SEO changes. In emergency situations, they are ready to help solve the problem.

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

I can certainly name a few people/positions:

1. New Business Manager
2. SEO Specialist
3. Customer Success Specialist
4. Back Office Specialist

The company has an extensive structure and everyone knows their role.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quite a few of the keywords I cared about have been in the TOP10 for a long time. iCEA Group International was very effective in their digital efforts.

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

Communication is very smooth. I have contact with the Customer Success Specialist, who organizes the work and contacts internally with the relevant departments and people in the company for the task.

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

We have been working together for more than 3 years and I don't see from the people I work with any boredom or lack of commitment to continue.

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

I have no comments.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of an ecommerce sports nutrition store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

We wanted to grow our organic traffic via SEO, Backlinks and content creation to improve ranking on the Google SERP.

SOLUTION

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

I received an email from iCEA and agreed to their SEO Audit. That was a great experience as I felt they covered all our opportunity areas and it seemed like experts on the topic.

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

Our work started with an analysis phase of one month which they used to work on a quarterly strategy for our site and then presented to me. I would have liked in depth detail as to how their strategy would impact our organic growth. This experience felt like they were just reading from the strategy doc instead. 

• First Month 

After discussing the strategy we agreed to some changes in the prioritization of pages and I provided feedback on the pages we need to work on early on. I was told we would receive an updated strategy doc, but it seems like they forgot to update it. Which later on seemed to cause some issues. Afterwards, I was presented with the initial dev suggestions like adding language tag, adding meta tag robots, removed duplicate home pages, and optimized the 404 page to make it user engaging.

I was really displeased with the 404 page since they only added a few products on there and no additional text or images to in fact improve user engagement. Also, these changes were not explained which felt like they just wanted to do the work without me understanding why they are doing it. They also worked on a linking profile analysis which seemed good, but a key miss was the comparison to sites that were not in the same ballpark as ours.

Think of comparing a boutique clothing store to Macy's. I let my customer success specialist know that I had provided our true competitors earlier or during onboarding, but they did not focus on them. She went back to the team and was able to produce the type of analysis that made sense for my business. 

During this first month I was also given a list of initial keywords the strategist wanted to focus on. I had to provide feedback on the quality of the keywords as some keywords were irrelevant to our goals. I thought the strategist would dig into our analytics to determine top product categories and attempt to grow traffic on those. The list seemed like something you get when adding a broad term into Google Keyword Planner and they ran with that. Towards the end of the first month, I received the first piece of content. I thought the quality was good, but we needed to edit a few pieces. I agreed to publish the content once it was edited. 

• Second Month 

It started off with a re-technical audit. Where I was presented with the optimizations performed by the team along with explanations for the optimizations, but still I had not received a response to some of the initial dev suggestions and why those changes were required. With our first SEO report I started becoming concerned as we saw a decrease in top 3, top 10 and top 50 phrases. Along with this, organic traffic seems stale. 

• Third Month

In the third month we did not receive any communication or indication that work was being completed until we received our meta tag suggestions on the 28th day of the month. During this time we did not receive any content updates and they had only published one content piece on our site. The meta title and meta description suggestions were nothing great. There was a lot of room for improvement and some of these suggestions were on pages that we didn't want to focus on based on the strategy call and feedback early on.

The next piece of work or recommendation that we received from the dev team were really very minimal changes to our site it seems that they just wanted to close whatever task they had in their system and be done with it. I don't think there was much thought put into the dev suggestions so we decided not to implement those; because one of these changes would have impacted our customer experience on the site.

With our second monthly report I got even more concerned as we saw decreases in our top 3, top 10 and top 50 phrases across the board. Also our overall Impressions dropped. And as I suspected, our feedback on the pages we wanted to prioritize for optimization was not taken into account. This was evident based on the position of some of the main phrases shown in the report. Around the same time I had asked for an update of the work in the pipeline for the month because I did notice that it was a slow month in terms of work being done.

Up until this point it seems from my perspective that no work was being completed for content and it seems that content was prepared until I reached out with my concerns to my customer success specialist. At this point it seemed that they noticed that I was on top of things so they tried to step it up. But that to me demonstrates that my business was not their priority of course. 

I also requested reporting on the backlinks that had been acquired if any because my reports did not include any of those links. It took my customer success specialist a few days to get back to me and tell me that they had created the links and I would see them in my next report. That tells me that these links were not available and that they rushed to set this up so I could see it in my next report.

After this experience I emailed my customer success specialist and the building agent letting them know that I wish no work to be completed any longer and  that I did not wish to continue being a client for this company. Because of these issues, I requested a refund for 2 months out of 3 months that we paid. I have yet to receive a response on my concerns and my request even after I emailed their CEO. 

The customer success specialist continues to email me about work being completed and completely ignoring the issues that I've had. Last but not least the backlinks that were supposed to be completed were added to the reports miraculously, but the quality of the backlinks leaves a lot to be desired. For example, some of the backlinks are just profiles for my business on sites that I don't want to be involved or associated with and I was not consulted on any of this. Now I have to go back and reach out to those sites myself in order to remove those links that do not benefit me in the long term.

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

Four People:

• New Business Manager
• Customer Success Specialist
• SEO Strategist
• Billing Specialist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• 7.02% increase in new users since we started the project. 
• 13.75% decrease in transaction volume from organic
• 16.68% decrease in revenue from organic

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

• Project Management Style - Task based
• Communication Tools - Email, phone call, templated reporting and process.
• Timeliness - Reporting was auto delivered on a monthly basis. Other tasks seemed hit or miss.

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

They seemed organized to manage clients like an assembly line. Not ideal for all clients.

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

Definitely, responding with detail to questions, explain the reason for their strategy, talk about metrics. Set clear expectations on deliverables and timelines.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of the company Viva Doria inc, we manufacture high quality health and beauty and personal care products since 2012

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iCEA Group International , and what were your goals?

We hired Icea-group to improve our website visibility and performance.

SOLUTION

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

Online presentation

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

Keyword research, website audit, blog posts, content writing, product description. SEO

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

We were assigned 2 employees to work on our project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're seeing considerable improvements to our website which we are proud of.

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

Meets and above our expectations

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

Their attention to detail and professionalism is impressive.