Search Engine Projects

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of an event organizing company. We’re a networking organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Search Engine Projects?

We’d like everybody in the community to hear about our events, especially when we have a huge one. We had 50 fall days that we celebrated like a harvest festival, so we had to promote those and make the flyers. 

Also, we wanted to make sure that our website would come up when people went online and typed a couple of keywords so people would have easy access to the event information. Therefore, we sought the help of Search Engine Projects to help us with SEO.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We rely on Search Engine Project to take care of our website and social media so they’re up to date. When we deal with social media, we ensure people and organizations are correctly tagged and that proper keywords are there for the website. We usually have a poster with the basic information for every event, such as time, place, and who's in it.

Not only do they help us with SEO, but they also work on the e-commerce part if we have to sell tickets for memberships dues. They also manage Google Ads, which is integrated with our site.

All in all, Search Engine Projects continuously works with us. When things come up, we go to them for advice and trust them with access to the website and back engine. Additionally, they work with our admin to address issues as they come up.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Shawn (CEO) and two associate assistants.

How did you come to work with Search Engine Projects?

Shawn was part of our network. He was officially part of the board of directors in 2004 and was involved for several years. Then, he got busy and reduced his participation, but he's been with the organization on and off. We rely on volunteer services from members like him. We cannot be too pushy, so we must respect when somebody says they’re too busy with their own projects.

Search Engine Projects first helped us in the early 2000s. They were our go-to company in terms of website issues. Although several people were in between, I asked them to help us again, and they agreed.

We had a few people that could provide volunteer work, but we chose Search Engine Projects because they understood what we needed. Also, one of the challenges with IT people is that they speak in technical terms, so we don’t follow 100%. However, they explained how they’d solve our problems, which was very helpful.

How much have you have invested with them?

We don’t pay. It’s part of his volunteer services for the organization and community.

What is the status of the engagement?

Our collaboration has been going on for some time; we started working together around 2004. Our partnership has been on and off over the years, but we’re still working together at the moment.

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

In terms of search, we come up on the top three. Also, the number of people who visit the website has gone up dramatically. Our viewership was around the hundreds, and it has increased to several thousands for our big events.

People who view our website want to make sure they can reach it and get the information they want. The back end is technical, so they’re the ones involved in it. For the front end, we have a smooth and responsive site.

We’ve gotten feedback saying that they've done a great job. Shawn helps us with the website, and I wish we had more members like him. I just hope that our demands won't be as overwhelming as before. We’d hope that he can manage our system without spending a lot of time on his side.

How did Search Engines Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed very well. They’re very responsive, and the team always comes through. If we have a request, they try to take care of it immediately and provide a same-day turnaround whenever it’s possible. If the task is complicated, they inform us, and we wait for things to happen.

We don’t use any project management tools. Many of the things we want are similar to a wish list. We have an immediate issue, and Shawn gets on it right away. Also, we can tell him what we’d like to have on the website. Then, we talk about it so they can address the requests one at a time.

Most of our communication is verbal via phone calls, and we use emails for follow-up. I call Shawn, and he asks me to send an email on what we agreed on and the scope to avoid any misunderstanding.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firstly, they do this voluntarily for us, which is crucial for a nonprofit. Otherwise, if we want to hire somebody, we’d be talking about thousands of dollars. Search Engine Projects is nice enough to do volunteer work.

Secondly, they deliver. The price, lead time, and quality of their work are good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When Shawn was much less involved in the early 2000s, we engaged with other people, and the results were not the same. Therefore, I wish that the previous boards and presidents would’ve kept working with him to have continuous website development. As of now, I have no complaints about how he handles his work.

Any advice for potential customers?

If somebody's looking to start SEO or website work, I definitely recommend them. Search Engine Projects is very professional. Expect some upfront discussion, and then write down the scope of work, deliverables, and contract to follow.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of American Sleep Centers, a sleep diagnostic center.

What challenge were you trying to address with Search Engine Projects?

We needed help with SEO and developing a product sales website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They updated our current website and created another website that showcased our products and allowed us to track inventory. They did both the design and development of the site. 

Now, they provide continuous online marketing support to get us in front of customers and increase our online sales. They do Google AdWords and organic SEO.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with Shawn (CEO).

How did you come to work with Search Engine Projects?

I met Shawn through another business owner who was a long-time customer of Search Engine Products. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000-$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016, and the work is ongoing.

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

We monitor the sales numbers and make adjustments as we needed to increase our web traffic and online sales. Everything has been really good. We’re really happy with them.

How did Search Engine Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management and communication are very good. Shawn does all the meetings and communications himself. We also have weekly or biweekly in-person meetings with him. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very attentive and worked with us along the way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re satisfied with what they did.

Introduce your business and what you do there.       

I’m the owner of FryedPhones. We replace and repair iPhones and iPads.

What challenge were you trying to address with Search Engine Projects?

I wanted to increase my market share. Previously, I had tried other various methods from SEO to marketing — I’ve tried everything. In addition to that, I needed to improve my Google search ranking because people couldn’t find me. I was showing up on the fifth or sixth page for local searches.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search Engine Projects handles all of my organic SEO efforts. In addition to that, they provide backlinking and PPC services. Their team refreshed my Yelp profile by adding pictures and more content that would draw in clients. They wanted to know what I was spending so they could compare me to my competitors and give me an advantage.

What is the team composition?

Shawn (CEO) was my primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with Search Engine Projects?

I found them on Yelp. They were one of many, but I picked them. Essentially, I was intrigued that Shawn had an engineering background and wasn’t a marketing person by nature. I’m a numbers guy myself so I wanted somebody who wasn’t a typical marketing person.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested under $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019, and our partnership is ongoing.

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

Before our partnership, I had about 45 repairs a month — after Shawn’s work, I was doing 66. My sales increased by 25% within one month. Also, Search Engine Projects bumped my organic ranking to the first page of Google searches.

How did Search Engine Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

Shawn is always on top of things. He’s the most honest marketing guy I’ve met. Throughout this project, he’s provided a step-by-step plan of what he’s doing. What’s more, he’s always followed through on the plans.

Their communication skills are impeccable. We communicate through phone calls, SMS, and email. If I don’t reach him, he always calls me back within five minutes and tells me when he’ll be available. I’ve never had to wait, and we’ve even spoken outside of business hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Search Engine Projects’ work is individual-based — they’ve never put me into a cookie-cutter model. They view my business individually and tailor their plans around me. I know I’m not just another business to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t change anything at all.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is that you have to be teachable. Listen to Shawn and understand he has experience in this field. He knows what he’s doing so don’t try to change things. You can have your opinion, but you hired him for a reason. Let him follow the plan he’ll customize for you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal owner of a consulting firm named AIHER Management.

What challenge were you trying to address with Search Engine Projects?

We needed to make our website a center for information. We decided to make changes and implement SEO to attract more customers through our site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They began the project by having us prepare multiple blog articles. Their team gave us general suggestions on the blog direction to attract clients and match the rest of our platforms. They have also given us several keywords to use. Additionally, they provide backlink support and created a Facebook, Yelp and blog page for us. Their team performs multiple SEO services for us.

What is the team composition?

I work with their CEO, Shawn.

How did you come to work with Search Engine Projects?

Search Engine Projects reached out to us, and after we spoke with Shawn, we found him knowledgeable about our business model. We hired them because they used simple terms to describe technical concepts, and that was valuable to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $5,000 –$7,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

After Search Engine Projects made SEO changes to our site, we’ve been receiving outreach from multiple potential clients. Our company has seen conversions from those who contact us about our services.

How did Search Engine Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

They have the best style of project management, as they produce high-quality work within our budget and timeframe.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are highly informed on our business model, and the quality of our site now reflects their expertise.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd recommend clients hire them when looking for a major change, or if they are a startup. Search Engine Projects is capable of serving both needs.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the office manager at a manufacturer of permanent makeup products. We also provide education and training for technicians to learn procedures related to our products. I am in charge of class marketing and project management.

For what projects/services did your company hire Search Engine Projects?

SEP provided insightful marketing advice, PPO advertising on multiple channels, and improved our SEO positioning.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to reach a larger audience of potential students and fill classes.

How did you select this vendor?

We decided to select this vendor after considering a few other marketing companies due to Shawn's ability to clearly explain information and bring in insightful knowledge of related industries.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope of SEP's work involves creating a new website for us, posting articles, and revising and managing our social media accounts to improve our SEO.

Shawn from SEP also provided us with a toll free number as a direct line for leads to call. He also managed PPO through Google and Yelp to promote our classes.

What was the team composition?

Our team composed of Shawn, the company president, CFO, communications assistant, and Office Manager.

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

Google's PPO were the most effective for our goal. SEP were able to give us the majority of our class leads by the end of our service term.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our internal team suffers from a lack of direction and communication. Shawn was effective with his own team but our own team's lack of defined direction hindered the workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their most impressive trait is their ability to research and gain insight on a wide variety of businesses.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sometimes I feel Shawn gets too busy with his schedule. Maybe an area of improvement is to find an assistant to free up his time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own the Mission Art Center. It’s an art school in Orange, California.

For what projects/services did your company hire Search Engine Projects?

I needed a vendor to provide web design, SEO, and marketing consulting.

What were your goals for this project?

Ultimately, I wanted to increase the school’s attendance rate and attract quality potential students.

How did you select this vendor?

A friend referred me to Search Engine Projects, so I reached out to their team.

Describe the project in detail.

First, they helped me define my goals and establish a plan or action. Then, their team built a brand-new website and optimized it for the Google and Yahoo search engines. They also implemented advertising strategies to increase our visibility on local directory and review websites. The team continues to help me manage my online presence.

What was the team composition?

I have one main point of contact.

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

After three months, Search Engine Projects increased our attendance rate by 30% in our local community.

How did the Search Engine Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

We have regular meetings to go over progress updates and plan our next goals. They do excellent work, delivering notable results on time and within budget.

What impresses you about the Search Engine Projects?

Based on my experience so far, they’re the best option for small businesses looking for digital marketing vendors in this region of California.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t think of anything at the moment. I’d like them to expand their business to more locations.