The Status Bureau

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an award supplier company.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Status Bureau?

We were looking for someone to handle our SEO.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Upon engagement, The Status Bureau did a deep dive into our site and saw areas where we could improve. They gave us a to-do list along with having their own list of things to do. This gave us the opportunity to save a little bit of money because we got charged by the hour. There were some tasks we could do ourselves on our backend, and The Status Bureau handled the other tasks. Their efforts included removing unnecessarily H1 tags and creating landing pages for specific keywords.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three team members including Josh (Co-Founder & Strategy), Darren (Partner & Tactics), and a technical point person.

How did you come to work with The Status Bureau?

I know Josh because we’ve from the same hometown. We play baseball together. I wanted someone I could trust.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $4,000–$5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement was from about January 2019–January 2020.

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

With analytics, we’ve been able to see how everything has propagated and worked out down the road. Statistically, we have more unique visitors and get more sales. The engagement worked out really well. We didn’t engage with them last year because of COVID-19; we had a limited budget.

However, that’s not to say we haven’t been pleased with their services. In the prior years we’ve used them, we’ve been really happy, and they’ve pointed us in the right direction. We’re still trending upward despite the slump with COVID-19.

How did The Status Bureau perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was excellent, I’d give them a 10 out of 10. We typically communicated through phone and email. Whenever I called, they got back to me right away if they weren’t available. I never had to wonder where they were; they were always there for me. Their team was always friendly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have a great element of trust with them. I get about 10 emails a day about SEO that go straight to spam. It’s all generic content and each email says the exact same thing. They don’t have the password to my site so how can they tell me it’s doing that poorly? The Status Bureau was a trusted source. I know their brick and mortar.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been beneficial to have more people doing more of the grunt work. There may be customers who can’t do the editing as I could. I could see someone who isn’t tech-savvy perhaps being turned off by that. However, I jumped on it because I’m a graphic designer and built my Squarespace site myself. Maybe if I had said I couldn’t do it, The Status Bureau would have provided someone to do it. I don’t know, perhaps they already have that covered.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have your own website and can log in to make changes, you can get the most out of The Status Bureau. They’re also helpful with Google Ads. You can trust them because they know what they’re doing. I saw the results myself with my analytics. Now, if you’re my competition I wouldn’t point you in their direction because they do such a great job.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of an e-commerce service agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Status?

We serve a lot of direct-to-consumer brands across America. We needed help improving our search ranking and optimization.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Status helps us with keyword analysis, competitive analysis for other vertically specific brands, and on-page keyword optimization. Our end goal is to improve our SERP.

What is the team composition?

We work with 3–4 people from their team, including an account manager.

How did you come to work with The Status?

They’re local to Vancouver, just like us. We used to run an e-commerce focused community group that they were a part of, too.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2016, and our work is ongoing.

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

We have quarterly reports and impact reports to show their progress.

How did The Status perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet with our account manager in weekly check-ins.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly communicative, transparent, honest, and easy to work with. It never feels like a transactional relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can think of. They do a great job for the size that they are and the verticals they focus on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to make sure you have clear expectations for the results that you want.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at a painting company.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Status Bureau?

Their expertise is in SEO and SEM. We hired The Status Bureau to streamline our website to improve our ranking.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to rank higher for a few key terms for our business. Over several months, their team helped us identify keywords.

What is the team composition?

In total, we worked with three people. Darren (Marketing Manager, The Status Bureau) was our main point of contact. We also engaged with Josh (Co-Founder, The Status Bureau) and someone who completed the actual work for us.

How did you come to work with The Status Bureau?

They were referred to me by someone I trusted in my network. Their team completed a similar project for them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $20,000–$25,000. We’re on a retainer with them, but different projects have different costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement with The Status Bureau started in April 2017.

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

We’ve seen a lot more organic traffic. Our company is ranked much higher for the selected keywords, leading to more traffic and business.

How did The Status Bureau perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management style is good. We have a plan set where they give me an update halfway through and at the end. I have to confirm if the plan works on our end, but overall, their team does most of the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard to trust SEO companies because it’s hard to track what they’re doing. Now, I’m at the point where I know enough about the process to see that the team at The Status Bureau is doing it the correct way. That’s why we’ve chosen to stick with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s great to approach your customers with ideas. Given the space, it’s hard to get educated on specific elements because it’s such a moving target. I always appreciate when people bring ideas and show me opportunities. That initiative would be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust that someone is in your corner when working with The Status Bureau. Take their advice. Remember to follow the program because this process takes time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the digital marketing manager at a western canadian retailer, which sold products across various categories ranging from cameras, electronics, food, household goods, pharmacy, cosmetics, etc.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Status Bureau?

We hired the Status Bureau for SEO strategy and consulting

What were your goals for this project?

to improve ranking for key product categories, local search for our store locations and overall increase in organic traffic

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to them and had them pitch us along with a few other agencies. We then gave them and other agencies an opportunity to access our data and perform an audit, which they presented and provided actionable insights on. The Status Bureau impressed us with their skill and expertise

Describe the project in detail.

We focused on various business categories ranging from electronics, photo finishing, pharmacy, etc. First, low level of effort but high result work was identified and set in motion. After that, longer term higher effort projects were proposed and initiated based off of the business priorities for the year.

What was the team composition?

Digital marketing manager, digital coordinator and the Status Bureau team, which was at the time two dedicated account managers.

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

We improved our organic traffic and had measurable increases in foot traffic to physical store locations. We also saw an uplift in sales for the categories that we were optimizing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very efficient, they were quick to communicate and were always available for on-site meetings to talk through any complicated projects.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Despite their smaller size, they performed professional work that rivaled much bigger agencies. They were always very straight forward, never dumbed things down for us and were transparent about the work they were doing and the anticipated results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Hire more staff so you can take on more clients and share the great work you do!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a former account manager at Yellow Pencil. At the time, I served as the conduit between the Status Bureau and a third-party client.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Status Bureau?

One of our clients sold plots of land valued between $200,000–$1 million, but buyers would typically spend nearly two years in the funnel before converting. Our client didn’t realize that digital marketing could support their sales effort, so we approached The Status Bureau to develop and execute their digital marketing strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

Their task was to generate leads into the GTH marketing funnel.

How did you select this vendor?

I’d worked with The Status Bureau a number of times, and they’d always delivered. Unlike other prospective partners we’d considered, they didn’t have a minimum cost commitment that was beyond our client’s budget. They’re comfortable working with budgets ranging from $10,000­–$100,000 CAD.

Describe the project in detail.

The Status Bureau functioned as a digital marketing lead for our client, overseeing keyword strategy and SEO. The team drafted a list of 50 industry-specific keywords such as “industrial land Canada” and “inland port,” targeting a North American audience. They then actively monitored the campaign and optimized it as they went. This involved pulling out the underperformers and amplifying the top performers. Each week, they would walk the client through reports to educate and support them through this new digital marketing process.

What was the team composition?

Josh Loewen (Partner, The Status Bureau) led the initial strategic development, and Darren Prasad (Marketing Manager, The Status Bureau) was our day-to-day point of contact.

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

This initiative generated 12 new leads for our client over the course of 5 months, which was huge for them. This project also got our client excited about exploring digital efforts.

How did The Status Bureau perform from a project management standpoint?

They were reliable and consistent project managers, delivering on time, staying on budget, and being responsive.

What impresses you about The Status Bureau?

I appreciated their flexibility and support. They were easy to work with and could put together a plan and enter production within days. On top of that, they knew how to communicate complex, technical concepts in a way that made sense to the layman.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything. I would highly recommend them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of Billy Smith Design Group. We provide quality graphic design for both print and web/social media. We also specialize in branding and content creation.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Status Bureau?

We needed help to identify and resolve a Facebook marketing issue.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to identify why Facebook Pixel wasn't working properly on a client website. We also wanted to get better rankings on Google.

How did you select this vendor?

We found The Status Bureau via a Google search. We selected them because they were on the first page of results. They also had a great portfolio and list of clients, which indicates that they knew what they're doing.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We launched a new website in 2017. Sales were slow because there wasn't much traffic. The design was great and received fantastic feedback, but there just weren't enough eyeballs on it. The Status Bureau identified the problem and fixed a number of pages. They recommended that we fill content that was missing.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two people on the project. One managed the project and the other did most of the implementation.

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

Our client's organic rankings and sales are both up.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their team was great. They were quick to respond and got everything completed the way we expected.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They obviously cared about the results. They didn't just do the project and walk away.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. It was a great experience. Josh (co-founder, The Status Bureau) was very patient and willing to help.

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia (JMABC) is dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the history of Jewish community life in British Columbia. For over 45 years, we've collected tens of thousands of documents chronicling our community history and offered innovative public programming to build bridges across communities. As director of community engagement, I'm responsible for all public programming, marketing, and fund development.

For what projects/services did your company hire The Status Bureau?

After rebranding and introducing a new website, we contracted The Status Bureau to improve our web performance. This was our first time working with an SEO consultant. We understood the importance of SEO within the organization but lacked the expertise to improve it.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to improve public awareness of the JMABC by improving our SEO ranking and widening access to our programs and collections.

How did you select this vendor?

A friend recommended The Status Bureau. Upon meeting their team, we wanted to work with them. Their track record spoke volumes, they clearly understood the field, and they were friendly and easy to communicate with.

Describe the project in detail.

The Status Bureau set up our AdWords account and worked with our developer to integrate it with our website. We met to set up our campaigns, select keywords, and write ads. We met a few months later to review the results of the campaigns, make revisions, and improve performance.

We've stayed in contact regularly since. They update me on changes that Google has introduced and ways that we can continually improve our rankings.

What was the team composition?

I always work directly with one of their co-founders, which is always a pleasure.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with The Status Bureau two and a half years ago.

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

Our web traffic has increased tenfold since we began working with The Status Bureau. 

How did The Status Bureau perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication with The Status Bureau is always top-notch. Whether on the phone or over email, they are timely, informative, responsive, accessible, and good-humored. Their co-founder is great at following up on previous meetings or conversations. He confirms that they've completed the tasks and informs me about unanticipated setbacks.

What impresses you about The Status Bureau?

They have a highly professional team with great follow-through. They're up-to-date on changes in the field and great at keeping us ahead of the competition. Their co-founder is transparent about how AdWords functions; he's given me a crash course so I can make updates myself.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was formerly the director of marketing at a destination marketing organization. I am working with Status Bureau again at my current job, but this previous engagement was larger in scope.

What challenges were you trying to address with Status Bureau?

We were a new organization with a small internal staff at the time, so we needed help with brand awareness and driving traffic to the site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Status Bureau redesigned our site and helped us with SEM and Facebook advertising. They sent us monthly reports on updated metrics and updated their strategy to optimize along the way. They also created a portal on the site that allowed shareholders to log in and read about what the organization was doing for them, e.g., marketing campaigns, travel trade, and/or events.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with two of their staff members, one principal and one marketing manager that executed the advertising campaign.

How did you come to work with Status Bureau?

We initially heard about them while meeting with a media buying company that we didn’t end up working with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2010, and I was there until 2015. When I left, they were still working with us.

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

The evidence was in the analytics that we got back. We saw increases in site traffic every year, as well as an increase in followers and engagement rates on Facebook. We also saw significant increases in referrals to our shareholders. Additionally, they made very apparent visual changes to the site that made it much more engaging for our users.

How did Status Bureau perform from a project management standpoint?

I was very happy with them. They really care about the organizations they work with. I never had any issues with deadlines. As I mentioned, they sent us detailed monthly reports on their progress, and we had weekly calls to make sure everything was going smoothly, or to go over changes on the site. They went over and above what they were supposed to do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was obvious how invested they were in the project, and they were very collaborative. They never strong-armed us; it was always a genuine discussion on how to move forward. They really took the time to understand our business needs, and that attention to our preferences was very impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that comes to mind is that we would have liked them to be a bit more proactive in coming to us with new ideas. They did an awesome job on the work we hired them to do, but they probably could have pushed us to do things that we didn’t come to them for originally.

Advice for potential customers?

You can’t really go wrong with these guys. They’re like my secret weapon. They’re so great to work with, and they make my life a lot easier. I would highly recommend them. They’re worth it, no matter the size or scope of the project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Falcon Ladder manufactures aluminum ladders and sawhorses. I'm the Manager. We've been making ladders for over 40 years!

For what projects/services did your company hire The Status Bureau?

We are looking for ways to increase brand awareness in Canada for our orchard ladders, and increase brand awareness for our aluminum sawhorses in the USA.

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

I've known Josh for quite some time and have always been impressed by his knowledge, enthusiasm and attention to detail.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

SB helped us identify where our website was lacking in keywords. They also showed us certain pages that would need an overhaul in order to score better rankings on Google by adding more descriptive text.

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

Josh, owner and head of digital marketing.

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

From our initial meeting, we already noticed a dramatic increase in our Canadian google rankings for one of our products.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very easy to work with over Zoom. Lots of ideas brought up, and lots of things to work on.

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

They're down-to-earth and easy to talk to. They don't try to sell you anything, they just want to help you improve.

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

Clone Josh!