Any business owner or executive will tell you the importance of sharing client success stories. There are a plethora of articles on the topic, too. Page after page in a Google search came up with countless reasons why “customer success sells” and “how to bolster your business with customer success stories.”

So, it doesn’t make much sense to hesitate in sharing a recent customer success story. And yet, I have been kicking around whether to write for a couple of weeks, cringing each time I think about typing this post.

Why?

The topic is successful search engine optimization (SEO) work to achieve first page rank on Google for a client. I am very opinionated on the topic of businesses who tout quick first-page rank for companies, which is why I have hesitated writing about our client’s success. I even wrote an article a few years ago comparing people who promised first page rank with snake oil salesman. 

So, with some misgivings, here is our client success story:

Background

A client reached out to me to share his concern after conducting a Google search for two meaningful phrases important for his business. The client’s website currently was towards the bottom of the second page in a search and his main competitor had first page rank. We built the client’s site early last year and now write his corporate blog posts, send his email marketing blasts, and mange his social media. He asked if I could do something to improve it.

What We Did

  • We ran a speed and performance report on both his site and the competition to see how they compared.
  • The competitor’s site was reviewed thoroughly to analyze content.
  • From the speed and performance report, we adjusted his site to improve areas that didn’t have an “A” grade in the report.
  • After tweaking performance, we focused on content updates throughout.

Search Engine Optimization Results

He is now enjoying first page rank. His company sits in the number two position after the paid ads and Yelp. And, his competitor is four positions below him.

His response: “I don’t know what you did, but you just made my day!”

This is My We-Are-Not-Snake-Oil-Salesmen Disclaimer

Our success was possible because we have the skills in house to achieve results. It involved a web developer, writer, and SEO pro to guide the process. I don’t want to take away from our team and efforts.

Here are three reasons why in a two-week period we could work to achieve first page rank:

  • The site was built by us, which ensured it already met many of the Google requirements for better SEO results.
  • The client was trying to move from second to first page rank (not 50th to 1st!)
  • We publish blog posts for him every week to ensure his site is content rich.

If SEO is something you are focused on improving, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will evaluate and provide a realistic assessment of what needs to be done to reach your goals with no snake oil in hand.