3 Case Studies From the Uproer Team

This month's Searchlite intro was written by Sr. SEO Analyst, Skye Sonnega.

Happy November, we hope everyone had a SPOOKtacular Halloween!

It's time for a debate: when is the appropriate time to start listening to Christmas music? There's been some heated discussion in the office and we need to get the story straight. And yes, there is a right answer.

In other news, Uproer is hiring! We have roles open for Content Specialists, SEO Analysts, Sr. Paid Analysts, & Sr. SEO Analysts. If you or someone you know might be a great fit, check out our careers page to learn more.

This month's edition of Searchlite is a bit different. Instead of our regular lineup of SEO + SEM news, we're featuring mini case studies by the Uproer team! During our weekly team meetings, we take turns presenting case studies – aka tips and advice that help us crush our client goals and make our work lives easier.

Keep reading to find our top-voted case studies from the past quarter. We hope you may find some golden nuggets of information to help you level up your own projects!

Pre-Wiring Strategic Initiatives & Deliverables Helps to Build Consensus & Growth Partnerships

by Dave Sewich SEO Manager

Situation:

• This idea comes straight from one of our favorite SEO educators, Tom Critchlow. It’s less of a “case study” and more of a shift in process. If you haven’t signed up for Tom’s newsletter, SEO MBA, we highly recommend it.
• The standard way of delivering SEO projects is flawed in that it often takes too long, happens with minimal input from the person who asked for it, and culminates in a “big reveal.” Meanwhile, what the recipient really needed was something simple and actionable that could’ve taken half the time.
• The unfortunate result is often less stakeholder buy-in and an overbuilt deliverable. ​​

Solution:
Pre-wiring is an idea that comes from the consulting world. In a nutshell, it refers to the practice of discussing ideas and findings with stakeholders prior to actually presenting them. It’s often used in reference to formal presentations, but the concept can be applied to smaller-scale projects as well. Pre-wiring helps build consensus and often shortens the time it takes to deliver a project because reviewing a “first draft” of the deliverable is actually all that’s needed to take informed action.

Results:
One of the ways in which we apply the concept of pre-wiring at Uproer is by having mid-point check-ins during our strategy development projects. During these collaborative meetings, we review our initial findings and ask the client for their input. We’ve found them extremely useful in tailoring our strategies to each client’s specific situation.

See Tom's graphic:

How to Approach Competitor Comparison Articles to Drive Rankings & Traffic

by Skye Sonnega, Sr. SEO Analyst

Situation:

• We noticed several blogs ranking for high volume comparison keywords that contained negative or inaccurate information about our client vs. their competitors.
• The SERPs were filled with these blogs, as no competitors were tackling the topics.

Solution:
We decided to directly target these competitor comparison keywords to lead the conversation about our client’s service and push misinformation out of the #1 ranking spot.

Comparison articles aren’t about bashing the competitor, they’re about providing the reader with all of the necessary information they need to make a purchase decision. A good competitor comparison article includes:

• Short and sweet copy – be up front with your answers and information
• Headers structured by service attributes (i.e. Cost, Platform, Live Support, etc.)

• Client’s product/service is always presented first

Results:
Several of our competitor comparison blogs are ranking first in featured snippets, bringing in new keyword rankings and traffic each month. We’re leading the conversation on a topic that was ridden with misinformation.

How an "All-in" Proposal Strategy Yielded Great Feedback

by John Smith, Paid Search Manager

• For too long, we segmented SEO and SEM services in our strategy proposals. We presented separate findings and pricing that gave an a-la carte feel to our proposals.
• As our company began to favor holistic, SEO & SEM engagements, we realized that our proposals did not reflect this new way of thinking.

Solution:
We tested a new proposal format and proposed an all-in SEO, content, and paid engagement. Our outcome-driven strategy grouped key initiatives across our services into business-level outcomes that we want to achieve. We shifted our focus from tactics (title updates, campaign structure changes, etc…) to higher level strategy, which communicated the benefits of using SEO, content, and SEM to achieve those goals.

Results:​
We got a new client, and they were bought in from the start. They expressed that they were really excited about the proposal. Some of their positive feedback included:

• “I feel like a dollar with Uproer will just go farther”

• “We’re really excited. You put together a great strategy.”​

Other Interesting Stories:

• User-first SEO: A modern approach to growing your online visibility

• The SEO Customer Funnel