I’m curious about tools like SEMrush and Conductor or any other SEO products you might be using. They seem very expensive, and I’m struggling to see the true value they provide. What are your thoughts on them?
I’ve been on SEMrush for almost 10 years as an enterprise-level customer. It’s essential if you want to deliver quality service to your clients. It helps with benchmarking, auditing, competitive keyword tracking, link building, local listing management, and more. Their support is exceptional too.
Google Search Console is also crucial for technical SEO and understanding user search queries.
Are you running a marketing agency?
How many clients or projects do you handle in a year? I saw that you have a team of around 50 people, right?
You definitely need SEMrush or AHrefs.
I agree. I work without these tools, and every time someone asks for data or reports I can’t create, I think we really need one of these tools.
How do you manage your work without those tools? Where do you find the data you need?
I piece together data from various sources. I have some tools for keyword research and on-page SEO.
Most clients just need solid content and good on-page SEO. I’m working with commercial construction clients who mainly want phone calls, and we make that happen.
Activity and data reporting are important for the client’s marketing managers.
The key outcomes matter to business owners, and internal teams need to communicate results to upper management to keep their jobs.
Agencies need to recognize this dynamic to retain clients.
How many clients or websites do you manage?
10-15 websites per year. We create a few custom sites and many templated sites with unique content annually.
This is just one of our services, but it’s one of the most profitable.
So building websites and SEO are just part of your agency’s services? What else do you offer your clients?
We provide a full range of digital and traditional marketing for co-op brands and their dealers. We offer almost anything you can think of.
We’re even running direct mail campaigns for clients.
What are your typical clients like? Local or international? SMB or enterprises?
We work with nationwide companies, enterprises, and their SMB dealers.
I’m curious about this aspect.
Why do you say that?
These tools don’t replace GSC. They are additional resources, not substitutes.
If you’re questioning their value, you might need to learn more about them before charging clients for services.
I’ve wondered about this too. Sometimes it seems like you’re paying for the brand instead of actual insights. I think they’re worth it if you’re managing many clients and need quick data access.
Are you working in-house or at an agency?