NextLeft

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for an organization called Fiskars. They're most prominently known for manufacturing sewing, crafting, and lawn care tools. We're probably most identifiable by our orange-handled scissors. I head up digital marketing for the Americas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NextLeft?

They're specialists in the SEO space. We look to them for expertise in content strategy, content development, continuous optimization of multiple websites, and technical SEO consultation services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Given the work that we had been focusing on, I'll break it down into two parts. The first is a global re-platforming project, which is essentially a CMS migration from one enterprise to a new one. Our existing CMS was never managed properly. At one point we had about 0,000 redirects, which was giving us massive headaches with Google and was really detrimental to our organic traffic. Over the course of several months, they took the 10,000 and reduced it to 3,500.

To do that, they formulated a plan that mapped the path to our goals. They examined key metrics like page speed and mobile performance. Their team was a critical part of that long-term plan. 

Secondly, using Google Lighthouse, Crawl, Screaming Frog, different SEO optimization tools, they recommend ways to correct problems with our digital presence. They also pointed us to opportunities to use our deep catalog of articles to benefit the business, taking a very data-driven, customer-focused approach.

For instance, NextLeft did a competitive analysis for one of our brands and found that there was a very significant traffic opportunity related to soil. So, they did some research, finding that the most popular result had not been updated since 2011. We targeted that keyword based on their findings. Their research was instrumental to the project. They were able to synthesize data, identify opportunities, and then execute to meet our customers' needs.

What is the team composition?

We have predominantly two points of contact, Katie (VP Marketing, NextLeft) and Andy (Senior SEO & Content Strategist, NextLeft). We've had occasional inclusion from John (CEO, NextLeft), who comes in for larger strategic planning. They also have a team that does our backlink outreach.

How did you come to work with NextLeft?

NextLeft had actually been with my company prior to my arrival. My predecessor had a wonderful working relationship with them and left our partnership with them up to me when I arrived. I'm actually departing Fiskars soon and I will bring them along to my new position as soon as I'm given the chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about 300,000 between our two brands.

What is the status of this engagement?

It's been over seven years since we started working with them. Our collaborations are ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result of their SEO improvements, we've had triple-digit organic growth over the last two years each year.

Their research landed us the first Google search result for targeted keywords and phrases. That's been instrumental in boosting our conversions. 

They've been swimming upstream, dealing with all sorts of technical difficulties. However, they've still been able to increase organic search traffic by almost 5%, even though total traffic is down. It's been impressive to witness the increases in sales and e-commerce conversions, regardless of total traffic decreases. That tells me that they're bringing the right people to the site.

How did NextLeft perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very strong in that regard. Katie is an outstanding project manager and an even better communicator. Nothing gets left uncovered. Even when we've worked triangularly with other agencies, they easily handle communication over email. When my internal team decided to switch to BaseCamp, they jumped right in with us. That way, communication has been even more seamless and organized than before.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have our project manager's attention at all times. Our team knows that she's only a phone call away with a remedy for our situations. Additionally, many agencies position themselves as a one-stop-shop without really being able to deliver on everything.

NextLeft knows they're SEO experts, and there have been instances where they will say that a task isn't right for their team. The self-awareness and maintained focus are really strong and positive. On top of that, they're extremely talented and client-focused.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. They're like an extension of my team with really strong and positive intentions. They've probably given us the greatest ROI our team has seen. They're great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I actually referred them to another contact. When they asked me for advice, I told them that they don't do pay-per-click. They've experimented with it, but it's not their primary focus. I wanted them to understand that their specialty is in SEO.

Similarly, they're capable of development work, but it's not their area of greatest expertise. Understand your goals. If they're organic search-related, then they're perfect for them.