under the hood of client agency relationships - dipesh pattni & jamie peach
TRANSCRIPT
@pdipsy @jamiepeach
Under the Hood of Client/Agency Partnerships
Opener
The In-House Guy
Head of SEO at House of Fraser
• 8+ years SEO experience
• Half of that agency-side
• Manages a team of 8
• Plus 3 agency partners
Head of SEO & Content at PHD
• 8+ years SEO experience
• All of that agency-side
• Manages a team of 10
• 10+ clients on the roster
The Agency Guy
Barriers for SEO
Source: UK Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report 2014
Jamie’s Challenges
Partner Status
Discovery
Alignment Delivery
Quality
Dipesh’s Challenges
Partner Status
Trust
Advise Deliver
Relate
4Cs of Successful Client/Agency Partnerships
3Creativity
2Communication
4Celebrate
1Commercial
4Cs
4Cs of Successful Client/Agency Partnerships
3Creativity
2Communication
4Celebrate
1Commercial
4Cs
Map Your Negotiation Variables
Exclusivity
Contract Length
Bonuses / Penalties
Consultancy Time
Deliverables
Price PR
Value-Adds
Physical Presence
13%25%
36%26%
26%
23%14%
27%
46%38% 33% 34%
5% 3% 5% 3%9% 11% 11% 10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
SEO Paid search Display advertising Social mediamarketing
3 months or less 4-6 months 12 months 24 months Other
Source: UK Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report 2014
Length of Agency Contracts
The Project vs. Retainer Model
Project Basis
•Less commitment and risk for client
•Test agencies
•More focussed
•Budget uncertainty
Retainer Basis
•Less admin
•Guaranteed budget
•Strategic partner development
•Economies of scale
Collaborative KPI SettingWhat Success Looks Like
Are the KPIs achievable through the SOW?
Can the KPIs be effectively measured?
Has this been tested?
Are the KPIs aligned to business goals?
Are the right tools in place to provide
transparency of KPI reporting?
Making the Scope of Work, Work
KPIs
Deliverables
ResourceTime
4Cs of Successful Client/Agency Partnerships
3Creativity
2Communication
4Celebrate
1Commercial
4Cs
“Stop hiding behind
technology, and start
spending time with your
client or agency again…”
- Marketing Magazine
IMAGE 1
IMAGE 2
IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2
1. What does the word or/and picture mean to you?
2. What significance does of the word or picture in your life right
now
3. What thoughts and emotions arise when you look at the
picture/word?
4. What is the message it contains for you?
5. What actions does it make you want to take?
Being on the same page is not easily done…
RACI Model: A process to stay clear
R
A
C
I
RESPONSIBLEThe person assigned to do the work
ACCOUNTABLEThe person who makes the final decision and has the
ultimate ownership
CONSULTEDThe person who must be contacted before a decision or
action is taken
INFORMEDThe person who must be informed that a decision or
action has been taken
How does it work…
Head of Marketing
SEO Manager
Head of SEO
(Client)
Content Manager
(Both)
Head of SEO
(Agency)
SEO Strategist
KeywordResearch
Technical Site Audit
Meta Data
Client Agency
A C
I
C AI
I
R
R
R
A
A
A
C
4Cs of Successful Client/Agency Partnerships
3Creativity
2Communication
4Celebrate
1Commercial
4Cs
Ideating Together
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
Creativity has a process
Make it interdisciplinary
Not everyone is Don Draper
STEPPS Principles
Validating Together
Brand Values Alignment
Customer Segment Mapping
STEPPS Radar
Demand Validation
Competitor Analysis
Outreach Targets & Tactics
Is the idea on brand?
Who are we trying to reach?
Does the idea have virality?
Is there sufficient interest in the theme?
Has the idea been done before?
How will we promote the idea and to who?
STEPPS Radar
0
1
2
3
4
5Social Currency
Triggers
Emotion
Practical Value
Public
Stories
Creativity Comes In All Shapes & Sizes
It can’t be scoped
Creativity
beyond
content Be
Challeng
-ing
Steal with
pride!
“All ideas are second-
hand, consciously and
unconsciously drawn from
a million outside sources”
- Mark Twain
4Cs of Successful Client/Agency Partnerships
3Creativity
2Communication
4Celebrate
1Commercial
4Cs
Celebrate the small wins
Case studies are not just for agencies to show off!
Keep It Simple!
Determine your
audience
How much do they know about SEO?
What would they want to
see?
What will stand out for
them?
Create more than one version
Sell the whole story!
Problem Solution Result Learnings
What challenge
are we trying to solve?
What did we do to to solve the problem?
What was the
outcome or result?
What have we learnt & how can we
improve further?
Challenge eachother to be better, with mutual understanding
Take time regularly to review how the relationship is going
Great client-agency partnerships extend beyond the office!
Key Takeaways
@pdipsy @jamiepeach
Thanks for listening!