under the hood of client agency relationships - dipesh pattni & jamie peach

@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!